Senior citizens: Test your mood and get a free lunch.
The Central City Multipurpose Center, 615 S. 300 East, will host a free screening for depression and manic-depression beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 8. Participants will receive a free pizza lunch courtesy of Parke-Davis and Forest Pharmaceuticals.The program includes a brief talk on the causes, symptoms and treatment of depression followed by a short video. Participants will complete an anonymous written screening test for depression. Mental-health professionals will be available to discuss the test results.
"This is our first time participating in National Depression Screening Day, and if we help only one senior with depression, we will feel we had a successful day," said chairwoman Eileen Hjorth.
National Depression Screening Day, held in conjunction with Mental Illness Awareness Week, was developed by Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Douglas Jacobs. Last year, more than 85,000 people attended screenings at 3,000 sites nationwide.