Should I Get a Depression Screening on National Depression Screening Day?

Summary: Yes, you should get a depression screening on National Depression Screening Day if you have persistent feelings of sadness or low mood that aren’t typical for you. If your low moods, sadness, or other depression-related feelings last every day for two weeks or more, then we encourage you to find a mental health professional and get a full screening for depression.

Key Points:

• • In 2025, National Depression Screening Day is on October 9th
  • A depression screen is a test for the presence of depressive symptoms.
  • You can access self-administered depression screens from several online sources
  • The best way to get a screening for depression is by arranging an appointment with a licensed, experienced mental health professional.
  • Only a licensed mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist can diagnose major depressive disorder (MDD), which is the official clinical name for depression.

Why Should I Get Screened for Depression on National Depression Screening Day?

The short answer:

If you think you may have depression, then you should get a depression screening on National Depression Screening Day because the consequences of having major depressive disorder, not knowing it, and not getting evidence-based treatment are serious too serious to ignore.

When depression goes untreated, whether mild, moderate, or severe, it can have a wide range of negative consequences:

• • Difficulty in relationships with family, friends, and peers
  • Decreased academic achievement
  • Impaired work performance
  • Increase in likelihood of developing chronic physical illness
  • Long-term changes in brain structure and function
  • Increased risk of suicidality, including suicidal ideation and suicide attempts
  • Premature mortality

We’re not exaggerating when we say the most serious possible outcome of untreated depression is death. Untreated depression increases instances of chronic physical illness, which can decrease life expectancy. Untreated depression can increase risk of suicidality, which can increase risk of a fatal suicide attempt.

That’s what experts imply when they place the item premature mortality on the list above. That phrase means dying before the expected, average age for people without depression, or people with depression who receive evidence-based treatment for depression.

Now that we’ve explained why getting a depression screening on National Depression Screening Day – and following up with evidence-based treatment, if necessary – is important, we’ll share the signs, symptoms, risk factors, and protective factors for depression.

Major Depressive Disorder: Risk Factors and Warning Signs

Risk factors are things in your life that increase the likelihood you’ll develop major depressive disorder (MDD). When you can identify the presence of risk factors in your life, that’s an indication you may need a depression screening on National Depression Screening Day. Risk factors for major depressive disorder (MDD) include:

• • History of depression in your family
  • Traumatic experiences during childhood or adulthood
  • Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
  • Diagnosis of of major physical illness/chronic illness
  • High levels of daily stress
  • Presence of cognitive impairment
  • Low self-esteem/low self-image
  • Misuse of alcohol or drugs
  • Presence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and/or substance use disorder (SUD)
  • Diagnosis of other mental health and/or behavioral disorder/disorders

If you identify risk factors in your life, it doesn’t mean you’ll get depression – it means you’re at higher risk of getting depression. However, when you have the risk factors above in your life, and experience one or more of the following signs and symptoms of depression, then it’s essential to seek a professional depression screening:

• • Persistent sadness/low mood
  • Loss of interest in favorite activities, hobbies, or pursuits
  • Daily crying
  • Persistent feelings of hopelessness
  • Uncharacteristic anger and irritability
  • Persistent feelings of worthlessness
  • Constant fatigue
  • Withdrawal from family, friends, loved ones
  • Frequent boredom and restlessness
  • New difficulties with memory, concentration, and decision-making
  • Problems with sleep: too much or too little
  • Sudden gain or loss of weight
  • Declining interest in or attention to basic personal hygiene
  • Suicidality*
  • Common physical ailments that common remedies don’t help

 * If you or someone you know is at imminent risk of harm, call 911 or get to a hospital emergency room now. If you or someone you know is in crisis, but not at imminent risk of harm, call 988, the National Suicide/Mental Health Help Line. *

Please remember that everyone feels some of those things some of the time: that’s not what clinical depression is. If you have a personal, professional, or academic disappointment and feel down about it for a period of time, but work past it, that’s typical. However, when you experience one or more of the symptoms above every day for two weeks or more, you may meet criteria for clinical depression.

However, it’s important to understand that in addition to risk factors for depression, there are also protective factors. We’ll discuss those now.

Major Depressive Disorder: Protective Factors

Protective factors are things in your life that decrease your risk of developing depression. They’re the opposite of risk factors. Like risk factors, though, the presence of protective factors doesn’t mean you won’t develop depression, but they do decrease your overall risk of developing depression.

Protective factors for depression include:

• • Robust social support system: compassionate and understanding family, friends, and peers
  • Healthy diet: plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and reduced intake of alcohol, sugar, processed foods, and caffeine
  • Good sleep hygiene: 7-8 hours per night for adults
  • Regular participation in social activities
  • High level of engagement in hobbies or interests
  • Daily exercise and activity: you don’t have to become or be a workout fanatic or gym rat, but you do need to keep your body moving, and do something every day, no matter how small
  • High default self-esteem
  • Effective stress management: mindfulness, relaxation, meditation, yoga, tai chi, or a combination of factors above, such as exercise, socializing, and a healthy diet

But do those things really protect against depression?

Yes, they do.

To learn more about the role of protective factors in reducing depression risk, please consult the source research in the review article “Investigating Lifestyle Risk and Protective Factors for Depression in Young Adults: Insights From a Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study” and the study “The Brain Structure, Immunometabolic And Genetic Mechanisms Underlying the Association Between Lifestyle and Depression.”

The second article includes a statistical analysis that quantifies the impact of protective factors on depression risk. Here’s what they found:

 Protective Factors for Depression: The Impact of Lifestyle Choices on Depression Risk

• • Healthy sleep is associated with a 22% decreased risk of depression
  • Never smoking tobacco is associated with a 20% decreased risk of depression
  • High level of social connection is associated with an 18% decreased risk of depression
  • Daily physical activity is associated with a 14% decreased risk
  • Low level of sedentary behavior is associated with a 13% decreased risk of depression
  • Moderate alcohol consumption (2 servings a day for men, 1 for women) is associated with an 11% decreased risk of depression

A healthy diet is associated with a 6% decreased risk of depression

Whether you have depression or not, all the protective factors against depression are also factors associated with positive mental health and wellbeing overall. But if you have feeling of depression, or a clinical diagnosis, there are two reasons for you to have hope.

Major Depressive Disorder: Prevalence and Treatment

First, you’re not alone. The 2024 the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2024 NSDUH) shows that millions of people in the U.S. have depression:

Major Depressive Episode (MDE) and MDE With Severe Impairment in 2024 in the U.S.

Major Depressive Episode (MDE):

• • Total: 8.2% (21.4 million people)
    • With severe impairment: 5.6% (14.7 million people)

MDE by Age Group:

• • 18-25: 15.9%
    • With severe impairment: 11.5%
  • 26-49: 10.0%
    • With severe impairment: 7.0%
  • 50+: 4.4%
    • With severe impairment: 2.6%

Second, decades of research into mental health shows that treatment for depression can reduce depressive symptoms and lead to remission. In other words:

Depression treatment works.

Reminder: to access the best treatment for depression, you need a diagnosis, and to receive a diagnosis, you need an evaluation administered by a qualified health professional. In other words:

To get the most effective, evidence-based treatment for depression, you need a screening. If you think you may have depression, then you should get a depression screening on National Depression Screening Day – or on any other day, for that matter.

When you seek a professional screening for depression, you’ll likely complete one of the following depression metrics or depression screening tools, which mental health professionals use every day, virtually everywhere in the world:

Common Depression Screening Tools

• • Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): general depression test
  • Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI/CDI-2): designed for children and adolescents ages 7-17
  • Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): designed for adults ages 60-65+
  • The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II): general depression test
  • The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D): general depression test
  • Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale (MADRS): general depression test
  • Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS): for new mothers/parents

In addition, mental health professionals continue to work to improve how we diagnose depression. The following scale is not as widely used as those above, but it’s an effective and innovative way to screen for depression.

• • Multidimensional Depression Assessment Scale (MDAS): an innovative depression metric that measures the impact of depression in your emotional, cognitive, somatic (physical), and interpersonal life domains

After a screening – if the clinician identifies the presence of major depressive disorder (MDD) – you’ll likely receive a referral for treatment and care.

What Happens During Depression Treatment?

During depression, you learn the tools and skills you need to manage your symptoms, process difficult emotions, and restore balance to your daily life.

The most effective care and treatment for depressive disorders is comprehensive, integrated, and holistic. High quality treatment centers learn everything they can about you and collaborate with you to design a treatment plan that includes:

• • Individual, family, and group psychotherapy:
    • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CDT)
    • Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
    • Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT)
    • Motivational interviewing (MI)
  • Medication, if needed:
    • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
    • Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
  • New medications, if indicated and available:
    • Ketamine
    • Spravato
  • Complementary therapies:
    • Expressive therapies: writing, art, music
    • Mindfulness, yoga, meditation
  • Lifestyle changes
    • Healthy diet
    • Good sleep
    • Exercise and activity
    • Stress management
  • Classes and educational workshops
    • Relationships
    • Communication
    • Self-care

The exact makeup of your treatment plan depends on you and your treatment team. If you think you need a depression screening on National Depression Screening Day, please call us here at Crownview Medical –  Call 619-435-5400  – or refer to our extensive resource page:

Links & Resources – Crownview Medical Group

On that page, you’ll find phone numbers for crisis support, information about various mental health disorders and treatment for mental health disorders, including depression, and several online treatment finders, which can help you find the kind oof support you need, when and where you need it.