Pfeiffer to offer free depression screenings

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 3:00 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend | Depression is a major illness that plagues approximately 18.8 million adults in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The good news is research suggests that 80 percent of patients with depression will improve with the proper treatment. The Pfeiffer University Marriage and Family Therapy Institute (Pfeiffer Institute) in Charlotte wants to help anyone who believes they suffer from this disorder by offering free depression screenings to the community.

To bring awareness to the seriousness of depression, the Pfeiffer Institute will offer the no cost screenings from 12:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8 on National Depression Screening Day at the Pfeiffer Institute, located next to the university's Charlotte campus at 4805 Park Rd., Ste. 250 (next door to McAlister's Deli). Appointments are encouraged, however walk-ins are welcome.

The Pfeiffer Institute's mental health screenings will provide an anonymous mental health self-assessment, educational resources to send with the patients and a confidential interview with a therapist intern to discuss the results of the screening. The purpose of the examinations is to identify patients suffering from depression before it becomes serious, enabling them access to care considerably earlier in the course of their illness. It is important to remember that while an assessment may be the first step toward awareness and recovery, a depression screening is not a professional diagnosis.

Established in 1991 by a Harvard Medical School professor, National Depression Screening Day is held each October during Mental Illness Awareness Week. Because two thirds of people suffering from depression do not seek the necessary treatment, he wanted to bring national awareness to this important issue.

Last fall, the university opened the Pfeiffer Institute, an invaluable counseling clinic and community resource that provides support for individuals who need one-on-one confidential counseling or for couples, families and/or groups who may be seeking relationship tune-ups and marriage and family restoration. Help for a vast range of emotional, behavioral and personal challenges is available at a nominal fee of $25 per session, or on a sliding scale for the underserved.

The Institute is open for client appointments Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. To make an appointment or for more information about the Pfeiffer Institute, call (704) 945-7324 or view the web site: www.pimft.com.

Established in 1885, Pfeiffer University is a comprehensive United Methodist-related university, with multiple campuses, including Misenheimer, Charlotte and the Triangle, committed to educational excellence, service and scholarship. Visit Pfeiffer online at www.pfeiffer.edu.