Voluntary mental health screening program identifying at-risk students at UCLA

Since September, when all of UCLA ’s incoming students were offered free screening for depression, more than 2,600 students have opted to complete a volunteer online screening. Those whose results showed they were at risk of suicide, severe depression or other serious mental health problems were offered access to treatment at UCLA .The screenings are an important part of the  Depression Grand Challenge, an ambitious effort launched by UCLA in 2015 to reduce the burden of depression worldwide by developing better methods of detecting, evaluating and treating depression. The initiative is led by  Dr. Nelson Freimer, director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics at theSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, and a UCLA professor of psychiatry.UCLA HealthDr. Nelson FreimerMore than 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression, which affects not only the lives of those living with the condition but also their families, friends and co-workers. Depression and anxiety often begin  in young adults, which is why UCLA launched the campus-wide initiative to identify and treat students for mental health issues — which should also provide new insights into how and why psychiatric diseases originate in younger people.“This is the first time any university has tried to do something on this massive of a scale,” said Freimer, who also is associate director for research programs at the Semel Institute. “We felt it was our responsibility to do someth...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news