Welcome to Depression and Mental Health Screening Month at Well Workshop Psychological Services! Mental health screening is a powerful, accessible first step toward understanding your emotional well-being and finding the right path forward.

Whether you are seeking clarity for yourself or supporting a loved one, taking time to evaluate your mental health can be transformative.

Why Mental Health Screening Matters

Depression is one of the most widespread mental health challenges today:

High Global & National Impact: Depression affects over 264 million people globally, yet nearly 50% of individuals in high-income countries remain undiagnosed or untreated. In the U.S., nearly 29% of adults receive a depression diagnosis in their lifetime.
Common Among Undergraduates: In university populations, up to 44% of students screen positive for depressive symptoms in national surveys.
Accuracy of Screening Tools: Validated questionnaires like the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) demonstrate high sensitivity (92.9%) in identifying clinically significant depressive symptoms.
Empowerment Through Awareness: Completing a brief screening increases self-awareness, helps name emotional experiences, and empowers individuals to engage actively in their mental healthcare.

Key Risk Factors & Symptoms to Watch For

Depression arises from a complex mix of personal, social, and psychological factors:

Family History: Living with a family member who has depression or mental illness is one of the strongest predictors of adult depression.
Loneliness & Isolation: Social disconnection significantly elevates depression risk; individuals who "always" feel lonely show a 50.2% predicted probability of depression compared to 9.7% for those who "never" feel lonely.
Relationship Distress: Ongoing distress in intimate relationships prospectively predicts a higher incidence of major depressive episodes.
Stressful Life Events: Experiencing major stressful events significantly increases the hazard of first-onset depression.
Social Camouflaging: For women managing neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD, social camouflaging, the ongoing effort to mask or compensate for symptoms in social settings, is directly linked to higher depressive symptoms and reduced life satisfaction.

Meet Our New Therapist: Anna Page

We are thrilled to welcome Anna Page to the clinical team at Well Workshop Psychological Services!

Specialized Care: Anna Page specializes in working with individuals experiencing depression, mood distress, and life transitions.
Tailored Approach: She collaborates closely with clients to move beyond symptoms, unpack root stressors, and foster genuine well-being.
Evidence-Based Guidance: Anna helps clients develop practical, personalized tools to break cycles of emotional distress and build lasting resilience.

Low-Effort Strategies You Can Try Today

Managing depression doesn't always require overwhelming effort. Incorporating simple, low-effort strategies into your routine can help regulate emotions:

Sensory Practices: Listening to calming music, spending time in nature, or using weighted blankets can soothe the nervous system.
Language-Based Tools: Try affect labeling (naming your emotion in simple words) or distanced self-talk (talking through a situation using your name or "you" instead of "I") to gain psychological distance.
Optimistic Coping: Engaging in active problem-focused coping and psychoeducation helps reframe challenges and protect against severe distress.

Take the Next Step

Don't wait to prioritize your well-being. Reach out to Well Workshop Psychological Services today to schedule a mental health screening or book an appointment with Anna Page or one of our other psychologists!

References

Akinyemi, O., Abdulrazaq, W., Fasokun, M., Ogunyankin, F., Ikugbayigbe, S., Nwosu, U., Michael, M., Hughes, K., & Ogundare, T. (2025). The impact of loneliness on depression, mental health, and physical well-being. PLoS ONE, 20(7), e0319311.

Boian, R., Bucur, A.-M., Todea, D., Luca, A., Rebedea, T., & Podina, I. R. (2025). A conversational agent framework for mental health screening: Design, implementation, and usability. Behaviour & Information Technology, 44(10), 2364–2378.

Calentino, A. E., Harrison, T. J., Feltman, S. M., Perlman, G., Monroe, S. M., Kotov, R., & Klein, D. N. (2026). Stressful life events and depression onset: A longitudinal investigation of depression course subtypes. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Advance online publication.

Eischens, B., Aslinger, E., Frederickson, J., Michener, M., & Wu, K. (2026). Depression, anxiety, substance use, and academic success among undergraduates: A Healthy Minds secondary analysis. Journal of American College Health. Advance online publication.

Guevarra, D. A., Rodriguez, M., & McNally, R. J. (2026). Low-effort emotion regulation: Implications for depression and anxiety. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice. Advance online publication.

Han, E., & Shin, J. (2026). Adverse childhood experiences and social determinants of mental health as predictors of adult depression: A machine learning approach. Journal of Counseling & Development. Advance online publication.

Hews-Girard, J. C., Dimitropoulos, G., Patten, S., Velmovitsky, P. E., Keown-Stoneman, C. D. G., King, N., Qiao, T., Furlani, N., Thannhauser, J., Szeto, A. C. H., & Duffy, A. (2026). Examining the classification accuracy of GAD-7 and PHQ-9 against the QuickSCID-5 in Canadian undergraduates: Improving post-secondary student mental health screening. Journal of American College Health, 74(6), 1669–1680.

Hews-Girard, J. C., Duffy, A., Cullen, E., Qiao, T., Furlani, N., Brill, K., Patten, S., King, N., Thannhauser, J. E., Szeto, A. C. H., & Dimitropoulos, G. (2026). Exploring undergraduate student perceptions of the appropriateness of standardized mental health screening measures: A qualitative descriptive study. Journal of American College Health. Advance online publication.

Koçak Özel, T., & Yalçınkaya Alkar, Ö. (2026). The vulnerable attachment style as a predictor of depression and stress: The mediating role of emotion regulation and coping strategies. Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi. Advance online publication.

Martinengo, L., Stona, A.-C., Tudor Car, L., Lee, J., Griva, K., & Car, J. (2022). Education on depression in mental health apps: Systematic assessment of characteristics and adherence to evidence-based guidelines. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(3), e34198.

Wicherkiewicz, F., & Gambin, M. (2026). Relations between social camouflaging, life satisfaction, and depression among Polish women with ADHD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 56, 2875–2883.

Whisman, M. A., Sellery, P. E., Boyd, S. M., & Sbarra, D. A. (2026). Intimate relationship distress and incidence of major depression in a U.S. probability sample: A preregistered propensity score analysis. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, 135(6), 796–805.

Understanding Depression & Taking Control of Your Mental Health