Your View: Mental health Massachusetts offers online mental health screening

A s a society, Americans are hyper-focused on physical health. Whether we consciously think about it or not, we are tapped into what’s going on within our bodies constantly. WebMD’s 27,038,633 average monthly viewers alone attest to the fact that we’re anxiously Googling symptoms at the sign of a slight headache; and with Obamacare’s free physicals, more of us are making time for regular check-ups.

But what about the intricate ins and outs of the mind? When was the last time we stopped and focused on what’s going on up there? As demonstrated by devastating suicide rates, paying attention to your mental health is as crucial as the physical.

In Massachusetts alone, there were 627 suicides in 2012 — that’s 4.6 times higher than the rate of homicide. And the problem isn’t going away on its own. These rates have increased an average of 4.2 percent each and every year.

Studies show that suicide is often a fatal response to depression, a treatable mental health condition. The remedy — as with any illness — is detection and prevention. Early intervention can lessen severity, speed recovery and save lives. Unsurprisingly, the key to detection and prevention of physical ailments is regular examinations, yet routine mental health check-ups continue to be stigmatized. It’s time to change our ways and acknowledge that mental health is as serious as physical health and there’s a first step at our fingertips: free online screenings.

A recent study conducted by Screening for Mental Health found that 55 percent of people who completed an online depression screening and agreed to participate in a follow-up survey sought depression treatment within three months. And 80 percent of those treated for depression show an improvement in symptoms in just four to six weeks.

Gov. Charles D. Baker has made an important step toward raising awareness of the importance of mental health by proclaiming Oct. 8 as National Depression Screening Day in Massachusetts. In its 25th year and held annually on the first Thursday of the first full week of October, NDSD alerts and urges people to take a free and anonymous online screening.

Let’s join Gov. Baker in raising awareness of such an important issue by attending the event being held at the Statehouse this Thursday or by sharing this important message and online screenings with a loved one. The free, quick and anonymous screenings can be taken anytime at www.helpyourselfhelpothers.org/.

Together, we can make a difference in the lives of Americans unknowingly affected by depression. Progress is right at our fingertips.

—Douglas Jacobs M.D., a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist, is founder and medical director of the Screening of Mental Health Inc. and founder of National Depression Screening Day held on Thursday of the first full week of October.