Depression Screening

2011 San Diego Depression Screening Week

The Community Health Improvement Partners' (CHIP) Behavioral Health Work Team collaborated with other San Diego County organizations to offer free depression screenings during San Diego Depression Screening Week (DSW), October 3-8, 2011, which also coincided with National Depression Screening Day on October 6.  Local Depression Screening activities were planned by a subcommittee of BHWT, co-chaired by Nina C. Iwanaga and Lyn Devereaux, including training and tools for participating agencies.  During the week, residents of San Diego County over the age of 18 had the opportunity to visit designated sites to receive a free, anonymous, depression screening; learn about the signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety disorder, postpartum depression and other topics related to depression.

This year, 36 sites participated in DSW, with 23 sites participating as screening venues and the remaining participating as information-only venues.  The events were held at locations throughout the County, including the Access and Crisis Line, which took 29 calls related to DSW and screened five individuals over the phone.  About a dozen sites were closed to the public.  Participating agencies included community service organizations, senior homes, hospital/health care agencies, libraries, school administration, and government.  A media event kicked off DSW on October 3, with broadcast news coverage by Fox 5, KFMB News8, NBC 7/39, Telemundo, 10 News, and KPBS, plus County Television Network's story on the CountyNewsCenter.  At least 22 websites posted the story online, and CW6 News re-Tweeted the County's Tweet on Depression Screening Week.  DSW was also featured on HHSA, County, and County Library Facebook pages.

In 2011, 308 individuals were screened through Depression Screening Week and hundreds more were provided information.

• Age: Participants' ages ranged between 16 and 90 years old, with most between 18 and 70.  Ethnicity of the participants was predominantly Caucasian (106 of 308, or 34%) and Hispanic (94 of 308, or 31%).
• Gender: The gender of most participants was female (209 of 308, or 68%), where both females and males showed a range of depression levels, leaning more toward the lower levels of depression.
• Level of Depression:  Overall, most participants scored on the lower end of the depression scale:  nearly two-thirds (210 of 308, 69%) scored <15 on the depression scale (clinician referral not required), while the remaining third (95 of 308, 31%) scored 15+ (clinician referral needed).
• Screeners: According to screeners, 47% (145 of 308) of participants were provided information, 40% (124 of 308) were referred on to the clinician, and 10% (32 of 308) refused clinician referral.  Looking just at those who scored 15+, 68% (65 of 95) were referred on to clinician, while 23% (22 of 95) of those refused clinician referral.
• Clinicians: According to the clinicians, individuals they saw were given info only (79 of 140, 56%), outpatient referral (23 of 140, 23%), or other referral (19 of 140, 14%).

List of Participating Agencies

The following agencies participated in the 2011 Depression Screening Week, whether as a screening site, an information-only site, or on the Community Health Improvement Partners Behavioral Health Depression Screening Week Committee. These 23 agencies contributed to 36 events around the county at sites such as senior homes, community clinics and service agencies, hospitals, health fairs, and Family Resource Centers.

• Access & Crisis Line (OptumHealth)
• Alvarado Parkway Institute
• Brookview Village
• Community Health Improvement Partners
• East County Mental Health Clinic
• HHSA Aging & Independence Services
• HHSA Central Region
• HHSA East Region
• HHSA North Central Region
• HHSA North Coastal and North Inland Regions
• HHSA South Region
• Mental Health America of San Diego County
• Neighborhood Healthcare
• San Diego County Library, Rancho San Diego Branch
• San Diego County Library, Santee Branch
• San Diego County Office of Education
• Scripps Health
• Sharp Grossmont Hospital Behavioral Health Services
• Sharp Mesa Vista
• Tri-City Medical Center Behavioral Health Unit
• UPAC - Positive Solutions Program
• UPAC - EMASS & Positive Solutions Program

More Info

If you would like more information about Depression Screening Week (for more data or to participate in the effort in some way), please contact 2011 San Diego DSW Co-chair Nina Constantino Iwanaga at nina.iwanaga@sdcounty.ca.gov or 858-505-6541.  For a copy of the PHQ-9 Depression Screening Tool, click here.  If you would like to learn more about depression or other mental health conditions, link up for information and resources through the It's Up to Us website at Up2SD.org.  Help is also available 24 hours a day by calling the Access and Crisis Line at 800-479-3339.