On October 10, 2013, hundreds of colleges and universities across the country screened their students for depression as a part of the 23^rd annual National Depression Screening Day (NDSD). This important event raises awareness about mental health issues on college campuses and screens students for symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Screening for Mental Health and the CollegeResponse® team would like to thank all of the participants for another hugely successful screening day. From hanging posters around campus to designing QR codes for flyers, counseling centers have worked hard to promote their screenings and reduce stigma surrounding mood disorders.

More than 600 colleges and universities in 49 states and Canada and Puerto Rico participated this year. During the week of NDSD, 21,195 anonymous online screenings were completed through the participating schools. On the day of NDSD, 12,000 screenings were completed—a significant increase from the excellent numbers following NDSD 2012.

Of the students who scored positive for symptoms consistent with a mental illness, more than half reported that they planned to seek further evaluation.

“By Friday, five new students had scheduled counseling appointments,” said Leslie Beary from Ohio State University at Marion. “I think if we make a difference for those five students (or even one) then it was a huge success.”

We thank you again for all of the time and energy you spent making National Depression Screening Day 2013 a success. We encourage you to continue to be advocates for mental wellness on your campus.