In observance of National Depression Screening Day, Oct. 7, services to help people who may suffer from mental illness are becoming more readily available.

The Mental Health Association in Milwaukee County is offering free mental health screenings online at www.mhamil.org.

The screening process entails answering a series of questions, according to Cara Hansen, director of community outreach for MHA in Milwaukee.

Upon completion of the online screening, a paragraph will give instructions for professional follow-up if results dictate it is needed. Hansen said the program may list people to call for further assistance, such as a doctor, counselor or a crisis hotline for severe cases.

The screening sorts test-takers into three groups: those who do not exhibit depression symptoms, those who show some depression symptoms and those whose cases are very serious and warrant immediate follow-up, Hansen said.

"It also says to print out your results and take them to a professional with you, which is helpful because it's hard to talk about your symptoms," she said.

Colleen, a College of Arts & Sciences sophomore who suffers from depression, agreed talking about a mental illness can be hard, but sometimes seeking help is necessary.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," she said.

Colleen is currently taking Zoloft and Serzone medications. She has been on some form of antidepressant for the past five and a half years, she said.

"The college years are a huge transition, and if depression or bipolar disorder is going to happen, it is most likely between the ages of 18 and 24," Hansen said. She listed irregular sleeping patterns, living away from home and handling finances for the first time as factors that put college students at risk for mental illnesses.

She stressed the importance of seeking help and not being afraid to admit problems exist.

"There's a lot of stigma when talking about mental illnesses," she said. "People think it's a personal character flaw, but depression is a real, actual, treatable illness."

Depression has been proven to be a treatable illness, but methods used to treat it may be beginning to change.

Recent studies have shown antidepressants can lead to suicidal thoughts and behavior among children and adolescents.

The Food and Drug Administration told the New York Times they will likely recommend the strongest warning labels—black boxes—be placed on antidepressants to deal with such evidence.

This is not the first time antidepressants have been targeted as causes of suicide in depressed youth; when Prozac was introduced in 1986, a lawsuit was brought against its makers for similar charges but no direct link between suicide and the drug was found, according to Michael Wierzbicki, psychology chair, said.

"The scientific evidence at the time showed people being treated with Prozac did not have higher suicide rates than people who were depressed and not on medication," he said.

Colleen began taking antidepressants in her freshman year of high school. She said during that time she has never had suicidal thoughts, but thinks black box warnings are a good idea.

Suicide risk "is probably something they should take into consideration," she said.