The TCU Counseling and Mental Health Center will offer depression screenings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 10 in front of the Clark Brothers Statue near the entrance of the Mary Couts Burnett Library. 

Cortney Gumbleton, the suicide prevention outreach coordinator, said she encourages all students to participate because many students “don’t even know they’re depressed, they’re just really stressed out.”

The screening consists of a nine question survey and takes about three minutes, said Amanda Swartz, a licensed psychologist at Counseling and Mental Health Center. 

Each question asks the respondent about a specific behavior or emotion they have felt in the last two weeks. The four answer choices range from “not at all” to “nearly every day,” Swartz said.

The screening is not used to diagnose depression, but to look for signs to see if further evaluation would be helpful. 

“The biggest thing that affects accuracy is honesty,” said Swartz regarding the effectiveness of the surveys.

Gumbleton said the center does little advertising for the event because “the students who need help the most don’t get it.” She said she does not want to advertise excessively for the event because it could cause students to avoid the screenings. 

“I would encourage people to go to the depression screenings because it really is a great way to gauge where you’re at, and a lot of times you don’t realize how low you are” said Alec Mothershead, co-president of TCU’s To Write Love On Her Arms. 

The organization is a national non-profit committed to helping those affected by depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide, according to its website. 

In addition to conducting screenings, Gumbleton and other staff members of the center will be present to explain its resources and how to talk to a friend that may need help. 

Members of To Write Love On Her Arms offer advice to students seeking help for talking to a friend who may be depressed or suicidal: