Yearly doctor’s office visits are common practice in today’s society, yet mental health checkups are far less established as a normal routine. Oct. 8 marks National Depression Screening Day, a time to raise awareness and educate the public on the prevailing importance of screening for even subtle symptoms. Mental Health America, founded in 1909, is a not-for-profit initiative set up to help Americans promote healthy mental wellness, early identification, and treatment plans for those who need it. The organization also provides an easy-to-use online screening tool for a private at-home mental health checkup to ensure accurate diagnoses as early as possible.

In a recent study conducted at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada, researchers found more than half of the 2,219 workers surveyed by phone reported symptoms of depression. None of them were receiving treatment because most of them didn’t think they could benefit from help or didn’t recognize their own symptoms.

"This barrier has a significant impact on health and work productivity and is an area where employers can focus efforts to reduce work productivity loss," said the study’s lead author, Dr. Carolyn Dewa, the head of the research center, in a press release. "It's important for employers to know where to start when it comes to tackling productivity loss related to untreated depression."

It’s not only an issue for the employed, but also for the broader population, from adolescents to the elderly. According to the World Health Organization, there are an estimated 350 million people of all ages suffering from depression throughout the world. Symptoms range from mild mood fluctuations to more severe low self-worth episodes. Recognizing symptoms is one of the most powerful intervention and prevention approaches a person can make, and the earlier the better. In the worst case scenario, depression can lead to suicide. More than 800,000 people take their own lives each year, making it the second leading cause of death in 15- to 29-year-olds.

Source: Dewa C, et al. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2015.