Published on December 11, 2018

Bryan Health Offers Free, Online Depression Screenings and 24/7 Mental Health Emergency Department to Treat Mental Illness

The holiday season is often described as “the most wonderful time of the year.” However, if you can’t get into the festive spirit this season, it may be more than just a case of the holiday blues. You may be suffering from depression, a common illness that affects one out of every 10 Americans each year.

“Sometimes a stressful event, such as the holiday season, can trigger depression,” says Dr. Dave Miers, counseling and program development manager for mental health services at Bryan Medical Center. “We’ve seen colder temperatures and higher amounts of snow this winter. This often leads to people staying in more often. This can make it difficult to know if someone is isolating due to depression or the weather. One way to find out is to take our free, online depression screening.”

Early detection is important before mental illness becomes a crisis. Here are some early warning signs you should pay attention to this holiday season:

  • Lack of interest in activities you normally enjoy
  • Increased irritability
  • Sleep problems
  • Changes in appetite

Bryan Health offers a free, anonymous depression-screening tool that will let you know, in the privacy of your own home, whether professional consultation would be helpful to you. The confidential process assesses symptoms of depression, anxiety, alcoholism, psychosis, disordered eating and post-traumatic stress. You’ll receive instant results and have the option to review referrals, information about mental health and substance abuse services offered at Bryan Medical Center or general information about mental illness.

To take a free, anonymous mental health screening, please visit www.bryanhealth.org/online-screenings.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please visit the mental health emergency department at Bryan West Campus, 2300 S. 16th St. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

dave miers

About Dr. Dave Miers

Dave Miers, PhD, is senior director of behavioral health services at Bryan Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

He helped establish the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition in 1999 and chaired/co-chaired this Coalition until 2017. Dr. Miers is a member of the leadership group for the Lincoln/Lancaster County Suicide Prevention Coalition. Dr. Miers has published research and co-authored a chapter in the Routledge International Handbook of Clinical Suicide Research focusing on family survivors of a child suicide. Dr. Miers helped develop the Lincoln Lancaster Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) team in Lincoln, Neb. He also helped develop other LOSS teams in Nebraska and is active with LOSS team development on a national level.