daily illini staff report

Parkland College will host Anxiety Screening Day, as well as an information session entitled “Understanding and Treating Anxiety” on its campus on March 2.

During the information session, which will begin at noon, there will be a video screening followed by a discussion with a panel of local mental health professionals. The panel will discuss symptoms and treatments of anxiety disorders including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias and generalized anxiety disorder.

Audience members will also be given the opportunity to ask questions.

Following the discussion, free confidential screenings will be available in room U267 of Parkland’s Counseling and Advising Center. Though the screenings will be available immediately following the discussion, they are also available year-round at Parkland.

A study from the National Institute of Mental Health found that 18.1 percent of U.S. adults experience prevalent anxiety; 22 percent of those cases are classified as severe. Additionally, the study found women are 60 percent more likely than men to experience an anxiety disorder during their lifetime. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-anxiety-disorder-among-adults.shtml

According to a press release from Parkland College, the session is being presented in conjunction with the Champaign-Urbana Mental Health Public Education Committee.

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