About the Interactive Screening Program
The Interactive Screening Program offers State of Michigan employees the opportunity to find out if they may be struggling with any of the treatable medical conditions of Depression, Bipolar Depression, Eating Disorders, Anxiety Disorders or Alcohol Disorders. By spending about five minutes responding to pre-recorded questions, you will receive the following:
Immediate Information: You will be advised immediately, if your answers are consistent with any of these conditions.
Referral Resources: You will be instructed on how to use your health insurance to obtain a follow up examination with a health care provider.
Complete Anonymity: You will never have to identify yourself when you use the screening.
If you wish to take a screening for any of these conditions online, you may do so at http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening (Keyword: "espmi"), follow the prompts and key in your responses to the multiple choice questions that appear on your screen. If you wish to take a screening for alcohol or depression, you may also do so over the telephone, by calling 1-800-887-5676 and using your touch-tone keypad to respond to the pre-recorded questions. If you are concerned about any of these conditions, please join the fourteen thousand State of Michigan employees who have used this service, and call or go online today.
If you wish to discuss your concerns in person, you are encouraged to contact the Employee Service Program.
Every year, anxiety, depression, alcohol or eating problems affect millions of Americans. According to the National Institute of Mental Health:
About fourteen million Americans have experienced physical, emotional, social or legal problems, as a result of their alcohol use.
Up to twenty million Americans have symptoms of depression that interfere with their lives.
Over five million Americans have an eating disorder.
For over four million Americans, constant anxiety seriously interferes with their lives.
Please take a moment to consider the following:
ALCOHOL
Alcohol problems can range from occasional misuse to the medical condition of Alcohol Dependence. Some warning signs are:
Unsuccessful efforts to cut down.
A relative, friend, doctor or coworker has expressed concern about your drinking.
Feeling guilty or embarrassed about things you have done while drinking.
Your drinking has affected your ability to fulfill your family or employment responsibilities.
Legal problems as a result of alcohol, including arrests for driving while intoxicated.
Blackouts, or feeling ill as a result of drinking.
GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER
Constant anxiety can be more than an annoyance. It may also be a treatable medical condition:
Do you feel that you are always worried?
Are you often irritable or easily startled?
Do you have:
Difficulty concentrating?
Regular headaches, muscle tension, sweating and nausea?
Nightmares and other sleep difficulties?
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
Witnessing or being involved in traumatic events such as violence, threats, accidental deaths or injuries or natural disasters can result in anxiety problems. Symptoms may be delayed for months or years and can include:
Reliving the event and/or avoiding reminders of it.
Social withdrawal and mistrust of others
Forgetting some or all of what happened.
Feelings of guilt or shame.
Substance abuse and other self-destructive behaviors
DEPRESSION
We all have “ups and downs" from time to time that come and go. But for people with depressive or bipolar depressive disorders, one or more of the following symptoms persist for days or weeks at a time:
Feeling sad, blue, irritable or hopeless.
Being unable to focus or concentrate.
Loss of motivation, interest and confidence.
Always feeling "too tired”.
Changes in weight, appetite or sleeping patterns.
Thoughts of death or suicide.
Periods of extremely high energy and decreased need for sleep.
Fast pace thoughts and speech.
Increased self-esteem
Unrealistic goals and expectations.
EATING DISORDERS
It seems that almost all Americans are concerned about their weight or eating habits. For over five million people, this concern has become one of the dangerous medical disorders of Anorexia, Bulimia or Binge-eating. Here are some warning signs:
Recent significant weight change.
Intense fear of gaining weight.
Avoidance of eating in front of people.
Constant counting of calories.
Poor self-image.
Frequently checking weight.
Excessive exercising.
Periods of excessive eating, with a sense of lack of control.
Self-induced vomiting or inappropriate use of laxatives.
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