Spring break wasn’t too long ago, but some students may find stress and anxiety has caught up with them once again.

Today Iowa State is one of many colleges participating in a free and anonymous screening for anxiety disorders, and some students may want to check it out.

ISU Student Counseling Services will join the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to test students for illnesses ranging from phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder to generalized anxiety disorder.

The screening’s purpose is to “create public knowledge” and extend help to those who need it, said Dr. Ron Jackson of the Student Counseling Center.

Jackson said although most people are aware of their condition, they may be reluctant to seek treatment.

He said it is the center’s goal to reach not only these individuals, but also those who may not know they display symptoms.

“We want to make it easy for people to come in for a screening and determine if it is basic stress or a disorder that requires treatment,” he said.

Jackson said students who come in will view a videotape addressing specific symptoms, fill out a questionnaire and meet with a counselor to discuss the results.

NIMH reports that more than 23 million Americans, a sizable number of which are between the ages of 18 and 24, suffer from anxiety disorders.

Dr. Jack Maser, chief of the anxiety and somatoform division of NIMH, said although problems most likely formulate early in life, stress tends to accelerate at the college level.

“Difficulties probably start earlier, but going away to college can be quite stressful,” he said. “It’s believed that separation causes anxiety in many people.”

He also said the most common affliction among college students is phobia.

He said phobia, which is an “irrational fear of an object or situation,” drives individuals to display avoidance behavior in situations such as social interaction and public speaking.

Maser said the origin of these disorders is a topic of debate. He said many researchers believe illness is a product of either social learning, genetics or a biological imbalance.

“All of these possibilities are being followed up with research,” he said. “However, I would think it’s a combination of different situations.”

In addition to its support of college screening days, NIMH will sponsor National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day for the general public on May 7.

Free information regarding anxiety disorders is available through NIMH at 1-888-8-ANXIETY.

Today’s screenings, which usually last 30 to 50 minutes each, run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Students who wish to be screened should go to room 358 of the Student Services Building.