Who Is This Low Quiz For?

Beneath is a list of ten questions designed to help you determine if you lot might exist experiencing depression. The questions relate to life experiences mutual among people who have depression. Please read each question carefully, and indicate how frequently yous have experienced the same or like challenges in the by few weeks.

How Accurate Is It?

This quiz isNot a diagnostic tool. Mental health disorders can simply be diagnosed past a licensed mental wellness provider or doc.

Psycom believes assessments can exist a valuable starting time step toward getting treatment. All too often people finish short of seeking help out of fear their concerns aren't legitimate or severe plenty to warrant professional person intervention.

Learn More Nearly Depression

Depression can make you feel solitary but you lot take lots of company. Major depressive disorder (MDD), the clinical term for low, is one of the near common mental health conditions, affecting an estimated 350 one thousand thousand people in all age groups. You should know that depression isn't the same as being sad. It's normal to feel bluish or unmotivated from fourth dimension to time, but depression is more constant. And, it has a real, biological basis.

Your privacy is of import to us. All results are completely anonymous.

Picayune interest or pleasure in doing things

Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless

Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping also much

Feeling tired or having little energy

Poor appetite or overeating

Feeling bad near yourself - or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down

Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching tv

Moving or speaking then slowly that other people could accept noticed

Thoughts that y'all would be better off expressionless, or of pain yourself

If you've had any days with issues above, how difficult have these bug made information technology for you at work, home, schoolhouse, or with other people?

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The to a higher place quiz is based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). If y'all remember you may be suffering from Depression and/or you (or a loved ane) are experiencing a mental wellness crunch, we strongly suggest that you reach out to to a qualified mental health professional. To help in your search please consider our directory of emergency mental health resources.

Depression FAQs

How is depression diagnosed?

Depression (likewise chosen major depressive disorder) presents with symptoms that range from mild to severe. Feelings of sadness, difficulty sleeping or sleeping besides much, feeling worthless or guilty, loss of energy or increased fatigue, and a loss of involvement or pleasure in activities in one case enjoyed are mutual. Children and adolescents who are depressed may come across as irritable rather than sad.

A wellness intendance professional looks for symptoms that are interfering with the person's relationships and with their work and that represent a change in the person's previous level of performance.1 To receive a diagnosis of depression, the person must have 5 depression symptoms every day, and nearly all day, for at least two weeks.2

Who can diagnose depression?

Primary intendance providers often diagnose depression. They may refer an private to a mental health professional such equally a psychiatrist or psychologist for treatment. Typically, says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt Academy, the provider uses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to make a diagnosis.3 "They go through the criteria in the DSM to see how many criteria the person meets," Hollon says.

How many people are diagnosed with depression?

Around 17.three million US adults accept had at least 1 major depressive episode.2 Some twenty% of women and between 10 and 12% of men will experience depression at least once in their life, says says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt Academy.

"Depression is relatively rare during childhood and comparably distributed across the genders," Hollon adds. "The rates just explode during adolescence and that is when gender disparities outset emerge." And, he adds, "Half of all the folks who are going to exist diagnosed with major depression at some betoken volition take at to the lowest degree one episode during boyhood."

How long does it take to diagnose depression?

It can take weeks after depression begins before it is diagnosed. This is partly because people may be resistant to ask for help, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Union Higher and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York.

When a primary care doctor is looking into whether a person is depressed, they may initially think the symptoms could exist caused past a physical disease, Nydegger explains. "Often, a chief intendance doctor may exist looking at the person's medications or whether something is going on physiologically," he says. "They are trying to rule out medical causes as the reason for the symptoms, which is appropriate, but and so it can take longer to get a diagnosis."

Is it possible to try to diagnose yourself with depression?

"Self-diagnosis is not helpful," says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Matrimony College and chief in the Partition of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. "Instead of going online and researching the University of Google, ask your dr.."

Who has the highest rate of depression?

Adult women have a college rate of low at whatever given point in time (8.7%) as compared to adult men (5.3%). The historic period grouping that has the near adults who have had a major depressive episode in the past year is the 18 to 25 historic period group.iv

Children and teenagers get depressed, too, but it can exist tricky to diagnose, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and direction at Matrimony College and primary in the Partition of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. "We know that between 2% and 6% of children experience depression," he says. "Well-nigh 14% of teenagers age 12 to 17 will feel one episode of major depression. And about 9% of teenagers report a major depressive episode in a given year."

Tin you inherit depression?

Genetic factors do play a role in depression, but so exercise biological, environmental, and psychological factors.ii Unipolar depression (depression only) is less probable to be inherited than Bipolar disorder (which is marked by ane or more manic or hypomanic episodes in add-on to low), says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University.

While depression does tend to run in families, just because a family member has depression does not mean yous are going to get information technology, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. "It is not a simple factor thing," he says. "And the important thing is non so much why a person has low just what are we going to do to assist them."

What is the #1 cause of depression?

"The number i crusade of low is the tough stuff, the major life events that get incorrect," says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. Depression can occur when people experience adverse life events such as the decease of someone close, the loss of a task, or some type of psychological trauma. Depression can lead to more stress and dysfunction, which can worsen the depression itself.

There also is a connectedness between depression and physical health. For instance, cardiovascular disease tin can lead to depression (and vice versa).4,v

Thankfully, at that place are effective treatments for depression. "We know that depression is a very treatable condition and that over lxxx pct of people who receive advisable treatment for their depression will improve significantly," says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Wedlock College and chief in the Partition of Psychology at Ellis Infirmary, both in Schenectady, New York. "Unfortunately, the large bulk of people with low never get appropriate treatment."

Commodity Sources

  1. American Psychiatric Association. What is depression? Folio Last Reviewed October 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021.
  2. National Establish of Mental Health. Depression: What is depression? Folio Terminal Revised in 2021. Accessed July ix, 2021.
  3. American Psychiatric Association. DSM 5 – Often Asked Questions. Accessed July 9, 2021.
  4. National Found of Mental Health. Major depression. Revised 2021. Accessed July ix, 2021.
  5. World Wellness Organization. Depression. Folio Last Updated Jan xxx, 2020. Accessed July ix, 2021.

Last Updated: Dec 7, 2021