Who Is This Low Quiz For?

Beneath is a list of 10 questions designed to help you determine if you might exist experiencing depression. The questions relate to life experiences mutual among people who have depression. Delight read each question carefully, and point how often you lot have experienced the aforementioned or similar challenges in the past few weeks.

How Accurate Is It?

This quiz isNon a diagnostic tool. Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed by a licensed mental health provider or doctor.

Psycom believes assessments tin can be a valuable showtime step toward getting handling. All as well frequently people cease brusk of seeking assist out of fear their concerns aren't legitimate or severe enough to warrant professional intervention.

Learn More About Depression

Depression can make you feel alone only y'all have lots of company. Major depressive disorder (MDD), the clinical term for low, is one of the nigh common mental health conditions, affecting an estimated 350 million people in all age groups. You should know that depression isn't the same equally being lamentable. It'due south normal to feel blue or unmotivated from time to time, but depression is more abiding. And, information technology has a real, biological basis.

Your privacy is important to us. All results are completely anonymous.

Piddling interest or pleasance in doing things

Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless

Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much

Feeling tired or having little free energy

Poor appetite or overeating

Feeling bad about yourself - or that yous are a failure or have let yourself or your family down

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

Moving or speaking and so slowly that other people could take noticed

Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself

If you lot've had whatever days with issues in a higher place, how difficult have these problems made information technology for you at work, home, school, or with other people?

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

Depression FAQs

How is depression diagnosed?

Depression (besides chosen major depressive disorder) presents with symptoms that range from mild to astringent. Feelings of sadness, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, feeling worthless or guilty, loss of energy or increased fatigue, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed are common. Children and adolescents who are depressed may come up across every bit irritable rather than lamentable.

A health care 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 functioning.1 To receive a diagnosis of low, the person must accept v depression symptoms every mean solar day, and nearly all mean solar day, for at to the lowest degree two weeks.2

Who tin diagnose depression?

Primary care providers oftentimes diagnose depression. They may refer an private to a mental health professional person such every bit 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 get 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.iii one thousand thousand United states adults have had at least ane major depressive episode.2 Some 20% of women and between x and 12% of men will feel depression at least once in their life, says says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt Academy.

"Low 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 first sally." And, he adds, "Half of all the folks who are going to exist diagnosed with major depression at some point will have at least one episode during adolescence."

How long does information technology accept to diagnose depression?

It can take weeks later on low 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 College and chief in the Sectionalization of Psychology at Ellis Infirmary, both in Schenectady, New York.

When a chief care doctor is looking into whether a person is depressed, they may initially remember the symptoms could be caused past a concrete disease, Nydegger explains. "Often, a primary care doctor may exist looking at the person'southward 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, merely then it can take longer to get a diagnosis."

Is it possible to try to diagnose yourself with depression?

"Cocky-diagnosis is not helpful," says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Wedlock College and master in the Segmentation of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. "Instead of going online and researching the University of Google, enquire your doctor."

Who has the highest charge per unit of low?

Developed women take a higher rate of depression at any given bespeak in time (8.7%) as compared to adult men (five.iii%). The age group that has the most adults who accept had a major depressive episode in the by twelvemonth is the 18 to 25 historic period group.4

Children and teenagers go depressed, too, but it tin be catchy to diagnose, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and direction at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. "We know that between 2% and 6% of children feel low," he says. "About 14% of teenagers age 12 to 17 volition experience one episode of major low. And about 9% of teenagers written report a major depressive episode in a given year."

Tin you inherit depression?

Genetic factors do play a role in depression, but so do biological, ecology, and psychological factors.2 Unipolar low (depression only) is less probable to exist inherited than Bipolar disorder (which is marked by i or more manic or hypomanic episodes in addition to depression), 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 fellow member has low does not hateful you are going to get it, 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 non a simple cistron matter," he says. "And the of import matter is not so much why a person has depression but what are we going to practice to assist them."

What is the #ane cause of depression?

"The number 1 crusade of low is the tough stuff, the major life events that get wrong," says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt Academy. Depression tin occur when people experience adverse life events such as the death of someone shut, the loss of a job, or some type of psychological trauma. Low can lead to more stress and dysfunction, which can worsen the depression itself.

There also is a connection betwixt depression and concrete health. For instance, cardiovascular disease can lead to depression (and vice versa).four,v

Thankfully, in that location are effective treatments for depression. "We know that low is a very treatable status and that over lxxx percent of people who receive appropriate treatment for their depression will improve significantly," says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and direction at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. "Unfortunately, the large majority of people with depression never go advisable treatment."

Article Sources

  1. American Psychiatric Association. What is low? Folio Last Reviewed Oct 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021.
  2. National Institute of Mental Wellness. Depression: What is low? Page Last Revised in 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021.
  3. American Psychiatric Association. DSM 5 – Ofttimes Asked Questions. Accessed July 9, 2021.
  4. National Institute of Mental Health. Major depression. Revised 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021.
  5. Globe Wellness Organization. Depression. Folio Terminal Updated January 30, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021.

Last Updated: Apr 8, 2022

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