The tests presented on this page have been tested and have high sensitivity and specificity. This means that the likelihood of not detecting depression is - test sensitivity, or to reveal it where it is not - test specificity, are quite low. However, it is important to understand that the result given by a depression test is not yet a clinical diagnosis. Only a doctor - a psychiatrist or psychotherapist - has the right to diagnose depression from a medical point of view.
Before taking a depression test, it is important to know:
Depression tests, just like medications, are undergoing clinical trials!
The purpose of online testing is to determine whether you are at risk and whether it is time for you to think about choosing an adequate treatment method.
| Test/Scale | Suitability for self-diagnosis | Prevalence in Russia | Peculiarities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absolutely suitable | Below average | The first self-diagnosis test. | |
| Almost suitable | The tallest | This is the test most often chosen by the psychological community. | |
| Doesn't fit | Average | Requires a specialist to conduct the survey. Used to evaluate the effect of antidepressants. | |
| Fits | Extremely low | Meets modern definitions of depression. Incl. - atypical depression. Suitable for teenagers (from 13 years old) | |
| Fits | Average | The fastest. (+ additional report on anxiety) |
Think before you take the depression test, are you ready for the next step? For example, to seek help from a specialist if the test result shows a high level of depression? (From personal experience, receiving test results confirming depression made me feel even worse, even more depressed)
Depression test. Which to choose.
All depression tests presented here have reasonable reliability (sensitivity and specificity). The difference between them lies not in the likelihood of identifying depression, but in how much they are recommended for self-diagnosis of depression and for which age group they are more suitable. The online test itself, in most cases, will not take much time – 5-15 minutes.
Beck Depression Test.
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II)
This scale for assessing the severity of depression was developed in 1996, taking into account comments from the American Psychiatric Association. Some items from the first edition of the test were removed, some were added or modified in order to more accurately and completely reflect the modern understanding of depression by the professional community and meet the requirements of the current editions of the DSM and ICD. In particular, this version of the test addresses a larger number of depression-specific, including atypical, symptoms and is based on an assessment of a person’s condition over the past two weeks (unlike the first edition of the test, where patients were asked to evaluate their feelings over the past week). If you are taking the test “for yourself,” then this is a good choice.
The Beck Depression Inventory-2 is suitable for testing depression in adolescents (from age 13).
Zang Self-Rating Depression Scale.
This scale was developed by William Zang of Duke University and can be used effectively in a variety of situations: in clinical research, to monitor the effectiveness of various treatments and medications, and as a screening tool in general practice. The difference from other tests is that the Zang Depression Scale was originally developed for self-assessment of depression levels. In particular, the wording of the questions is more understandable to a “non-specialist.”
The Zang Scale is also a simple tool for monitoring changes in depression severity over time. The scale contains 20 questions, the test takes about 10 minutes.
Hamilton Depression Test.
The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale is the most widely used survey scale to measure the severity of depression. in hospital. It was developed in 1960 in the UK to measure a patient's degree of depression before, during and after treatment. Since then, many versions have been adapted, including structured interview guides, self-report forms, and computerized versions. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale contains a relatively high number of somatic symptoms and relatively few cognitive or affective symptoms.
The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was originally designed to be administered by an experienced clinician experienced in treating psychiatric patients. Currently, it is mainly used in medical institutions of the relevant profile and by pharmaceutical companies to analyze the effectiveness of antidepressants. (For reference, a 3-point change in test results is proof of the effectiveness of the antidepressant.)
Therefore, you should not recommend this test for self-testing, unless you have received instructions from a specialist to choose this particular test.
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Test
The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was developed for the purpose of rapid testing of clinic patients (hence why it is called the hospital scale) by doctors who are not specialists in psychology and psychiatry. It's no secret that our state of mind greatly affects our ability to endure pain, cope with the unknown and fight various diseases. And, it is reasonable to assume that if the doctor knows about our psychological state, he will be able to more accurately diagnose the underlying disease (as if by adjusting for our anxiety, pessimism, fear of the future, etc.) But the accuracy of the test turned out to be very, very high, therefore, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale has become widely used.
In addition, anxiety and depression often occur together. According to the monoamine theory of depression (and the entire antidepressant model is built on it), increased anxiety would be a consequence of low serotonin levels.
What to do after a depression test.
First of all, if your test result shows depression, do not rush to get upset.
In modern conditions, depression is quite well treated. Depending on the severity of your depressive disorder, experts recommend seeing either a therapist, a psychologist, or both.
In case of severe depression, it is difficult to manage without the medicinal help of a psychotherapist (antidepressants); most likely, you simply will not have the strength to work on yourself independently or to work with a psychologist. Subsequently, I recommend involving a psychologist in the treatment - statistically better (and faster) results are achieved by specialists using cognitive behavioral therapy methods.
For moderate to mild depression, you can choose the services of a psychologist as your first choice. But when making such a choice, be sure that you have ruled out possible somatic causes of depression - many diseases can produce symptoms similar to depression, and simply be its cause.
Know that you are not alone.
Only according to official statistics, according to data provided to WHO, in Russia 5.5% of the population suffers from depression. But, knowing how few people turn to doctors with their symptoms, many experts believe that this figure can be safely multiplied by two.
Think about it - about every tenth person in your circle is experiencing depression right now. Before my depression, I didn’t notice such people - they tend to be unnoticed. But after my recovery, I see them, I assume that I see them - there really are a lot of them.
Remember, or better yet, write down the result of your depression test.
They say depression has no color. Complete leaden greyness, hopelessness and gloom, through which not a single ray of hope can break through. Therefore, we often do not notice whether we are getting better or worse, even if we take some steps towards healing. But there are still shades of this grayness - if you are undergoing treatment, it makes sense to periodically (for example, once a month) take the selected depression test again.
Changing results may be the ray of hope breaking through the fog of depression. Even a small, but monitored positive change can have a large therapeutic effect.
Every person is from time to time susceptible to low mood, sad thoughts and memories, and a need for solitude.
Negative emotions, fatigue and temporary dissatisfaction are not yet a reason to contact a specialist.
But if the depressed state and fears are protracted, interfere with normal life and work, and have a detrimental effect on physical health, then there is every reason to consult a psychotherapist.
What kind of disease is this?
Clinical depression , otherwise major depressive disorder- an aggravated form of mental illness, which is accompanied by characteristic symptoms: depressed mood, desire for isolation from the outside world, feelings of guilt and powerlessness in a difficult situation, thoughts of suicide.
Society often underestimates the danger of clinical depression, considering it a manifestation of a capricious character, laziness, and the habit of “indulging personal weaknesses.”
Prolonged, systematically recurring symptoms require immediate medical attention.
People of different ages and social status are susceptible to depression, regardless of their type of activity and level of education.
ICD-10 code
Major depressive disorder is included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), 10th revision.
Section No. 5 is called “Mental disorders and behavioral disorders”, coded F00-F99 and contains 11 blocks. The section classifies neurotic disorders, behavioral signs, and mental disorders.
Depression is on the list of mental illnesses with coding F30-F39. This subsection contains characteristics of diseases in which changes in a person’s emotions and moods lead him to a state of clinical depression.
Depressive disorder can be mild, moderate or severe. All 3 phases of the disease are coded F32 according to ICD-10.
Causes
Depressive disorder is not a consequence of bad upbringing or weak character. Mental illness has specific objective causes.
Factors causing clinical depression:
- Hormonal imbalance. A decrease in the level of neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine) - substances that transmit impulses between brain neurons, occurs due to prolonged stress, an unfavorable life situation, and unresolved problems.
- Cognitive reasons. Low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, complex behavior. Or, on the contrary, inflated self-esteem against the background of surrounding indifference.
- Hereditary disposition. Scientists have proven the influence of genetic continuity on the risk of mental illnesses and character traits that contribute to the development of clinical depression.
- Serious illnesses and injuries. Pain, loss of ability to work and social activity, and a long period of adaptation have a detrimental effect on the nervous system.
- Situational reasons occupy over 50% of all episodes of depression. These include: death of a loved one, domestic violence, unsatisfactory living conditions, lack of livelihood, inability to pay a loan, difficult divorce.
- Side effect potent medications.
Symptoms and signs
Symptoms of depressive disorder are caused by disturbances in the transmission of impulse signals in the brain.
Clinical depression has physiological manifestations:
- frequent headaches;
- digestive disorders;
- prolonged chest pain;
- dizziness, nausea;
- insomnia, or vice versa, the inability to get a full night's sleep, drowsiness and fatigue during the day;
- sharp weight loss up to anorexia due to loss of appetite or weight gain due to the habit of “eating” stress.
Major depressive disorder can be diagnosed by doctors in cases of systematic, repeated repetition of one or more signs of the development of the disease.
Typical signs of the disease:
- Uncharacteristic behavior . The person becomes withdrawn, avoids social contacts, and reacts inadequately to current events.
- Lack of joy and interest in life, apathy . Decreased concentration.
- Unreasonable irritability and aggression . Dissatisfaction and anger at one’s fate, rejection of life’s circumstances.
- Low mood, obsessive thoughts about one’s own hopelessness and inadequacy. Feelings of guilt and worthlessness can lead to suicide attempts.
- Changes in psychomotor reactions . Some people have difficulty reacting to current events, while others become restless and overly impulsive in their behavior.
In women, depression is characterized by:
- unstable emotional state, the desire to complain about fate and cry;
- groundless suspicions of the husband’s infidelity, irritation with the spouse and children for any reason;
- dissatisfaction with one's own appearance;
- decreased or absent sexual desire.
In men, signs of clinical depression appear:
- erectile dysfunction;
- obsessive thoughts about the loss of one’s male attractiveness;
- fears about not meeting social standards, about low social status in comparison with more successful colleagues, acquaintances and friends;
- consumption of alcohol and drugs, gambling and extreme sports.
Test
Many thematic sites have been created on the Internet, where any interested reader can take a test online to identify a depressive state.
The American psychotherapist Aaron Beck's Depression Scale test is considered the most accurate and simplest. However, you should not rely 100% on the result and personally make a diagnosis, much less self-medicate.
The test serves hint- a high score indicates the need to visit a specialist in the near future.
Take the TEST
A.T. Depression Scale Beka
Instructions:
This questionnaire contains groups of statements.
Read each group of statements carefully. Then identify one statement in each group that best matches how you felt THIS WEEK AND TODAY.
Check the box next to the statement you selected. If several statements from one group seem equally good to you, then check the box next to each of them.
Before making your choice, make sure you read all the statements in each group. When finished, calculate the total points of the selected answers.
1 .
0 I don’t feel upset or sad.
1 I'm upset.
2 I'm upset all the time and can't switch off from it.
3 I'm so upset and unhappy that I can't stand it.
2 .
0 I am not worried about my future.
1 I feel confused about the future.
2 I feel that nothing awaits me in the future.
3 My future is hopeless and nothing can change for the better.
3 .
0 I don't feel like a failure.
1 I feel that I have failed more than other people.
2 When I look back at my life, I see many failures in it.
3 I feel that as a person I am a complete failure.
4 .
0 I get as much satisfaction from life as before.
1 I don't get as much satisfaction from life as I used to.
2 I no longer get satisfaction from anything.
3 I am completely dissatisfied with life, and I am tired of everything.
5 .
0 I don’t feel guilty about anything.
1 Quite often I feel guilty.
2 Most of the time I feel guilty.
3 I constantly feel guilty.
6 .
0 I don't feel like I can be punished for anything.
1 I feel that I might be punished.
2 I expect that I might be punished.
3 I feel already punished.
7 .
0 I was not disappointed in myself.
1 I was disappointed in myself.
2 I am disgusted with myself.
3 I hate myself.
8 .
0 I know that I am no worse than others.
1 I criticize myself for mistakes and weaknesses.
2 I blame myself all the time for my actions.
3 I blame myself for everything bad that happens.
9 .
0 I have never thought about committing suicide.
1 Thoughts of committing suicide come to me, but I will not carry them out.
2 I would like to commit suicide.
3 I would kill myself if the opportunity presented itself.
10 .
0 I don't cry more than usual.
1 Now I cry more often than before.
2 Now I cry all the time.
3 I used to be able to cry, but now I can’t, even if I want to.
11 .
0 Now I am no more irritable than usual.
1 I get irritated more easily than before.
2 Now I constantly feel irritated.
3 I became indifferent to things that used to irritate me.
12 .
0 I have not lost interest in other people.
1 I am less interested in other people than before.
2 I almost lost interest in other people.
3 I have completely lost interest in other people.
13 .
0 I put off making a decision sometimes, just like before.
1 I put off making decisions more often than before
2 I find it more difficult to make decisions than before.
3 I can no longer make decisions.
14 .
0 I don’t feel like I look any worse than usual.
1 I worry that I look old and unattractive.
2 I know that there have been significant changes in my appearance that make me unattractive.
3 I know I look ugly.
15 .
0 I can work as well as before.
1 I need to make an extra effort to start doing something.
2 I have difficulty forcing myself to do anything.
3 I can’t do any work at all.
16 .
0 I sleep as well as before.
1 I sleep worse now than before.
2 I wake up 1-2 hours earlier and find it difficult to fall back to sleep.
3 I wake up several hours earlier than usual and can no longer fall back to sleep.
17 .
0 I am no more tired than usual.
1 Now I get tired faster than before.
2 I get tired of almost everything I do.
3 I can't do anything because I'm tired.
18 .
0 My appetite is no worse than usual.
1 My appetite is worse than before.
2 My appetite is now much worse.
3 I have no appetite at all.
19 .
0 I have not lost weight recently or my weight loss has been insignificant.
1 Recently I have lost more than 2 kg.
2 I lost more than 5 kg.
3 I lost more than 7 kr.
I intentionally try to lose weight and eat less (check with a cross).YES_________ NO_________
20 .
0 I am no more worried about my health than usual.
1 I am worried about my physical health problems, such as pain, upset stomach, constipation, etc.
2 I am very worried about my physical condition and find it difficult to think about anything else.
3 I am so worried about my physical condition that I can’t think about anything else.
21 .
0 I haven't noticed a change in my interest in sex lately.
1 I am less interested in sex problems than before.
2 Now I am much less interested in sexual problems than before.
3 I have completely lost sexual interest.
Data processing and interpretation
When interpreting the data, the total score for all categories is taken into account.
- 0-9 – absence of depressive symptoms
- 10-15 – mild depression (subdepression)
- 16-19 – moderate depression
- 20-29 – severe depression (moderate)
- 30-63 – severe depression
A timely visit to a doctor will help to identify the presence of pathology, determine the severity and nature of the disease, and prescribe appropriate therapeutic or medicinal treatment.
Treatment
An important condition for the success of psychotherapeutic assistance is active wish the patient to overcome the disease.
Therapeutic treatment includes:
- wellness massage;
- long walks in the fresh air;
- playing sports;
- occupational therapy and art therapy (painting, embroidery, sculpture, wood burning and much more);
- relaxation sessions, breathing practices, yoga.
The specifics of the method, how to treat and what to treat with, are determined strictly as prescribed and under the supervision of an experienced psychotherapist.
If the condition improves quickly, it is impossible on one's own stop taking medications and refuse to consult a specialist. Such actions will lead to further relapses and exacerbation of the disease.
What is used:
- eliminate the biochemical cause of the disease. They help stabilize mood, get rid of apathy and psychomotor retardation, and increase vitality.
- fight symptoms of depression: appetite and sleep disturbances, phobias, anxiety. They act gradually, can be addictive, there is a risk of overdose.
- stabilize brain activity, increase a person’s emotional state and physical activity.
- have a slowing effect on the central nervous system, inhibiting the transmission of brain impulses. It is used in cases of aggressive behavior of the patient, attempts to injure himself, hallucinations, and manifestations of suicidal tendencies.
The severity of symptoms of major depressive disorder is determined by the severity of the disease, the character traits and behavior of the patient.
Taking into account his condition, the doctor prescribes an individual treatment and rehabilitation program with subsequent observation until complete recovery.
Sadness and slight sadness are not yet a reason to seek help from a specialist. All people experience negative emotions from time to time. But, if depression for a long time prevents you from living normally, working, enjoying simple things, then the cause may be a real illness. In this article you will learn how to identify depression yourself. Also on this page you will find a useful test that will help make a preliminary diagnosis.
Attention! To accurately identify the disease, it is not enough to take tests on your own. You should definitely contact a professional psychologist.
Women are more emotional and prone to sudden mood swings, so you shouldn’t immediately mistake any weeklong blues for a mental disorder. When apathy and feelings of sadness are pronounced and do not leave you for more than two weeks, this may already be a sign of depression.
Main symptoms:
- Depressed mood, melancholy.
- Feeling of despair, loss of taste and meaning of life.
- Significant worsening of fears and feelings of shame.
- Anxiety, misgivings, tension.
- Irritability, sudden changes in emotions, for example, from despondency to aggression.
- Self-flagellation, continuous feelings of guilt.
- Uncertainty, low self-esteem, dissatisfaction with oneself. Constantly looking for flaws in yourself. Fear of making mistakes.
- Hobbies, favorite foods, TV series or music - everything that previously brought pleasure ceases to please.
- Dullness of feelings, periodic apathy.
Physiological manifestations
An important sign of depression is the presence of the following health problems:
- Sleep disturbance. Excessive drowsiness or insomnia.
- Malfunction of the digestive system. Most often it is constipation.
- Excessively increased appetite or its complete absence.
- Libido problems: complete lack of interest in sex.
- Increased fatigue. Habitual stress causes impotence.
- There are unpleasant sensations or even pain in the muscles of the skeleton, stomach, and heart.
Behavioral signs
Usually a woman tries to eliminate physical discomfort, but the disease continues to develop. Even if the physiological symptoms disappear, depression can be identified by the following behavioral characteristics:
- Apathy, lack of initiative, reluctance to set goals and actively achieve them.
- The woman loses interest in communicating with friends, prefers solitude, and avoids contact with society.
- Conscious refusal of entertainment.
- Tendency to use intoxicating substances: alcohol, drugs, various stimulants.
- Sloppiness appears, the woman stops striving to look attractive, and even neglects to observe general hygiene rules.
Several symptoms relate to thinking patterns. The following cognitive signs indicate that a patient is suffering from depression:
- suicidal thoughts often arise;
- awareness of one’s own uselessness, insignificance, powerlessness;
- thinking slows down, attention deficit occurs;
- negative perception of oneself and others prevails.
Types of depression
If you are interested in what forms this disease can occur, check out this table:
| Type | Peculiarities | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Light form | Symptoms are mild and occur rarely. May be chronic. If a woman suffers from the disease for several years, this may serve as a basis for a diagnosis of dysthymia. | Therapeutic and preventive measures are desirable. Medicines are usually not used |
| Moderate depression | Low labor productivity, many actions performed automatically. The woman seems to be half asleep, deeply immersed in her joyless thoughts. | Regular psychotherapy sessions are indicated. It is necessary to take a course of antidepressants. Gradually, the use of medications is replaced by enriching the diet with foods that stimulate the production of serotonin |
| Severe form | Typical symptoms of depression are extremely pronounced. Possible suicide attempts, delusions, hallucinations | It is necessary to undergo a long course of treatment in a hospital |
The main causes of depression in women
The development of the disease is usually preceded by tragic events. This could be the death of loved ones or problems in your personal life, followed by a whole range of unfortunate circumstances.
Attention! There are people whose personality has already developed with a predisposition to depression due to psychological trauma received in childhood. In such individuals, one small stress can trigger the disease mechanism.
Most often, the appearance of depression in a woman is caused by the presence of one of the following factors:
Don't forget about old age: in old age, women have to experience the death of close friends, acquaintances, and often husbands. Loneliness is followed by a feeling of helplessness, uselessness, abandonment.
Video - What is depression and how does it manifest itself?
Test for determining depression in women
Try taking the questionnaire created by the famous American psychotherapist Aaron Beck. The test consists of 21 points, with several statements below them. For each item, you must select one statement with which you agree.
For each first statement you select, you receive 0 points. Second – 1 point, third and fourth – 2 and 3 points, respectively.
Attention! The test results should not be interpreted as an axiom. They can only serve as a hint in deciding whether to visit a specialist.
| № | Answer #1 | Answer #2 | Answer #3 | Answer #4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1. How do you feel? | I feel myself good | I am disappointed | I constantly feel sad, I can’t calm down | I'm unbearably unhappy |
| Question 2. What do you think about the future? | Everything will be alright in the future | The future makes you think | I have no future, everything will be the same | My fate is hopeless, it can only get worse |
| Question 3. Do you feel like a failure? | I don't feel like a failure | I've always been less lucky than others | I've had a lot of failures | I'm a complete loser |
| Question 4. Your attitude towards life | Life is as good as before | There is less pleasure in life | I feel dissatisfied | I'm not happy with anything |
| Question 5. Do you often get irritated? | I'm no more irritated now than before | I've become more irritable lately | I constantly feel irritated | I don't care anymore |
| Question 6. Your attitude towards other people | I'm interested in other people | People used to be more interesting to me | Everyone is almost indifferent to me | Not interested in others at all |
| Question 7. How do you make decisions? | Sometimes I don't make decisions right away | I used to make decisions faster | It has become more difficult for me to decide on anything | I can't decide anymore |
| Question 8. How do you feel about your appearance? | I look fine as always | It bothers me that I'm older and not as attractive anymore. | I know for sure that I have become uglier | I look really terrible |
| Question 9. Your level of performance | I work as productively as always | To do something, I need to force myself | I find it difficult to force myself to work | I can't do anything |
| Question 10. How do you sleep? | I have quite normal sleep | I slept better before | I sleep less and it’s become more difficult to fall asleep | I wake up much earlier than usual, and then - insomnia. Or, on the contrary, I sleep 15 hours a day or more |
| Question 11. How quickly do you get tired? | I'm no more tired than usual | I'm getting tired faster now | Everything I do makes me very tired | I can't do anything because I'm always tired |
| Question 12. Has your appetite changed? | My appetite hasn't changed | I'm eating worse than before | You have to make an effort to eat something | I can't bring myself to eat |
| Question 13. Do you often feel guilty? | I haven't felt guilty in a long time | I often feel guilty | Remorse makes me uncomfortable | The feeling of guilt never leaves me |
| Question 14. Do you feel punished? | I can't be punished | Someone can give me what I deserve | I'll definitely be punished soon | I'm already punished |
| Question 15. Are you satisfied with yourself? | I'm happy with myself | I feel disappointed | I feel disgusted with myself | I hate and despise myself |
| Question 16. Do you feel worse than others? | I'm definitely no worse than everyone else | I make mistakes more often than others and show weakness | I'm doing everything wrong | I'm to blame for everything negative |
| Question 17. Did you want to commit suicide? | It never occurred to me to commit suicide | Sometimes I think about suicide, but I won't harm myself | I would like to lose my life | I'll destroy myself when the opportunity arises |
| Question 18. Do you often cry? | I'm no more whiny than usual | I became more tearful | I'm completely lost, I cry every day | I can't even bring myself to cry to make myself feel better. |
| Question 19. Are you losing weight? | I haven't lost any weight lately | Lost 2 kg | Lost 5 kg | I began to weigh 7 kg less |
| Question 20. Do you have any health problems? | I have no more health problems than ever. | I am worried about pain, diarrhea, constipation | I am very worried about my health and it is difficult for me to switch my thoughts to something else | I can't think about anything else except my physical condition |
| Question 21. Your attitude towards sex | I don't feel like I'm any less interested in sex than before | I used to be more interested in intimacy | I'm not interested in sex right now | I don't feel the need for intimacy at all |
With this test you can find out with a 100% guarantee whether you have depression. If it turns out that it does not exist, read the article at least so that you know how to convincingly simulate this illness if something happens.
Andrey Nevtonov
Attention. If you came here just for the test, you will find it below. But first, let’s talk a little about what depression is.
At all times, there were diseases with beautiful names, which were not so prestigious to be ill with - rather, it was fashionable to say that you have them, or to replace real ailments with them. As soon as you said “monstrous influenza” instead of “terrible snot”, those around you immediately began to respect you and your delicate organization.
Today, the disease that everyone talks about, often without understanding the original meaning of the name, has become. It’s customary to blame everything on her: impotence, missed emergency jobs, and reluctance to go to an alumni reunion. At the same time, few people know that depression is a very specific illness caused by such complex biochemical changes in the nervous system that an ordinary person cannot cause them even for money. It is actually quite difficult to contract depression, and what is considered to be depression is, as a rule, a depressive accentuation of the personality, a bad mood, or even ordinary hatred of people.
Do you want to know the whole truth about whether you have depression? You have two scenarios to choose from: either you go to a psychoanalyst, and he gives you a clinical test that is 100% guaranteed to diagnose depression; or you pass exactly the same clinical test that we took as a souvenir when we went to get checked ourselves.
Yes, and keep in mind: the causes of depression are usually very specific - prolonged mental stress, overwork, chronic brain injury, severe and long-term diseases of internal organs, surgical operations, lack of blood supply to the brain and congenital neurochemical disorders. If you don’t have and never had any of the above, then most likely there’s no need for any tests. Just stop pretending to be depressed and it will go away!
According to the international classification of diseases “ICD-10”, depression is not even one disease, but seven different ones. In the sense that it is divided into groups.
Due to the occurrence
Neurotic D., caused by internal conflict. Reactive D., which is a reaction to mental trauma. Endogenous D., which is generally easy to treat, since it has neurochemical causes.
According to the nature of the flow
Classic D. Hidden D.
By severity
Small D. Large D.
Of course, these types can be combined. For example, major depression can be both classical and reactive. But that's not all. Only for MAXIM readers! Having caught hidden depression, you get two more types of the disease as a gift!
Jokes aside. Hidden depression can be somatized (this is when, in addition to a bad mood, you are tormented by some physical ailment such as stomach disease or dystonia) or masked. In this case, you will have all the symptoms of another disease - for example, appendicitis. However, an autopsy will show that you didn't have one.
What illnesses does depression like to disguise itself as?
1. Abdominal syndrome
Pain, heaviness, bloating, cold or heat in the abdomen, nausea, loss of appetite. Of course, the culprit could really be expired mold on the cheese. However, depression often uses these symptoms to lead doctors down the wrong path. The condition of your stomach worsens in the morning, and by the afternoon you again begin to pick at the contents of your plate with a sad look, feeling relieved. Patients are admitted to hospitals with suspected acute appendicitis and cholecystitis, but surgical intervention does not bring relief.
2. Headache
A person cannot say where exactly it hurts. More often, the pain appears to him in the form of iron hoops squeezing the skull, or something that is crawling inside the head. The condition, as in the case of the stomach, worsens in the morning and goes away in the evening. Such patients are diagnosed with “migraine” or “vegetative-vascular dystonia”, and then they take useless painkillers for years.
3. Facial pain
Sly depression mimics trigeminal neuralgia (it runs from the ear to the eyebrow and lower jaw) and inflammation of the temporomandibular joint. Desperate patients ask dentists to remove their completely healthy teeth, which sometimes, by the way, brings temporary relief. The mask of depression also causes a surprisingly vivid sensation of roughness and hairiness of the tongue.
4. Cardialgia
Imitation of interruptions in the functioning of the heart, burning or cold behind the sternum. The results of the cardiogram do not correspond to the patient’s complaints, but out of pity the doctors prescribe him heart medications. They reduce pain, but do not remove it completely.
5. Arthralgia
You think that you have radiculitis, joint diseases and neuralgia. But the doctors, having looked at your x-ray, twist their finger at your temple. At the same time, your joints hurt not where they should be, but a few centimeters higher.
6. Insomnia
Depression without sleep disorders is like Fyodor Konyukhov without legs. Moreover, sometimes insomnia may be the only symptom of masked depression. In this case, you will wake up unrested, have breakfast with an aversion to food, and then arrive at work already tired and immediately turn to a cigarette or a cup of coffee. Peaks of activity are possible, but usually they occur at 10-12 o'clock in the morning, and at this time you are still sleeping, because in the evening, despite being tired, you could not sleep and tossed and turned all night. And so every day.
7. Phobias
You understand that there are no sharks in soup, and the majority of aliens do not want to kill you. But this does not help overcome groundless fear. However, exotic phobias are rarely characteristic of depression. More often it causes fear of death from cessation of breathing, panic attacks. The phobia usually intensifies at night and in the morning.
8. Sexual disorders
Weakening erection? Accelerated or, conversely, delayed ejaculation? Don't rush to bequeath your penis to science. Perhaps it is again a matter of depression. By the way, the famous “demon in the rib” (or, in scientific terms, the desire for increasingly strong sexual stimuli) is also a sign of depression, and usually the earliest one.
9. Drug addiction and alcoholism
Indulging in bad habits brings short-term relief. A hangover or withdrawal symptoms are accompanied by monstrously violent symptoms taken from the previous eight points.
Clinical test for depression
Instructions
There are 44 groups of statements in front of you. In each of them, choose one answer option that best describes how you feel. Remember, your task is not to win, but to find out the truth. Answer sincerely. To make it easier for you to do this, we didn’t even intrusively “make fun” of the answers, as we usually do.
Test
Depression
1/44
How to deal with depression
This part will be of interest primarily to people who have scored significant amounts in the test. If, according to the results, you do not have depression, you can read this block with detached schadenfreude. So, getting out of a sad state on your own can take months and even years, and even then only on condition that you protect yourself from stress - preferably with a monastery wall or grove of palm trees. It’s easier to see a doctor, because depression is treatable. In fact, it is a metabolic failure. Doctors will treat you not only with pills, but also with intimate conversations (the most unpleasant part). Without the simultaneous elimination of physiological and psychological factors, it is impossible to cure a person.
Your best friend for the next six months should be a psychotherapist. Experienced mental trauma, mental stress, quarrels with others and internal conflicts, difficult worries about one’s own health - all this can be the basis of depression. Treatment only with powerful pills (without psychotherapy), of course, helps, but after stopping the drugs, the disease can visit you again.
What will they give you?
Sometimes particularly skillful psychotherapists lift their unfortunate patients out of depression without medication at all. Alas, in some cases it is impossible to do without medication: an advanced disease destroys the brain so much that the balance of neurotransmitters is not restored on its own.
Antidepressants
The basis of any course of treatment. Side effects and doses may vary, but the drugs have one purpose - to eliminate the biochemical basis of depression.
Vitamins and biostimulants
And these useful pills will help you improve the supply of energy and other useful little things to your brain cells. Actually, these are not some secret substances, but the same vitamins that healthy people drink to increase stress resistance and immunity.
Tranquilizers
These powerful medications alone do not cure depression. But they struggle with its symptoms (and sometimes even succeed in this): melancholy, fear, bodily manifestations. Antidepressants do not have an immediate effect, so to make it more fun for you to wait for it, the doctor will probably prescribe you “trunks”.
Neuroleptics
In fact, these are ordinary sedatives, but they are so strong that they can drive even an elephant into a calm state, which has just lost all its relatives, both tusks and a share in the business. Neuroleptics reduce arousal and eliminate fears, remove the patient from a mental impasse and reduce the physical manifestations of masked depression.
However, it may not come to neuroleptics. Doctors usually start the course with a cocktail of antidepressants and biostimulants. And only if it doesn’t work, two other components are added.
Why might this not help?
Pills are almost useless if the psychotherapist has not eliminated the personal causes of depression - for example, he has not forced you to quit.
You have untreated thyroid disease, diabetes, hypertension and other illnesses that cause depression.
You stopped the course too early, overjoyed at the improvement. If you stop taking antidepressants before they have a lasting effect, depression will develop again.
Sometimes the disease returns a year or two after completing the course, because you stopped seeing a doctor and taking antidepressants for preventive purposes. And they give you the test again...
Sheehan Anxiety Scale
If the first test gives a negative result, proceed to the second. The Sheehan test will help you find out whether you have at least anxiety, a condition that precedes depression. If you don’t score enough points here, then, alas, you are a mentally healthy person who now only needs to come up with new excuses for your impotence and innate laziness.
The Zang Self-Rating Depression Scale is a test that identifies somatic, psychological, behavioral, and affective symptoms of depression. The test is designed to be self-administered and allows you to obtain a quantitative assessment of the severity of depression. In addition, the scale can be used as a screening tool, change monitoring and for clinical research purposes.
The test was developed by William W.K. Zung (sometimes translated Dung, Tsung And Tsang), a psychotherapist at Duke University in 1965. ( William W K Zung. A Self-Rating Depression Scale. Arch Gen Psychiatry 12:63-70. 1965.)
The test was adapted in Russia T.I. Balashova “Determination of the level of depression”
What does the Zang Self-Rating Depression Scale test consist of:
The test consists of ten positively and ten negatively worded questions (be careful!). To take the test, you will need to select one of the answers for each question (“rarely,” “sometimes,” “often,” and “most of the time or all the time”). Each answer, depending on the frequency of the symptom, is scored from 1 to 4 points. The total score determines the level of depression. The test takes about 10 minutes.
INTERPRETATION OF TEST RESULTS:
- 20-49 Normal condition
- 50-59 Mild depressive disorder
- 60-69 Moderate depressive disorder
- 70 and above Severe depressive disorder
Limitations in using the Zang Depression Scale:
Despite the fact that the test has fairly high reliability, is widely used in different countries and, in general, corresponds to modern criteria for assessing depression - it does not cover any of the symptoms characteristic of atypical depression (increased appetite, weight gain and longer than usual , dream).
Before taking the online test:
Please note: this test does not collect, store or share any information about you or your results. Therefore, if you want to track the dynamics of your condition, write down the test results or use a printed copy.
Read each statement carefully and select the item that best reflects how often you have felt or behaved in this way during the past week. Don't think too long, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers in the test.
