Health screenings provide a quick and easy way to spot the first signs of serious illness and can reach people who might not otherwise seek professional medical advice. Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses.
National Depression Screening Day is held annually on October 7. It’s important for many reasons. First, it can help people make an informed diagnosis. It also drags depression out of the darkness. And perhaps most important, it can bring help to those that need it.
Screening Test for Depression
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and co-occurring disorders through the alignment of science, treatment, and education.
To screen oneself or your loved one for depression, gain answer the questions below, print out the results, and share them with your health care professional.
Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?
| Not at all | Several days | More than half the days | Nearly every day | |
| 1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things | ||||
| 2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless | ||||
| 3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much | ||||
| 4. Feeling tired or having little energy | ||||
| 5. Poor appetite or overeating | ||||
| 6. Feeling bad about yourself—or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down | ||||
| 7. Trouble concentrating on things such as reading the newspaper or watching television | ||||
| 8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite—being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual | ||||
| 9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way |
If you clicked on any problems above, how difficult have they made it for you to do your work, take care of things at home, or get along with other people?
- Not difficult at all
- Somewhat difficult
- Very difficult
- Extremely difficult
Reference
Based on Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) Developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke, and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc.
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