Last Updated on April 28, 2023

Screening tests for depression can help you as well as your physician determine whether you have to get further evaluation for depression.

Several melancholy screening evaluations can be used to figure out whether you are in danger for depression. Here are a few of the more common depression screening evaluations, including some that are specifically for children and senior citizens:

Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Developed by cognitive psychologist Aaron T. Beck, this depression screening evaluation uses 21 multiple-choice questions to discover your risk of being depressed. This evaluation is ideal for adults or teenagers. Each question is related to a symptom of depression. Studies show that scores on this melancholy screening tool change to exactly the same amount that the patient’s level of melancholy changes, signaling that it is a reliable way of screening for depression. A recently revised edition of the scale is called the BDI II.

Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). This is a survey-style questionnaire that uses 20 statements to assess a man’s degree of depression according to self-reported depression symptoms experienced over the previous week. An example of one among the statements is “I could not get going.”

Children’s Depression Rating Scale (CDRS). This 17-question survey assesses symptoms of depression in children ages 6 to 12. This melancholy screening procedure can be useful for youths. The survey is given separately to the kid’s health professional and the little one.

Hamilton Depression Scale (Ham-D). The Ham-D can be used to assess the severity of depression symptoms after melancholy was diagnosed, therefore it is not used as a first-step screening tool. A mental health professional uses this to ascertain the severity of depressed mood, feelings of guilt, insomnia, thoughts of suicide, and physical symptoms, among other symptoms of depression.

General Well Being Schedule Depression (GWB D) Subscale. This is a little scale using four questions that can be rated from 0 (the most negative response) to 5 (the most positive answer) to evaluate depression symptoms within the last month. The questions are:

• Have you ever felt downhearted or blue?
• How have you been feeling generally?
• Have you felt discouraged, so sad, or hopeless that you simply wondered if anything was worthwhile?
• How depressed or cheerful have you ever been?

The lower the score on the GWB-D, the greater a person’s amount of depression.

Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). This is a 30-question survey that you can take yourself or a health care provider can use when screening you for depression. It is according to apparent symptoms of depression and contains yes or no questions including “Do you often get bored?” and “Do you feel you’ve got more issues with money than most?” The higher a person’s score, the more depressed they can be. When this test was compared with all the Ham D as well as the Zung Self-rating Scale, researchers found that all three screening tests produce similar effects when given to individuals with depression.

Major Depression Inventory (MDI). The MDD was developed by the World Health Organization based on apparent symptoms of depression for example depressed mood and lack of vigor or interest, among others. There are 12 questions on the scale. It’s available in a number of languages.

Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. This 20-question survey developed in 1965 asks about psychological as well as physical symptoms of depression, including sleeplessness, crying, difficulty making decisions, constipation, and deficiency of appetite. Each symptom is scored by the patient on a scale from none of the time to all the time.

Whatever screening tests your doctor uses to generate a depression diagnosis, the important thing is the fact that depression is treatable. Make an appointment with your physician or a mental health professional today, if you suspect you have depression.