What is depression? Free online self-evaluation link for depression

Depression, also known as major depression or clinical depression, is a common and serious mood disorder. The main symptoms are persistent sadness or loss of interest in life, which can significantly affect the patient’s daily life, work and study, and interpersonal relationships. Most people occasionally feel sad, lonely or depressed in life, which is a normal emotional reaction when facing setbacks in life. But when these strong negative emotions, such as helplessness, despair, self-negation, etc., last for several days or even weeks, and seriously interfere with normal life, they may no longer be ordinary mood swings, but rather signs of depression. It is crucial to seek medical help in time at this time.

If depression is not treated promptly and effectively, the condition may worsen and last for several months or even years. The long process of illness will not only bring great physical and mental pain to the patient, but will also greatly increase the risk of suicide. According to statistics, about one in every ten patients with depression may lead to a tragic ending of suicide. However, it is worrying that about half of the patients with depression have not been promptly diagnosed or treated, making identification of symptoms of depression a critical step in coping with the disease.

Symptoms of depression

The symptoms of depression are rich and diverse, and the severity, frequency and duration of different patients vary. Some patients even have regular symptoms, such as seasonal emotional disorders. Specifically, the symptoms of depression are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

• Cognitive and emotional troubles: Patients often find it difficult to concentrate, encounter difficulties in memorizing details and making decisions, and negative feelings of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness frequently emerge in their minds, and they are full of pessimism and despair about the future.
• Sleep and mood swings: Sleep problems are more prominent, and insomnia and early awakening may occur. Some patients also show drowsiness. I become extremely irritable and irritable emotionally, and I often feel restless inside and it is difficult to calm down.
• Interests and dietary changes: Activities that once loved, including sexual behavior, can no longer arouse the patient’s interest. In terms of diet, overeating may occur, or you may lose your appetite, and your weight may change significantly.
• Frequent physical symptoms: Pain symptoms will occur repeatedly on the body, such as headache, joint pain, back pain, spasm, etc. Digestive problems are also common and still do not improve after routine treatment. Patients are often in sadness, anxiety or ’empty’ emotions and cannot extricate themselves. Some serious patients may even have suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts, completely losing the pleasure of life.

It is worth noting that depression can also trigger a series of physical symptoms, which are closely related to chemicals such as serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. These chemicals not only play a key role in regulating emotions, but also have important implications for pain perception. Affected by this, the patient’s speaking and moving speed may be significantly slowed down.

Self-assessment of depression

When you suspect that you may suffer from depression, you can use some professional free online tests for preliminary screening. It should be emphasized that these test results are for reference only and cannot be used as the ultimate basis for clinical diagnosis. The following are some professional tests from the official website of PsycTest:

• PHQ - 9 Depression Screening Scale Free Test : Can quickly and effectively screen depressive symptoms. Through the answers to nine depression-related questions in the past two weeks, we can initially judge whether there is a tendency to depression and the severity of depression. For example, the problem covers many aspects such as depression, loss of interest, sleep disorders, and fatigue. If most questions tend to choose symptoms more frequently during the answering process, you may need to pay more attention to your own situation and seek professional help.
• SDS Depression Self-rated Scale Free Online Test : Used to understand the degree of depression in one’s own way. The scale contains 20 items, covering multiple dimensions such as emotional disorders, physical symptoms, psychomotor disorders and psychological disorders. Answerers need to rate each item in four levels based on their actual feelings in the past week. Finally, by calculating the total score and converting it into standard scores, and comparing the corresponding score range, we can determine whether we are in a normal, mild, moderate or severe depression.
  -QIDS - SR16 Online Assessment : It can quickly assess the severity of recent symptoms. These 16 questions focus on the core symptoms of depression, such as changes in mood, sleep, appetite, concentration, etc. The answerer can complete the assessment in a short time and have a preliminary understanding of the serious current symptoms of depression.
• Burns Depression Checklist (BDC) : Assessment of depression status from multiple dimensions. The list consists of a series of questions describing emotional and psychological states, and the answerer scores according to his or her own degree of conformity. It covers a wide range of dimensions, including awareness of one’s own value, attitude towards life, and emotional stability, which can help answerers understand their depression state more comprehensively.
  -Emotional Self-Assessment Scale: Depression - Anxiety - Stress Scale (DASS - 21) Online Assessment : Be able to fully understand your own emotional state. It not only targets depression, it also evaluates anxiety and stress levels at the same time. By answering 21 questions, the scores of depression, anxiety and stress were calculated separately, so that the answerer could clearly recognize his or her condition in these three emotions, thereby more comprehensively grasping his or her own psychological state.
  -GDS Online Review: It is specifically used to assess depression in older people . Taking into account the living characteristics and psychological state of the elderly, the problem design of this scale is more in line with the actual situation of the elderly, such as adaptation to retirement life, relationships with family and friends, and the impact of physical health on emotions. Through the evaluation of this scale, we can initially judge whether the elderly have depression problems and the degree of depression.
  -Baker Depression Scale (BDI-SF) Free Online Test : Concisely and Effectively Assess the Severity of Depression. This scale quickly understands the depression performance of answerers in terms of emotions, cognition, behavior, etc. through several key questions, and initially classifies the severity of depression in a concise way to help answerers quickly understand their general situation.
  -Baker Depression Self-rated Scale BDI - IA : Understand depression from multiple perspectives. It contains more dimensions of problems. In addition to common emotions and behaviors, it also involves deep psychological states such as thinking patterns and expectations for the future, so that the answerer can understand his or her depression problems from a more comprehensive perspective.
  -Hamilton Depression Scale HAMD Online Free Test : This is a commonly used clinical and highly professional evaluation tool. Its assessment of depression is more meticulous and in-depth, covering multiple aspects of symptoms, such as depression, guilt, suicidal concepts, sleep disorders, appetite changes, etc. Professionals often use this scale to comprehensively evaluate the patient’s depression status to assist in the formulation of clinical diagnosis and treatment plans.
  -Self -rated children’s self-assessment scale (DSRS-C) online assessment : designed for children. Taking into account children’s cognitive and expressive abilities, the scale problems are presented in a simple and easy-to-understand way, focusing on children’s changes in emotions, behaviors, learning, etc., and helping parents and teachers to initially judge whether children have a tendency to depression so that corresponding measures can be taken in a timely manner.

Causes of depression

The causes of depression are extremely complex and are the result of the interaction of multiple factors.

• Brain Structure Differences: Studies have found that the brains of depression patients have certain physiological differences in structure from ordinary people. For example, some areas of the brain of some patients, such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, etc., may show abnormalities in volume, neural connections, or nerve cell activity. These structural changes may affect the brain’s regulatory function of emotions, cognition, and behavior, thereby increasing the risk of depression.
• Brain chemical imbalance: Neurotransmitters play an important role in transmitting information and regulating emotions in the brain. Neurotransmitters in the brain of patients with depression, such as serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, etc., may have abnormal dysfunction. Lower serotonin levels may lead to depression and anxiety; dopamine dysfunction may affect individuals’ experience and pursuit of pleasure; norepinephrine imbalance may be related to symptoms such as inattention and fatigue. This imbalance in brain chemicals can be caused by a variety of reasons, including genetic factors, life stress, chronic diseases, etc.
• ** Changes in hormone levels**: Many changes in physiological states can cause fluctuations in hormone levels, which in turn lead to symptoms of depression. During pregnancy and postpartum periods, the levels of estrogen, progesterone and other hormones in women will undergo significant changes, which makes some women prone to depression during pregnancy or after childbirth. Illegal thyroid function may also affect hormone secretion, leading to emotional disorders and causing depression. Menopausal women have a decline in ovarian function and their estrogen levels will face a series of adjustments in their bodies and psychology. This period is also the high incidence of depression.
• Influence of genetic factors: Although no specific genes for depressive disease have been identified, a large number of studies have shown that genetic factors play an important role in the onset of depression. If a relative in the family suffers from depression, the chance of an individual suffering from depression is significantly increased. Genetic factors may increase individuals’ susceptibility to depression by affecting the brain’s structure and function, neurotransmitter system, and hormone regulation. However, genetic factors are not the only factors that determine the onset of depression. Environmental factors and individuals’ own life experiences also play a key role in the occurrence and development of the disease.

Depression Types

1. Terminal Major Depression: This is one of the most common types of depression. Patients mainly show typical depression symptoms such as persistent depression, loss of interest, and lack of pleasure, and there is no manic or hypomanic attack. The onset of unipolar major depression is usually more serious, which has a significant negative impact on the patient’s daily life, work and social functions. In severe cases, it may even lead to the patient’s ability to take care of himself.
2. Sustaining depression (hard mood): It is characterized by a long-lasting depression symptoms, which last for at least two years. Compared with unipolar major depression, persistent depression has relatively mild symptoms, but long-term depression and negative states can also cause serious damage to the patient’s physical and mental health. Because the symptoms are hidden and last longer, patients and people around them may gradually adapt to this state, resulting in the disease being easily overlooked and delayed treatment.
3. Destructive Emotional Disorder: It mainly occurs in children and adolescent groups. The patient showed extreme irritability and anger, the frequency and severity of emotional outbreaks exceeded the normal range, and was not commensurate with the environment and stimulus. This emotional disorder will seriously affect the child’s learning, social interaction and family relationships. If timely intervention is not done, it may develop into more serious mental disorders.
4. Premenstrual anxiety disorder: Commonly in women, they experience severe emotional problems during a period before the menstrual cycle. Symptoms are more serious than ordinary premenstrual syndrome, including depression, anxiety, irritability, irritability, irritability, fatigue, etc. These symptoms will gradually relieve after menstruation. Premenstrual anxiety disorder can significantly interfere with women’s daily life and work, affecting their quality of life.
5. ** Substance-induced emotional disorder (SIMD)**: Depressive symptoms occur due to factors related to substance use such as drug use, alcohol consumption or alcohol withdrawal. Certain drugs and alcohols can have a direct impact on the brain’s neurotransmitter system, interfere with the normal physiological function of the brain, thereby triggering depression. In addition, if you have a sudden withdrawal after long-term dependence on a certain substance, the body and brain will undergo a series of adaptive changes, which may also induce symptoms of depression.
6. Depression caused by another disease: Some chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, etc., due to the long-term consumption of the body, the pain and discomfort caused by the disease, and changes in lifestyle, it will cause psychological stress and negative emotions in the patient, thereby increasing the risk of depression. At the same time, certain diseases may directly affect the neurobiological processes of the brain, leading to the emergence of symptoms of depression. This depression caused by other diseases requires comprehensive consideration of psychological intervention and antidepressant treatment on the basis of treating the primary disease.
7. Other Depression: In addition to the common types mentioned above, there are some depression manifestations that are relatively special or have less typical symptoms, such as mild depression. Patients with mild depression have relatively mild symptoms, which may only be manifested as occasional depression, loss of interest, inattention, etc., but these symptoms have persisted and have had a certain degree of impact on daily life. If you do not pay attention and intervention in time, mild depression may develop into a more severe type.

In addition, depression may also be accompanied by some specific characteristics, such as anxiety and distress, while the patient is depressed, accompanied by obvious anxiety and restlessness, etc.; mixed characteristics, that is, depression symptoms and manic or hypomanic symptoms are at the same time at a certain extent; atypical characteristics, manifested as increased appetite, increased sleep, weight increase, excessive emotional reaction, etc., which are different from typical depression symptoms; mental illness characteristics, patients may experience hallucinations, delusions and other psychotic symptoms; tension symptoms are manifested as abnormal physical movement, such as wood stagnation, waxy flexion, etc.; perinatal depression refers to depression that occurs during pregnancy or after childbirth; seasonal patterns, symptoms occur regularly in specific seasons, and are often aggravated when the sunlight time in autumn and winter, and relieved in spring and summer.

Other depression-causing situations

Depression can sometimes be an external manifestation of other complex health conditions. Patients with bipolar type I and II disorders will not only experience depression attacks, but also manic or hypomanic attacks, with mood fluctuating between the two extremes, which is significantly different from pure depression. Cyclic disorders are manifested in repeated cycles between mild depression and hypomania, and the symptoms are relatively mild but frequent. In addition, side effects of certain drugs or other medical conditions can also cause depression. Some antihypertensive drugs, sedative hypnosis drugs, hormone drugs, etc. may affect the balance of brain neurotransmitters during use, leading to depression. Accurate diagnosis of these potential causes is crucial to developing targeted treatment plans. Misdiagnosis or misdiagnosis may lead to wrong treatment direction and delayed the condition.

Diagnostic methods for depression

1. Physical Examination: A comprehensive physical examination is an important basis for diagnosing depression. Through a physical examination, doctors can assess the patient’s overall health and check for other physical diseases that may cause symptoms similar to depression. For example, hypothyroidism may cause symptoms such as fatigue and depression, which are similar to depression; anemia may also lead to physical weakness and mental depression, affecting emotional state. Through detailed physical examinations, vital sign measurements and related laboratory examinations, these physical disease factors can be ruled out, providing a basis for the accurate diagnosis of depression.
2. Laboratory Test: Blood tests in laboratory tests are one of the common methods. By detecting the levels of hormones in the blood, such as thyroid hormone, cortisol, etc., it can be judged whether there are emotional problems caused by endocrine disorders. Abnormal thyroid hormone levels may directly affect the synthesis and metabolism of brain neurotransmitters, thereby causing depression symptoms. In addition, blood tests can also detect other biochemical indicators to understand the patient’s nutritional status, liver and kidney function, etc., because malnutrition, liver and kidney diseases, etc. may also be related to the occurrence and development of depression.
3. Psychiatric Assessment: This is the core link in diagnosing depression. The doctor will have in-depth conversations with the patient and ask in detail about the patient’s thoughts, feelings, and daily behavior patterns. Understand the degree and duration of the patient’s depression, changes in interests and hobbies, sleep and diet, whether there are suicidal thoughts or behaviors, etc. Patients may need to fill out some professional questionnaires, such as the various depression self-evaluation scales mentioned above. These questionnaires can help doctors understand the patient’s symptoms more systematically and comprehensively, and provide a quantitative basis for diagnosis.
4. Reference to the ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’ (DSM-5): DSM-5 is a widely used manual for diagnosis of mental illnesses worldwide. When diagnosing depression, the doctor will make rigorous judgments based on the diagnostic criteria for depression in the manual, and comprehensively integrate the patient’s symptoms, duration, severity, and its impact on daily life functions. This manual describes the various typical and atypical symptoms of depression in detail, providing doctors with a unified and standardized diagnostic reference framework that helps improve the accuracy and consistency of the diagnosis of depression.

Treatment and prevention of depression

Treatment Intervention

1. Medicine treatment: Antidepressants can regulate the brain neurotransmitter levels, and the symptoms can be relieved after use by most patients. Because different patients have different responses to drugs, it is sometimes necessary to try multiple drugs or combination drugs. In addition, doctors will prescribe auxiliary drugs based on the patient’s specific symptoms to comprehensively improve physical and mental symptoms.
2. Psychological Therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help patients identify and change negative thinking and behavior patterns. During the treatment process, patients can correct their own cognitive biases and thus improve their emotions and behaviors. In addition to CBT, interpersonal therapy, psychoanalytic therapy, etc. can also help patients understand emotional problems from different angles and improve their psychological coping skills.
3. Hospital treatment: For patients with serious conditions, suicidal tendencies, inability to take care of themselves, or poor drug treatment, it is necessary to be hospitalized for professional treatment. In the hospital, patients can receive 24/7 monitoring and comprehensive treatment. Doctors can adjust the plan in a timely manner according to changes in the condition. Nurses provide life care and psychological support. At the same time, the hospital will also organize rehabilitation activities to promote patients’ rehabilitation.
4. Physical therapy: Electric shock therapy (ECT) can be used when antidepressant treatment is ineffective or when the patient is unable to use antidepressant drugs for health reasons. ECT triggers transient epilepsy-like seizures in the brain through current stimulation, modulates the neurotransmitter system and neuroplasticity, and improves depression symptoms. Although this therapy may cause side effects such as short-term memory loss and headaches, it is usually gradually relieved. In addition, when antidepressants are not effective in treating antidepressants, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can also be considered. As a non-invasive therapeutic technology, TMS uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in specific areas of the brain to regulate nerve activity to relieve depression symptoms, and its side effects are relatively small. In addition to TMS, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and ketamine drugs may also have certain efficacy in refractory depression.

Life conditioning

1. Regular exercise: Aerobic exercise and yoga can not only promote the body to secrete endorphins and improve mood, but also enhance physical fitness, improve immunity and sleep, and reduce the risk of recurrence. It is recommended to perform at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise, combined with strength and flexibility training.
2. Avoid adverse stimuli: Alcohol can interfere with neurotransmitter function, aggravate depression and anxiety, and affect sleep, so patients with depression should avoid drinking alcohol. At the same time, excessive caffeine can stimulate the nervous system and aggravate anxiety, and patients also need to control caffeine intake.
3. Daily physical and mental care: Adequate water intake is important for maintaining normal function of the brain and body. Patients should ensure sufficient daily water consumption. In addition, patients should take good care of themselves, ensure adequate sleep, establish a regular schedule, and create a good sleep environment. Set reasonable boundaries for life to avoid overwork. Adhere to a healthy diet and consume nutritious foods. Practice stress relief techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, etc. If necessary, supplements, vitamins or herbs can be used under the guidance of a doctor.

Prevention and Crisis Response

1. Prevent recurrence: For patients who have suffered from depression, persisting in continuous treatment is the key to preventing recurrence. Patients need to take medication as prescribed by doctors and have regular follow-up visits. At the same time, learn to reduce stress and master effective stress management skills. Build good relationships and get emotional support. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of recurrence of depression.
2. Beware of suicide risk: Depressed patients have a high risk of suicide. When there are sudden changes in their emotions, frequent conversations about death, increased risky behaviors, and negative thoughts, you need to be highly vigilant. Once a patient is found to have suicidal thoughts, he or she should immediately call 110 or contact a doctor or relative or friends for help. Ensure patients’ safety, limit their movements, avoid exposure to dangerous items, and provide care and support to help them survive the crisis.

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