Online Depression Test

Thank you for taking our depression test! Below is a little bit more information about this disorder as well as links to mental health professionals who can help you.

What is Depression?

Depression, known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a common and very serious mood disorder. If you suffer from depression, you often experience feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and lose interest in activities you once enjoyed participating in.

Beyond emotional symptoms, depression can cause physical, mental, and social problems.

DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), or DSM-5, outlines 8 criteria that a mental health professional will use to make a diagnosis of depression. A patient must be experiencing at least five or more of the following symptoms during the same two week period and one of the symptoms should be either a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure.

These 8 criteria are as follows:

1. Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.
2. Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day.
3. Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
4. A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
5. Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
6. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
7. Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.
8. Recurrent thoughts of death, recurring suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.

Your mental health professional will provide a diagnosis of depression if five or more symptoms cause you significant distress or impairment in core areas of your functioning. These symptoms must also not be as a result of substance abuse or other medical conditions.

Types of Depression

Within the category of depression, there are specific types of depression. Let's review those types below:

Major Depressive Disorder

When the term "clinical depression" is used, it most often refers to major depressive disorder. According to The National Institute of Mental Health, about 17.3 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in 2017. This represents approximately 7.1% of all U.S. adults who experience major depressive disorder.

Are you struggling with major depressive disorder? Find a mental health professional that treats major depressive disorder

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is another type of depression that causes a shift in a sufferer's mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to perform normal everyday tasks. A person suffering from bipolar disorder typically goes through periods of "extreme ups" known as manic episodes, and extreme downs, known as depressive episodes.

Within the diagnosis of Bipolar, there are subtypes.

Bipolar I: This is the most severe form of the disorder, with clear episodes of mania and depression.

Bipolar II:  More mild episodes of mania, called hypomania alternating with periods of either depression or dysthymia.

Are you struggling with bipolar disorder? Find a mental health professional that treats bipolar disorder

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Persistent Depressive Disorder, or dysthymia, is a type of depression that refers to chronic depression that occurs more days than not and lasts for at least two years.

Sufferers of persistent depressive disorder may experience times of not feeling depressed, but typically these feelings last a short amount of time, often less than two months.

Persistent depressive disorder affects 1.5% of adults in the United States, making it less common than major depressive disorder.

If you're struggling with persistent depressive disorder, find a mental health professional that treats persistent depressive disorder.

Postpartum Depression

Another type of depression is called postpartum depression. Postpartum affects women after giving birth. It is very common for a woman after her pregnancy to have changes in mood, however, postpartum depression is much more severe and lasts longer than the typical two weeks after giving birth.

Postpartum depression often makes a sufferer feel helpless and hopeless. Other common symptoms include thoughts of hurting yourself or your child.

At the extreme end of postpartum depression is postpartum psychosis. A person with postpartum psychosis may experience delusions, confusion, and hallucinations. Hospitalization can be required.

If you're struggling with postpartum depression, find a mental health professional that treats postpartum depression.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

According to WebMD, doctors think as many as ¾ of menstruating women have some signs of PMS. But Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is different.

Like PMS, premenstrual dysphoric disorder causes emotional and physical symptoms. Unlike PMS, premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms are debilitating. Women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder often feel helpless and out of control.

If you're struggling, find a mental health professional that treats premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that (like the name sounds) changes with the different seasons. Symptoms typically start at the same time each year for sufferers. Many sufferers are affected in the fall through winter months

If you experience depressive symptoms around the same time each year, you can find a mental health professional that treats seasonal affective disorder.

Atypical Depression

The final type of depression on our list is atypical depression. Similar to major depressive disorder, atypical depression shares a lot of the same symptoms such as increased weight gain, problems sleeping or sleeping too much, and feelings of fatigue or weakness.

A person with atypical depression tends to show improvement with positive events, in contrast to a person with major depressive disorder.

If you think you have atypical depression, find a mental health professional that treats atypical depression.

Depression Treatment

Although Major Depressive Disorder can be treated, there is no “cure.” Remission is the goal of treatment by trained and licensed professionals. Remission varies from person to person. Some people may have few to no symptoms remaining, while others may still experience some of the symptoms outlined in the DSM-5 above.



If you need help, there is hope! Reach out to a licensed mental health professional that treats depression.