What are the Symptoms of Depression?
The symptoms of depression are listed below. Take your time, look at the statements and write down your answers honestly. What does it tell you about yourself? Hopefully, good or bad, it will tell you the truth:
Choose either (a) always, (b) sometimes or (c) never for each question and record your answers.
- I feel sad and unhappy.
- I have trouble concentrating;
sometimes, I can't complete simple tasks. - Very few things hold my interest. Most activities are more trouble than they're worth.
- I have trouble making decisions.
- I have sleep problems, trouble falling asleep or waking up too early.
- I feel restless and irritable. Nothing seems to please me.
- I feel tired and drained.
- My appetite has changed. I am either over-eating or under-eating.
- I feel like crying much of the time.
- I feel little hope about the future.
- I feel discouraged. I feel like ending my life.
- I have little interest in sex.
- Other people are more successful than me. I feel like a failure most of the time.
- I feel guilty about many things.
- There is little that I enjoy.
Scoring:
Score by assigning 2 points for each "(a) always" answer, 1 point for each "(b) sometimes" answer and 0 points for each
"(c) rarely" answer. Again, for this test to work, you must complete and score it honestly.
0-9: Normal feelings of being down on occasion
10-15: Mild depression - you feel down more often than is considered normal. Depression sometimes interferes with your enjoyment of life.
16-25: Moderate chronic depression - you face a constant battle against despairing, sad and unhappy feelings.
26-30: Severe depression - depression is seriously affecting and debilitating your life.
You should know: Any score above 15 indicates that you should consider professional treatment to help you get rid of these symptoms of depression - symptoms that are depleting the quality of your life. Please contact LAP to seek support.