With the rapid development of society, depression has become an epidemic in modern society. Since the manifestations of depression are often misunderstood as physical weakness, thought problems, weak will and other social constants, it is easy for people to ignore the existence of depression and even delay treatment as a result, causing many unnecessary losses in life. Therefore, it is very important to identify depression early, how to identify depression early? We may follow the following “two-step identification method” to determine whether we may be suffering from depression.
Step 1: First, please take the following psychometric test carefully
In the past 2 weeks, how often have you experienced the following symptoms in your life?
1.No interest in doing anything, no fun
①No ②Several days ③More than half of the time ④Almost every day
2.Feeling depressed, depressed and hopeless
①No ②Several days ③More than half of the time ④Almost every day
3.Have trouble sleeping, always awake, or sleep too much
①No ②Several days ③More than half of the time ④Almost every day
4.Frequently feel very tired and weak
①No ②Several days ③More than half of the time ④Almost every day
5.Taste is not good, or eat too much
①No ②Several days ③More than half of the time ④Almost every day
6. Dissatisfied with yourself, feeling that you are a failure, or that you have embarrassed your family
①No ②Several days ③More than half of the time ④Almost every day
7.I can’t concentrate, even when reading the newspaper or watching TV, and my memory decreases
①No ②Several days ③More than half the time ④Almost every day
8.Moving or talking slowly enough to attract attention, or the opposite, restlessness, irritability and anger, moving around
①No ②Several days ③More than half of the time ④Almost every day
9.I have the idea that it is better to die or think how to hurt oneself a little
①No ②Several days ③More than half of the time ④Almost every day
10.If you find yourself with the above symptoms, the extent to which they affect your family life, work and interpersonal relationships is
① No difficulties ② Some difficulties ③ Many difficulties ④ Very difficult
Calculate the total score for the first 9 questions above. The scoring method is: 0 points for ①, 1 point for ②, 2 points for ③, and 3 points for ④.
If your total score is less than 5, it means that you are not currently depressed, or at least you are not likely to be depressed at the moment, so you do not need to go on to the next step. A score of 5-9 suggests that you may have mild depression, a score of 10-14 suggests that you have moderate depression, a score of 15-19 suggests that you may have moderate to severe depression, and a score greater than 19 or more suggests that your depression may currently be severe at this time. Anyone with a score of 5 or more and a score of 1 or more for the answer to question 10 should be aware that you may be suffering from depression, so please proceed to the next step to determine whether you are really suffering from depression.
Step 2: Please answer the following questions carefully according to the following prompts
1. In the last 2 weeks, have you been feeling unhappy or in a low mood most of the time every day? ①Yes, ②No
【Hint: here is to emphasize that almost all day every day continue to feel very low mood, will not change the environment for the better, and continue for at least half a month】.
2.In the last 2 weeks, do you still like the things you usually like as much as usual? Do you still feel as happy as usual when you participate? Has your interest declined or is it completely uninteresting? (1) Interest or enjoyment has decreased or disappeared, (2) It is the same as usual
[The emphasis here is on the continuous decrease of interest in daily favorite things and enjoyment when engaging in activities for at least two weeks].
3. In the last 2 weeks, do you get tired easily or have no energy? Or are you easily depressed or sleepy? ①Yes, ②No
[The emphasis here is on the continuous feeling of fatigue and tiredness].
4.In the last 2 weeks, do you have difficulty thinking about things or concentrating? Can you concentrate on your work or hobbies? Are you able to concentrate on your work? ①Yes, ②No
[The emphasis here is on the persistent inability to concentrate]
5.In the last 2 weeks, do you have low self-esteem or feel that you are useless? ①Yes, ②No
[The emphasis here is on self-esteem and self-confidence].
6.In the last 2 weeks, do you feel that you live a worthless life? Do you feel guilty or feel guilty about what you have done or others? ①Yes, ②No
[The emphasis here is on the continuous lack of values and guilt and self-blame]
7.In the last 2 weeks, have you ever been desperate for the future? Do you think there is still hope for your future? ①Yes, ②No
[Emphasis here is on pessimistic despair]
8.In the last 2 weeks, have you ever thought of suicide or felt better off dead? Have you ever really committed suicide or hurt yourself? ①Yes, ②No
[The emphasis here is on suicide and self-injury]
9.In the last 2 weeks, have you had problems sleeping? Have you been lying in bed for more than 30 minutes without being able to fall asleep? Do you have many dreams at night or wake up repeatedly? Have you woken up an hour earlier than usual and could not fall asleep again? Have you slept significantly more than usual? Do you have sleep problems almost every day? ①Yes, ②No
[The emphasis here is on the persistence of either sleep problem].
10. In the last 2 weeks, has your appetite or appetite been different than usual? Has your appetite gotten worse? You don’t eat well anymore? Is it every day? ①Yes, ②No
[The emphasis here is on persistent appetite loss].
If you answered two or three of the answers to questions 1-3, and at least two of the answers to questions 4-10, then it is highly likely that you are already suffering from depression, and you should go to a regular psycho-psychiatric specialist hospital or clinic for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. If you do not meet this previous criterion, it suggests that you may have depression, but not necessarily depression. If you have many other uncomfortable symptoms, you are also advised to go to a regular psychiatric psychiatric hospital or clinic for evaluation. If you do not meet this criterion, and you have no other discomfort, it is suggested that you can go to some standardized psychological counseling agencies or psychological counseling agencies for assessment and counseling.
The above two-step identification method is actually what psychologists must know when making a diagnosis of depression. If you want to know if you are suffering from depression, you can use this method for initial self-screening, which will help us to identify depression early when we encounter some conditions. Of course, this method only provides some assistance for self-screening for people who may be depressed, it is not a substitute for a more comprehensive and systematic examination and diagnosis by a doctor. If you feel that your problem is very serious, even though it may not meet the above criteria, you should consult a regular professional doctor in person or directly as soon as possible to avoid self-diagnosis that may cause your condition to be misunderstood.