Diagnosis of Depression
If you suspect you’re suffering from depression, your doctor can identify the source of your symptoms and provide a depression diagnosis. A test for depression is based largely on observation and patient feedback. Your doctor might also use a symptom checklist, or have you track your feelings, thoughts and behaviors in a log or journal.
History, Risk Factors and Depression Diagnosis
Certain risk factors can increase your risk of depression. When making a diagnosis of depression, your doctor will take an extensive history, including asking the following questions:
- Are there any other relevant diagnoses in your medical history?
- Have any of your relatives suffered from depression?
- Have you experienced any traumatic or life-changing events?
Depression Diagnosis Test Criteria
The American Psychiatric Association developed the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a set of continuously updated guidelines used in mental health diagnoses. This outlines specific criteria for a diagnosis of depression, which includes experiencing five of the following symptoms nearly every day over a period of two weeks:
- Depressed mood (sometimes sadness or irritability)
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue
- Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure
- Noticeable restlessness or slowed behavior
- Significant changes in sleep patterns
- Significant weight loss or gain
- Thoughts of self-injury or suicide.
One of these five symptoms must be either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure. In addition, in order for a depression diagnosis test to be positive, symptoms cannot be due to:
- Another condition
- Outside agents (such as drugs)
- Temporary feelings due to grief.
Different Depression Diagnosis Types
There are many specific types of depression, and your doctor will ask questions to confirm a specific depression diagnosis. For example, she’ll ask you about life experiences and traumatic events if she’s considering a PTSD depression diagnosis.
She will also ask you about triggers that cause your symptoms while conducting a test for depression. For example, if you experience symptoms in the winter that resolve in the summer, this may lead to a seasonal affective disorder (SAD) depression diagnosis. Knowing the type of depression and its triggers can help your doctor to properly conduct a test for depression, and ultimately treat your symptoms.
Your doctor will also attempt to rule out other possible sources of the problem, a process known as a differential diagnosis. This may help to distinguish between a diagnosis of depression and other conditions, such as:
- Anxiety disorders
- Medication side effects
- Normal changes in mood or behavior
- Physical sources, including hormonal imbalance.
If, after conducting a depression diagnosis test, your doctor determines that you are depressed, she can recommend an appropriate course of treatment.
Some people use questionnaires and checklists on their own if they think they’re depressed. However, remember that depression is a complex disorder, and a questionnaire or checklist is not a sufficient depression diagnosis test: Only a doctor can confirm a diagnosis of depression.
Resources
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2008). Depression self-assessment. Retrieved May 7, 2010, from the Mayo Clinic website: www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/MH00103_D.
Med Line Plus Staff. (2010). Major depression. Retrieved May 7, 2010, from the Med Line Plus website: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000945.htm.
Mental Health America Staff. (n.d.). Factsheet: Signs of depression checklist. Retrieved May 7, 2010, from the Mental Health America website: www.nmha.org/index.cfm?objectid=c7df958c-1372-4d20-c812934719d013f0.
Mental Health Today Staff. (n.d.). DSM IV: Major depressive episode. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from Mental Health Today website: www.mental-health-today.com/dep/dsm.htm.