Depression Quiz

Depression quizzes are a way of determining if you have any key signs or symptoms of depression. An online depression quiz is one way to evaluate yourself, keep in mind there are many types of depression, ways to screen or test for depression, and depression treatments vary.


A depression quiz is a type of online screening for depression that is done through a self-assessment. You are asked a series of questions, sometimes one at a time, sometimes in groups, sometimes by scrolling down a page. This article looks at depression quiz offerings in detail.

Types of Depression Quizzes

Depression quizzes can be divided into two basic types: those that test knowledge and understanding of depression and those that aim at helping the test-taker understand if s/he or someone close to him or her may be depressed. The first type ranges from the straightforward factual to the gimmicky. For example, “Celebrity Depression Heroes” is a quiz on Beliefnet.com concerning famous people who are said to have suffered from depression.

The second type of depression quiz - the kind that attempts to assess whether the test-taker is depressed - may be a general quiz intended for everyone or a more specialized depression quiz. The types of specialized depression quizzes include:

  • depression quizzes for teens and/or young adults
  • depression quizzes for people who may be suffering from bipolar disorder
  • depression quizzes for postpartum depression
  • late-life depression quizzes

Depression quizzes about children may be aimed at parents who answer questions from their observations. Other depression quizzes of this type are aimed at the person answering the questions.

Some depression quizzes are diagnostic instruments created by professionals. Some are spur of the moment creation dreamt up by people looking for something to, for example, attract people to their MySpace page. If you really need a valid depression quiz, avoid social networking sites, sites like ezine with quizzes by people who do not have to have any expertise, and sites like funquizcards that are aiming to amuse rather than to provide health care. One way to recognize them is by the inclusion of frivolous questions like “Have you ever dyed your hair?” Obviously, the choice to dye one’s hair or not has nothing to do with depression. Depression is a serious issue, and it is a good idea to use a serious, quality depression quiz to assess symptoms.

Some depression screening tests that give useful and well-tested results include:

  • Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) This test was developed by a researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the 1970s. It is good to know that 85% of people who are diagnosed with depression by a psychiatrist score high on this test. However, you should also be aware that 20% of people who score high are not actually depressed and will see their symptoms resolve quickly.
  • Geriatric Depression Rating Scale is a short version of a longer screening tool that was developed in the 1980s by several doctors.
  • Goldberg Depression Questionnaire is an assessment that was developed by a medical doctor named Goldberg and copyright 1993.
  • Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self Report (QIDS-SR) is a screening tool developed by a medical doctor from the longer Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS).
  • Wakefield Self-Report Questionnaire is a self-assessment developed mainly by a specialist in psychiatry.
  • Beck Depression Inventory  is a tool originally developed in the 1960s and only the original form, copyrighted by the American Psychological Association in 1961, can be used by the public for self-assessment.

These tests range from 12 to 20 questions. There are other tests that have also been developed by professionals in the field and been tested to make sure they are valid and useful.

How to Use a Depression Quiz

The best was to use a depression quiz is to - if there is any indication that the test taker may be depressed - follow it up with a visit to a mental health professional or a physician such as the test taker’s primary care physician.

Sources of Quality Depression Self-Assessment Screening Online*

psychcentral.com
mayoclinic.com
depression-screening.org
counsellingresource.com

*If you think you may be depressed, please seek the care of a physician or mental health professional, the only people who can make a diagnosis of depression.

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