Can Taking An “Am I Depressed Quiz” Online Help Me Figure Out What’s Wrong?

Feeling down about life can make it difficult to get through your daily responsibilities. Depression is a very common mental health condition that affects roughly 5% of the population globally. At times, you may be wondering whether you’re experiencing symptoms of depression or if you’re just having a bad week. It may not always be easy to tell if you’re actually depressed, so taking an “am I depressed quiz” online might sound like a convenient way to find out. While taking a quiz online may be able to help you understand your symptoms, it should not be something that’s relied on for a diagnosis. For an accurate diagnosis, it’s important to talk to a licensed professional.

Am I depressed?

Have you been asking yourself more often recently, "Am I depressed?" Speaking to a licensed professional can help you gain some clarity over the symptoms you may be experiencing. They will be able to help you determine what exactly you’re experiencing. A test that you take online likely cannot accurately tell you whether you’re experiencing symptoms of depression.

However, there may be some ways an “am I depressed quiz” can still be useful. Individuals who choose to use these quizzes may become aware that they are possibly experiencing symptoms. They can learn more about the potential of how these symptoms can affect their lives. Typically, these quizzes provide tools and resources that may be able to help further. Using a depression quiz may be an eye-opening experience, and it may push you to seek help from a professional.

Depression quiz example

Generally, these types of quizzes may present you with a series of different questions. Many of them offer a simple yes or no questions meant to help gauge how many common symptoms a person relates to. The more symptoms a person experiences to a more severe extent, the more likely they may be to live with depression.

However, a depression quiz may not be a foolproof method for determining if someone is experiencing depression symptoms. Instead, they often rely on a standard definition of what symptoms look like and ask readers to rate themselves on a severity scale, which can be a subjective measure that’s hard to verify.

Take a look at some example questions for a depression quiz below. It should give you a better idea of how these quizzes are structured.

• Are you often bothered by feeling down or hopeless?
• Do you feel little or no pleasure when doing things that you used to love?
• Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?
• Has your appetite changed recently?
• Do you often feel like you’re tired or lacking energy?
• Do you feel like you’re a failure?
• Do you have difficulties concentrating?
• Have you felt restless lately?
• Do you have any suicidal thoughts?*

Answering yes to several of these questions could indicate that you may be experiencing symptoms of depression. 

*If you’re experiencing some of the more severe signs of depression, such as suicidal thoughts, you should seek help right away. Know that you aren’t alone and that there are people who care about you. You can get help by reaching out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. 

Get diagnosed

If you feel like you may be experiencing symptoms of depression, getting a proper diagnosis from a professional can be important. They can work with you to find a treatment that works best for you. The right treatment can help you overcome any symptoms or mental health concerns you may be experiencing. 

Once again, while a depression quiz may help provide some insight into what you’re experiencing, it can’t understand you as a unique person. An online test may not be able to account for nuance and other mental health disorders or other circumstances that may also be behind your symptoms.

What may seem like depression may actually be anxiety, for instance, or the result of a chronic health condition. That’s why it can be so vital to seek professional help; only a real, qualified person can evaluate you on an individual basis to give you the proper diagnosis.

Treatments for depression

There are many different treatments for depression that may be able to help you recover. The treatment for depression usually involves a combination of self-help, talk therapy, and prescription medications. The treatment recommended to you will likely be based on the type of depression you may be experiencing and the severity of it.

During talk therapy, your therapist may teach you various coping mechanisms to help you manage adversities and challenges. It should help you get through bad days more effectively to return to your routine.

Therapists may also help you address the root causes of your depression. Sometimes there are specific concerns or experiences that may be causing you to become depressed. Figuring out why you’re depressed can often be just as important as treating it. 

Other things that can help

Self-help can also be an important part of the recovery process. For example, spending more time focusing on things like exercise, self-care, and spending time with others may be very beneficial. Exercising, for instance, can improve your mental health, and it has been known to release positive endorphins in the body. This can act as a type of natural antidepressant that can help you feel better over time. It may also be beneficial to consider eating a healthy, balanced diet and skipping processed foods. What you put into and how you treat your body can have a huge impact on how you feel mentally and physically.

Learning to change any negative thought patterns you may have may also be able to help you tackle depression symptoms with more resilience. It isn’t always easy to avoid negative thoughts when you’re depressed, but trying to make an effort to change the way you see things may be able to help. It can likewise be beneficial to avoid stressful situations or triggers that may increase your symptoms. 

Finally, you may want to consider turning to trusted family and friends for support. Having a healthy support system of people you can go to when you need guidance can be incredibly effective. 

Online therapy can help with depression

If you feel you may be experiencing symptoms of depression, it’s important to remember you don’t need to go through it alone. Online therapy may be a great tool for you that allows you to get a diagnosis from a professional and get the proper treatment you may need. You can even join sessions right from the comfort of your own home, which may be ideal if you’re having a hard time feeling energized and motivated enough to commute to in-person appointments.

Research suggests that online therapy options can be an effective way to treat depression symptoms, too. One review of over a dozen studies found that online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) could be just as if not more effective than in-person treatment for depression. That means that the quality of your care doesn’t have to suffer just because of its format.

Takeaway

An online depression test may help you learn more about your symptoms and whether they possibly relate to depression, but it can’t give you a true diagnosis. Only a licensed mental health professional can give you the proper evaluation you may need to learn whether you’re living with depression. You can use these resources to help guide you toward the right next steps, though, so they may still have some value as you work toward better mental health.