Depression Screening
Reviewed
A depression screening is a standard set of questions you answer to help your health care provider find out whether you have symptoms or are at risk of depression. It is not a diagnostic test; your provider will need to perform other evaluations and possibly refer you to a mental health care provider to confirm a diagnosis.
Preparation and collection
You usually don't need any special preparations for a depression test or a blood test.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- Screening is not a diagnostic test; it only indicates whether further evaluation is needed.
- False positives and false negatives are possible.
- Results depend on honest self-reporting and may be influenced by current mood or circumstances.
- Blood tests may be needed to rule out medical conditions that mimic depression, but no lab test can diagnose depression itself.
What to do next
If you are diagnosed with depression, your provider will discuss treatment options which may include counseling or psychotherapy, antidepressant medication, lifestyle changes, and follow-up care to monitor progress. Treatment may take time to work but can help reduce symptoms and shorten how long depression lasts. Starting treatment as soon as possible may improve your chance of recovery.