Depression Screening
Reviewed
Also called: Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS and GDS-SF)
A depression screening (also called a depression test) is a standard set of questions that you answer to help your health care provider find out whether you have symptoms.
Specimen: None (questionnaire)
Urgent safety information
If you are thinking about suicide or hurting yourself, get help right away: Call 911 or go to your local emergency room. Contact a suicide hotline. In the United States, you can reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at any time. To do this, you can call or text 988, chat online with Lifeline Chat, or, if you're a TTY user, dial 711 then 988.
Emergency numbers on this page are for the United States. Outside the US, call your local emergency number.
Why this test may be ordered
- As part of a routine health checkup, especially starting at age 12
- If you show signs of depression such as loss of interest, sadness, sleep changes, or thoughts of self-harm
- If you have conditions that increase risk of depression (e.g., cancer, chronic illness, heart disease, dementia) or have experienced a distressing event
Preparation and collection
You usually don't need any special preparations for a depression test or a blood test.
During a depression screening, you’ll answer a set of questions about your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Your provider may ask the questions directly or give you a short questionnaire to fill out. There’s no lab test that can diagnose depression, but your provider may order blood tests to find out if any health condition, such as anemia or thyroid disease, may be causing depression.
There is no risk to answering questions or having a physical exam. There is very little risk to having a blood test.
Understanding results
Your screening results, along with your symptoms, will help your provider decide whether you may have depression and, if so, how severe it is.
- Screening suggests possible depression: Your screening results, along with your symptoms, will help your provider decide whether you may have depression and, if so, how severe it is. Limitation: To be able to tell if you have depression, your provider will need to perform other tests and possibly refer you to a mental health care provider. Next step: Starting treatment as soon as possible may improve your chance of recovery.
- Diagnosed with depression: If you are diagnosed with depression, your provider will discuss your treatment options, which may include: Counseling or psychotherapy with a mental health provider (someone who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health problems), Medicine, such as antidepressants, Lifestyle changes, such as getting more exercise and maintaining a healthier diet, Follow-up care to monitor progress. Limitation: Treatment for depression may take time to work, but it can help reduce symptoms and shorten how long depression lasts. Next step: Your primary health care provider can help you find the right support.
- 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
Starting treatment as soon as possible may improve your chance of recovery. Your primary health care provider can help you find the right support.
- Have you had changes in your mood, sleep habits, energy levels, or appetite/weight?
- Are you experiencing stress or difficulty concentrating?
- Do you have a personal or family history of depression or other mental health conditions?
- Have you had any recent life changes or are you using alcohol or drugs?
- Are you having thoughts of hurting yourself or suicide?
Evidence source
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Practices and reference ranges may differ in your country.