Depression symptoms and treatment
Depression is a serious illness that can affect people of all ages. To have depression means to experience deep sadness, loss of interest and energy. Symptoms of major depression can include a very depressed mood, feelings of helplessness, a sense of hopelessness, lack of motivation, sleep problems and loss of appetite. People with depression may also feel reduced health and experience physical symptoms such as chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and psychosomatic pain. Treatment for depressive disorders may include psychological therapy, drug therapy or a combination of the two. Depressive disorders are among the most common mental health conditions.
Understanding what depression is is important for identification and appropriate treatment. When it comes to depressive disorders, there are many different forms of the illness, such as recurrent depression, psychotic depression or postpartum depression. Depressive disorders can affect daily functioning and quality of life, so it is important to consult a professional to receive appropriate help. The role of social support and the environment in the treatment of depressive disorders is extremely important.
Causes of depression
Remember depression can have various causes, such as genetic factors, neuroses, stress, traumas or unfavorable life conditions. Many people with depression experience a significant deterioration in quality of life and difficulties in daily activities such as work, school, interpersonal relationships and general well-being.
Do you have depression? Depression test. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a self-report questionnaire, a depression test consisting of twenty-one questions to assess depression. The Beck Depression Test is a widely used self-report questionnaire (ancillary tool) designed to measure the severity of depressive symptoms. It can be used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms, both in clinical and non-clinical populations, and to monitor changes in depressive symptoms over time.
The Beck scale is considered one of the most reliable and valid ways to assess depression, the Beck test has high reliability. It can be used to identify people who are at risk of developing depression, it can help track changes in depressive symptoms, of a person over time. The test is a valuable tool, providing information on a measure of depression that can help establish a diagnosis.
Remember that taking the test yourself and interpreting the result, does not equal a diagnosis. It is necessary to see a specialist, such as a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.
Test – Beck depression scale
Take a test for depression with the Beck depression scale. Find out if you have depressive symptoms. The test consists of 21 questions, which are answered on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 3 (very much). Add up the circled scores, the total score is related to determine the intensity of depressive symptoms.
Depression test, questions. Beck Depression Scale (BDI).
The scale consists of 21 points scored from 0 to 3 points. Only one answer should be circled for each point. The assessment applies to the last 24 hours.
A.
I am not sad or depressed – 0 points.
I often feel sad, depressed – 1 pt.
I experience sadness, depression all the time and cannot free myself from these experiences – 2 points.
I am constantly so sad and unhappy that it is unbearable – 3 pts.
B.
I am not too concerned about the future – o pts.
I often worry about the future – 1 pt.
I worry that nothing good awaits me in the future – 2 pts.
I feel that the future is hopeless and nothing will change it – 3 pts.
C.
I believe that I am not committing major negligence – 0 points.
I think I do more negligence than others – 1 pt.
When I look back at what I did, I see a lot of mistakes and negligence – 2 pts.
I am completely inefficient and do everything wrong – 3 pts.
D.
What I do makes me happy – 0 points.
I do not enjoy what I do – 1 pt.
Nothing gives me real satisfaction right now – 2 pts.
I can’t experience contentment and pleasure and everything wears me out – 3 pts.
E.
I don’t feel guilty about myself or others – 0 points.
I quite often have remorse – 1 pt.
I often feel that I am at fault – 2 points.
I constantly feel guilty, have a constant sense of guilt – 3 pts.
F.
I think I don’t deserve to be punished – 0 points.
I think I deserve to be punished – 1 point.
I expect to be punished – 2 points.
I know I am being punished (or punished) – 3 pts.
G.
I am satisfied with myself – 0 points.
I am not satisfied with myself – 1 point.
I feel dislike for myself – 2 points.
I hate myself – 3 pts.
H.
I don’t feel inferior to other people – 0 points.
I accuse myself of being inept and making mistakes – 1 pt.
I constantly condemn myself for the mistakes I make – 2 pts.
I blame myself for all the evil that exists – 3 pts.
I.
I do not think about taking my own life – 0 points.
I think about suicide – but I could not do it – 1 pt.
I want to take my life – 2 points.
I will commit suicide when the opportunity is right – 3 pts
J.
I don’t cry more often than usual – o pts.
I cry more often than before – 1 pt.
I constantly want to cry – 2 pts.
I would like to cry, but I am not able to – 3 pts.
K.
I’m no more cranky than I used to be – 0 points.
I am more cranky and unpleasant than before – 1 pt.
I am constantly nervous or irritable – 2 points.
Everything that used to irritate me has become indifferent – 3 pts.
L.
People interest me as before – o pts.
I am interested in people less than before – 1 pt.
I have lost most of my interest in other people – 2 pts.
I have lost all interest in other people – 3 points.
M.
I make decisions easily, just like before – 0 points.
I delay making a decision more often than I used to – 1 pt.
I have a lot of difficulty in making decisions – 2 points.
I am unable to make any decision – 3 pts.
N
I think I look no worse than before – opkt.
I worry that I look old and unattractive – 1 pt.
I feel that I look worse and worse – 2 pts.
I am convinced that I look awful and repulsive – 3 pts.
O.
I can work as before – 0 points.
I struggle to start any activity – 1 pt.
I force myself to do anything with great effort – 2pts.
I am unable to do anything – 3pts.
P.
I sleep well, as usual – 0pts.
I sleep worse than before – 1 pt.
I wake up 1-2 hours too early in the morning and find it difficult to get back to sleep – 2 points.
I wake up several hours too early and can’t get back to sleep – 3 pts.
Q.
I don’t get more tired than before – 0 points.
I tire much easier than before – 1 pt.
I get tired with everything I do – 2pts.
I am too tired to do anything – 3 pts.
R.
I have an appetite no worse than before – 0 points.
I have a slightly worse appetite – 1 pt.
My appetite is noticeably worse – 2 points.
I have no appetite at all – 3 points.
S.
I am not losing body weight (in the last month) – 0 points.
I have lost more than 2 kg in weight – 1 pt.
I have lost weight more than 4 kg – 2 points.
I lost weight more than 6 kg – 3 points.
T.
I don’t worry about my health more than always – 0 points.
I worry about my ailments, I have an upset stomach, constipation, pains – 1 pt.
The state of my health worries me a lot, I often think about it – 2 points.
I worry so much about my health that I can’t think about anything else – 3 points.
U.
My sexual interests have not changed – 0 points.
I am less interested in sex (sex) – 1 pt.
Sexual issues clearly interest me less – 2 points.
I have lost all interest in sex issues – 3 pts.
Total Points:
Score
Check your test score:
0-11 no depression
12-26 mild depression
27-49 moderate or severe depression
50-63 very severe depression
What’s next
Although the Beck Depression Scale is for self-administration, you may not be able to correctly interpret the result you receive. A diagnosis of depression can only be diagnosed by a specialist. Once you get a score above 12 ,make an appointment – online psychotherapy.
(Reference – Beck AT, Ward CH, Mendelson M, Mock J, Erbaugh J (1961), An inventory for measuring depression, Archives of General Psychiatry, 4: 53-63)