Many people who are suffering from depression may not even be aware of it. The chances are that if you have been feeling sad or unhappy for more than just a couple of weeks and have lost interest in most of the activities you used to enjoy to the extent that your daily routines are now being affected, then you could be suffering from some form of depression.

There are many symptoms associated with depression and not everyone will experience the same ones nor with the same degree of intensity. Consequently, diagnosing and treating depression can be problematic as it is important to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms such as an underlying medical condition, substance abuse, or normal responses to say, bereavement, that of course will result in feelings of sadness and despondency but which are not considered true depression.

One way of finding out if you could be suffering from depression is to take a depression test. Depression tests are often used by health professionals in the first instance to assess whether depression is indicated, and if so, how severe the depression might be.

There are many tests available but one of the most popular is the Goldberg test.

The Goldberg Test

This test was designed by Dr Ivan Goldberg and consists of 18 questions, each of which are answered by the individual using a sliding scale of responses based on how they have felt during the previous week. Once all the questions are answered, the scores (in brackets) are added up to give a final score and an indication of whether depression is likely. This test can also be useful to check periodically to see if the symptoms of depression are improving or getting worse as any change of 5 points or more in either direction is considered to be significant.

Sliding scale of responses Not at all (0) A little (1) Somewhat (2) Moderately (3) Quite a lot (4) Very much (5)

Questions 1 I do things slowly 2 My future appears hopeless 3 It is hard for me to concentrate on reading 4 The pleasure and fun has gone out of my life 5 I find it hard to make decisions 6 I have lost interest in things that used to be important to me 7 I feel unhappy, depressed and sad 8 I feel agitated and unable to relax 9 I feel tired 10 It takes a lot of effort for me to do simple things 11 I feel guilty and I deserve to be punished 12 I feel like a failure 13 I feel numb and lifeless, more dead than alive 14 My sleep is disturbed; I'm sleeping too much or too little 15 I spend time thinking HOW I can commit suicide 16 I feel trapped or confined 17 I feel depressed even when good things happen to me 18 I have lost weight or put it on without being on a diet

Scoring If your score was less than 9 then depression is not indicated. Between 10 and 17 – possibly some minor depression Between 18 and 21 – maybe on the verge of depression Between 22 and 35 – minor to moderate depression indicated Between 36 and 53 – moderate to severe depression possible Over 54 – possibly suffering from severe depression

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