Diagnosing Depression: Physical Assessment

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KNOW YOUR TESTS Diagnosing depression entails a lot of steps and consultation. Before screening you for depression, your general practitioner would first perform medical tests to rule out physical conditions that give out symptoms similar to the symptoms of depression. Here are some of the tests you would undergo: Physical Examination. This exam would give the doctor a look into your overall state of health. Here you would also be asked questions regarding your health, which may be relevant to depression. Lab Tests. Various test will be performed to rule out medical conditions that may be exhibiting symptoms similar to those of depression. These include blood tests, CT scans, MRI, ECG and EEG Psychological Evaluation. Your doctor or a medical…show more content…
Mental health practitioners and doctors use the following tests to screen and diagnose depression: Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD). This is an instrument used to diagnose mental disorders based on DSM-IV criteria. It is composed of modules on 12 mental health disorders. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). This is a self-administered test that is derived from the depression module of PRIME-MD and ontains modules for depression (mood), anxiety, somatoform, eating and alcohol modules. PHQ has 16 questions and can be used to screen depression as well as to monitor the severity of an individual’s symptoms. Brief PHQ. This is a shorter version of the PHQ. This questionnaire measures anxiety, depression, stress, and women’s reproductive health. PHQ-2. This is a preliminary depression screening tool. It is composed of the first two questions from PHQ-9. If a person responds with an affirmative to these first two questions, the remaining seven questions must be answered,…show more content…
This is used as a screening tool for depression, anxiety and somatic symptoms. GAD-7. This 7-item questionnaire screens for generalized anxiety disorder and measures the severity of symptoms. Geriatric Depression Scale. This is a questionnaire aimed at screening older adults for depression. CESD-R. This is a test that screens depressive disorders based on symptoms defined by the criteria set by the American Psychiatric Association. Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia. This two-part interview (the first being an interview with the person with dementia, and the second with an informant) aims to assess depressive symptoms in people who suffer from dementia. Children’s Depression Inventory 2 (CDI 2). This is a revised version of the CDI, a tool for assessing children’s and adolescents’ depressive symptoms. Goldberg’s Depression Test. Somewhat similar to the PHQ, this test is a scale that assesses depressive symptoms. Important Note: These and other tests and scales that screen depression and related conditions do not give out a final diagnosis. Diagnosis is only given by a clinician or mental health practitioner trained to assess, evaluate and diagnose depression. GAME: WHAT’S YOUR PHQ-9
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