Depression is widely spoken about. Its presence is also suspected quite often. Of course, not every bad mood is a disease - depression. Accurate diagnosis and treatment can only be carried out by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. However, there are very specific signs that suggest with a high degree of probability that a person has depression. At the same time, there are no instrumental diagnostic methods: you cannot donate blood, do an EEG or some other test, there will not be the necessary results. Diagnosis of depression consists of 3 factors: Survey, collection of information about life, examination (conducted by a doctor, often a psychiatrist or psychotherapist) Identification of complaints (conducted by a doctor, psychotherapist or internist; can be analyzed independently) Diagnostic questionnaires, tests (can be done independently, carried out by doctors - internists, less often psychiatrists). *An internist is a general practitioner, for example, a neurologist, therapist, cardiologist, etc. Questionnaires and tests help them assume the presence of a depressive or anxiety disorder. Only a psychotherapist (psychiatrist) can collect and correctly evaluate information about life and the development of the condition (the so-called anamnesis). You can do the last two points yourself, i.e. 1) check yourself for the main symptoms and 2) fill out tests for depression. It is important to remember that a diagnosis is not made and treatment is not prescribed only on the basis of test results! There must be a combination of factors. Symptoms of depression are divided into main (the so-called triad) and additional. And they must be present continuously for 2 weeks or more. Main symptoms (must be at least 2 at once): Depressed mood for most of the day, regardless of the situation; Decreased interest and ability to experience pleasure in previously enjoyable activities; Decreased activity; decreased energy, increased fatigue. In severe cases, there may be: early awakenings (more than 2 hours before the usual rise), circadian rhythm (the condition is worse in the morning), noticeable psychomotor retardation or, on the contrary, agitation, weight loss, decreased libido. Additional symptoms ( there must be at least 2 at once): Decreased concentration Decreased self-esteem, feelings of self-doubt Ideas of guilt and self-deprecation Gloomy, pessimistic vision of the future Frequent thoughts of death, suicide, self-harm Sleep disturbances Appetite disturbances. There may be other somatic manifestations as additional symptoms. Based on the number and severity of these symptoms, the severity of the depressive episode is determined (mild, moderate, severe). Treatment tactics depend on this. Various questionnaires also help in diagnosis. You can self-test by completing the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Easily found on the Internet, it contains 14 questions, some of which are about anxiety, some about depression. Quick to fill out, it gives presumptive results about the presence of anxiety and/or depression and their severity. A convenient screening test (I used it myself in my dissertation), but it is worth remembering that based on its results we are only guessing. A definitive diagnosis is not made. Beck Questionnaire. It is longer (21 questions) and is aimed at identifying only depression. The Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). This questionnaire contains 17 items and also allows you to assess the severity of depression.MMIL,SMIL,(MMPI). This technique may not be suitable for everyone; the long version of the test and its shorter version are quite cumbersome and require professional decoding. Nevertheless, you can evaluate the depression scale there (it is also important to pay attention to the lie scale to check the reliability of the test). Summary: you can independently assume that you or your loved ones have depression by identifying the symptoms and passing 1 or several tests. A few words about self-treatment of depression. When there are many symptoms and they are pronounced, then it is better not to experiment, but to consult a doctor. If this.