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Mental Health Corner

Understanding Depression

How depression is diagnosed

Diagnosis begins with a clinical interview about mood, loss of interest, sleep, energy, concentration, appetite, guilt, thoughts of death, functioning, and the timeline of symptoms. Major depressive episodes generally involve at least five qualifying symptoms over the same two-week period, including depressed mood or loss of interest, with meaningful distress or impairment. Clinicians also assess safety, medications, substance use, medical contributors, and any past mania or hypomania.

The PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 can help screen for symptoms and monitor progress, but a questionnaire alone does not establish a diagnosis. AAFP: Depression Screening and Diagnosis →

Sadness, grief, and depression

Sadness is a normal human emotion that may come and go in response to life events. Grief is a response to loss and often arrives in waves, with memories and moments of connection alongside pain. Major depression more often brings persistent depressed mood or diminished interest, broad changes in thinking and physical functioning, and significant impairment. Grief and depression can coexist; grief does not rule out major depression. The assessment considers context, duration, pervasiveness, and safety rather than assuming any response to loss is pathological.

Common Medications for Depression

Review an educational table of frequently used medication classes, examples, and clinical considerations.

Explore the Medication Table →

PHQ-9: optional self-screen

This validated questionnaire asks about symptoms over the last 2 weeks. It can help start a discussion; the result is not a diagnosis. Responses remain in your browser—this page does not send them to EvolveMD.

Important: Personal-use screening only. These questionnaires are for your personal use and are not a medical diagnosis. Print or save your results and bring them to your physician for interpretation. This website does not record, store, transmit, or send your answers to EvolveMD or anyone else for review.

PHQ-9 questionnaire

Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?

1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things
2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much
4. Feeling tired or having little energy
5. Poor appetite or overeating
6. Feeling bad about yourself—or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down
7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television
8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite—being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual
9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way
Answer every question to see your score. Print after scoring to share with your clinician.

If you endorse thoughts of death or self-harm, contact a healthcare professional promptly regardless of your total score. If you may act on those thoughts or are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to an emergency department; in the U.S., call or text 988 for crisis support.

Find a therapist who fits your needs

Use Psychology Today to search for therapists in your area. Filter by location, insurance provider, specialties, and treatment approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Confirm insurance participation and coverage directly before scheduling.

Find a therapist on Psychology Today →