In March 2017, research at UT Southwestern Medical Center revealed blood tests as a step in treatment of depression. “For the first time,” reported Science Daily, “doctors can determine which medication is more likely to help a patient overcome depression, according to research that pushes the medical field beyond what has essentially been a guessing game of prescribing antidepressants.”

The research demonstrated that a simple finger-prick blood test measuring C-reactive protein (DRP) can lead doctors to the medication “more likely to work” than others. “Utilizing this test in clinical visits could lead to a significant boost in the success rate of depressed patients who commonly struggle to find effective treatments,” according to the report.

Yet when we think of the term “depression test,” we think first of questionnaire-type exercises that help physicians get a handle on whether we’re depressed—and how severe the depression may be. As such, several depression test options are available, some designed to be filled out privately, others that are meant to be filled out by a health care professional working with you.

Some tests can help indicate whether or not you’re likely to suffer from depression, while others can help determine how severe your depression is—or whether you might suffer from a specific type of depression, such as bipolar disorder or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Which depression test might work for you?

At-Home Depression Test

Have you asked yourself, “Am I depressed?” If so, try this simple self-test (click on link):

Free Depression Test

If you check off at least five items on this list and you’ve been experiencing these symptoms for at least two weeks, that’s a sign of depression.

Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale

Another way to figure out whether your feelings are normal, a matter of being “down in the dumps,” or a sign that something more serious might be going on is to take the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale test. Click here to access the test:

Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale

The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale is designed to help identify not only the presence of depression but also how severe that depression may be. If you score over 50 in this test, you should see a health care professional. Consider taking your results with you to your appointment to show your doctor.

(Keep in mind that this or any rating scale cannot diagnose depression, which is why it’s so important to have a full clinical evaluation. That said, rating scales can be helpful for assessing how severe your depression is at any given point, and then evaluating how well you’re responding to your treatment, whether it involves medications, psychology, meditation, exercise, or watchful waiting.)

Depression Test Options

When you visit your healthcare professional for suspected depression, he or she might order several additional tests. As mentioned above, a blood test may be in order—one that can reveal whether you’re suffering from a condition other than depression that might actually be contributing to your depression. For example, the following blood tests can detect medical conditions that can cause depression symptoms:

• Levels of hormones, such as thyroid hormone
• Infection, such as Lyme disease or HIV
• Levels of medications or illicit drugs
• Blood sugar (glucose) levels
• Liver and kidney function tests
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Levels of vitamins and minerals such as B12, folate, calcium, and vitamin D
• Test for inflammatory problems such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)

Less commonly, people with symptoms of depression may be given brain scans, cardiovascular testing, neuropsychological testing, or a sleep study to rule out diseases that may mimic or contribute to depression.

For further reading:

• Am I Depressed?
• How to Fight Depression
• How to Overcome Depression
• 8 Natural Dopamine Boosters to Overcome Depression

Originally posted in May 2016 and updated.

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What Is Atypical Depression? Laying Out Symptoms

A good atypical depression test may be to determine if you have some or all of the following depression symptoms:

1. A tendency to gain weight and crave carbohydrates (such as cereal, bread, pasta, and sweets)
2. A tendency to oversleep, often getting 10 hours a night or more.
3. The experience of heavy sensations in their limbs (“leaden paralysis”).
4. The tendency to become less depressed, though only transiently, when exposed to pleasurable events (mood reactivity).
5. The tendency to have enhanced reactions to criticism or rejection (rejection sensitivity).

Some experts also call this type of depression “depression with atypical features.” Either way, the name is a little bit misleading, since it is actually a fairly common manifestation of depression and is not really “atypical.” Signs and symptoms of atypical depression can also occur in combination with other types of depression.

How to Treat Atypical Depression

As with other forms of depression, living with atypical depression is possible. Atypical depression treatment can be done with psychotherapy and medication. Some experts believe that atypical depression is actually a subgroup of depression that occurs in response to negative life events, which is known as reactive depression.

If this is the case, atypical depression may be particularly amendable to treatments that involve learning practical approaches to improving one’s life situation, such as one’s relationships or job satisfaction, or to treatments aimed at helping one accept one’s life the way it is and concentrate more on positive feelings and experiences than negative ones. Fortunately, many forms of psychotherapy teach these exact skills. If you believe you or a loved one are experiencing symptoms, it is important to seek help with depression.

For further reading on depression solutions, see these University Health News posts:

• “8 Tips on How to Cure Depression“
• “What to Do When Depressed: How to Help Yourself“
• “St. John’s Wort and Other Alternative Depression Medications: Do They Work?“

Originally published in May 2016 and updated.

The post What Is Atypical Depression? 5 Common Symptoms appeared first on University Health News.