Who tests themselves? | Self-test “Depression”

Who tests themselves?

Such a test is usually done by people who think of themselves as suffering from or about to suffer from depression. These can be people from all social classes and from all countries and of both sexes. There is no guideline as to who is allowed to take such a test.

Nevertheless, it is often said that more women suffer from depression, which is why more women might take such a test. Nevertheless, the number of men with depression is very high compared to the known cases, and since these tests are anonymous, it is not possible to find out exactly who is taking such a test more often. Theoretically you can also do this test if you think that a relative is suffering from depression. However, the sense of this is questionable, as you certainly cannot give the answers as precisely as if you were taking the test yourself and it concerned you. This is why these tests are more likely to allow people to see for themselves whether they are suffering from depression.

Is there a blood test for depression?

If depression is suspected, a blood sample is always part of a complete diagnosis, because various physical illnesses such as hypothyroidism can lead to depressive moods, which can usually be easily treated. However, a blood test to determine markers that predict depression is not (yet) part of the diagnosis. However, researchers are working on using various markers in the blood to determine whether depression is present and even to predict the chances of success of psychotherapy. So far, the results are promising, but not yet applicable in clinical practice.