The following questions, developed by the National Institutes of Mental Health, can help you determine whether you or someone you work with suffers from serious depression.
(Answer yes or no)
- I (you) feel downhearted, blue and sad.
- I (you) don’t enjoy doing the things that I (you) used to do.
- I (you) feel that I’m (you’re) not useful or needed.
- I am (you are) losing weight.
- I (you) have trouble sleeping through the night.
- I am (you are) restless and can’t keep still.
- I am (you are) frequently tired for no reason.
- I am (you are) not thinking as clearly as I (you) should.
- I (you) feel hopeless about the future.
- I (you) have felt so low that I’ve (you’ve) thought about suicide.
You or someone you work with may be suffering from depression if you or they answered yes to at least 5 questions and the symptoms noted in questions 1 or 2 have persisted beyond two weeks. If you answered yes to question 10, you should seek professional help immediately.
SOURCE: Personal Best, May 1994, Vol. XII, No.5
Personnel Journal, April 1995, Vol. 74, No. 4, p. 123.