This week: In the light of celebrating ‘World Mental Health Day’ today, we found some useful resources that can help you do a self evaluation concerning your mental health and understanding certain mood or feelings you may have been experiencing.
Here are several self-assessment tools that you can use as a guide only and importantly not for your diagnosis, diagnosis is the job of a special doctor. Your results from these tools should not be used in place of a doctor’s evaluation.
Let’s get started.
Depression
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
This is a 9-question tool that can help you begin to explore whether the feelings, thoughts or behaviours you may be experiencing could be depression. It can also help you monitor the severity of your depression and your response to treatment. If you believe you may been suffering from symptoms of depression, talk to your doctor fast.
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) Sample
or do the test Online
Anxiety
Genderalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7)
This is a 7-question tool that can help you begin to explore whether the feelings, thoughts or behaviours you may be experiencing could be anxiety. It can also help you monitor the severity of your anxiety and your response to treatment. If you believe you may be suffering from symptoms of anxiety, talk to your doctor.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale Sample
Sleep
Insomnia Severity Index
This is a 7-question tool that assesses your current sleeping habits and problems you may have related to your sleep. It can help you begin to explore the role that sleep and possible sleep problems play in your daily life. If you are having trouble sleeping or if you believe you may be suffering symptoms of depression, talk to your doctor. Together, you can determine the right treatment plan for you.
Insomnia Severity Index Sample
Sleep Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ)
This is a 6-question tool that can help you keep track of the amount of sleep you get each day, as well as your sleepiness throughout the day. If you are having trouble sleeping or if you believe you may be suffering symptoms of depression, talk to your doctor. Together, you can determine the right treatment plan for you.
Sleep Assessment Questionnaire
Sleep Assessment Questionnaire Sample
Substance Use
CAGE: A tool for evaluating the signs of substance abuse
This is a 4-question tool that can help you determine whether you may be displaying the signs of substance abuse or dependency. If you think you might have a problem with drugs or alcohol, talk to your doctor. Together, you can determine the right treatment plan for you.
Try to understand your patterns and your stress-triggers, looking at your result after assessment, talk to a doctor to help you de-stress and find a balance or avoid your stress-triggers. If you have a friend or a family member who can benefit from these assessments, share a link to them and you may just be helping their situation.
Source: UN Mental Health & Depression Centre.
