🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 58 (from laksa048)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa058.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/depression-test","crawl_time":1775195969,"first_indexed_time":1715225578,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,healthcentral!www,\/quiz\/depression-test s443","src_root_hash":"12870066951298225258","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"When I Feel Hopeless, I Remember This","meta_descriptions":["Take the following Patient Health Questionnaire from Dr. Ivan Goldberg to know immediately if you may be suffering from depression"],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Depression\nTips\nTools\nTreatment\nMedically Reviewed\n3 Minute Depression Test\nThis depression quiz is based on the Depression Screening Test developed by Ivan K. Goldberg, MD, a renowned psychiatrist.\nJump To\nWho This Is For\nTest Accuracy\nMore About Depression\nTake the Quiz\nFAQs\nBelow is a list of 10 questions designed to help you determine if you might be experiencing depression. The questions relate to life experiences common among people who have depression. Please read each question carefully, and indicate how often you have experienced the same or similar challenges\nin the past few weeks.\nThis quiz is\nNOT\na diagnostic tool. Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed by a licensed mental health provider or doctor.\nAssessments can be a valuable first step toward getting treatment. All too often people stop short of seeking help out of fear their concerns aren't legitimate or severe enough to warrant professional intervention.\nDepression can make you feel alone but you have lots of company. Major depressive disorder (\nMDD\n), the clinical term for\ndepression\n, is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting an estimated 350 million people in all age groups. You should know that depression isn’t the same as being sad. It’s normal to feel blue or unmotivated from time to time, but depression is more constant. And, it has a real, biological basis.\nYour privacy is important to us. All results are completely anonymous.\nIn the past few weeks, how often have you experienced:\nThe above quiz is based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). If you think you may be suffering from depression and\/or you (or a loved one)\nare experiencing a mental health crisis, we strongly suggest that you reach out to to a qualified mental health professional. To aid in your search please consider our directory of emergency mental health resources.\nDepression (also called major depressive disorder) presents with\nsymptoms\nthat range from mild to severe. Feelings of sadness, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, feeling worthless or guilty, loss of energy or increased fatigue, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed are common. Children and adolescents who are depressed may come across as irritable rather than sad.\nA health care professional looks for symptoms that are interfering with the person’s\nrelationships\nand with their work and that represent a change in the person’s previous level of functioning.\n1\nTo receive a diagnosis of depression, the person must have five depression symptoms every day, and nearly all day, for at least two weeks.\n2\nPrimary care providers often diagnose depression. They may refer an individual to a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist for treatment. Typically, says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, the provider uses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to make a diagnosis.\n3\n“They go through the criteria in the DSM to see how many criteria the person meets,” Hollon says.\nAround 17.3 million US adults have had at least one major depressive episode.\n2\nSome 20% of women and between 10 and 12% of men will experience depression at least once in their life, says says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University.\n“Depression is relatively rare during childhood and comparably distributed across the genders,” Hollon adds. “The rates just explode during adolescence and that is when gender disparities first emerge.” And, he adds, “Half of all the folks who are going to be diagnosed with major depression at some point will have at least one episode during adolescence.”\nIt can take weeks after depression begins before it is diagnosed. This is partly because people may be resistant to ask for help, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York.\nWhen a primary care doctor is looking into whether a person is depressed, they may initially think the symptoms could be caused by a physical illness, Nydegger explains. “Often, a primary care doctor may be looking at the person’s\nmedications\nor whether something is going on physiologically,” he says. “They are trying to rule out medical causes as the reason for the symptoms, which is appropriate, but then it can take longer to get a diagnosis.”\n“Self-diagnosis is not helpful,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Instead of going online and researching the University of Google, ask your doctor.”\nAdult women have a higher rate of depression at any given point in time (8.7%) as compared to adult men (5.3%). The age group that has the most adults who have had a major depressive episode in the past year is the 18 to 25 age group.\n4\nChildren and teenagers get depressed, too, but it can be tricky to diagnose, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, of Union College and Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “We know that between 2% and 6% of children experience depression,” he says. “About 14% of teenagers age 12 to 17 will experience one episode of major depression. And about 9% of teenagers report a major depressive episode in a given year.”\nGenetic factors do play a role in depression, but so do biological, environmental, and psychological factors.\n2\nUnipolar depression (depression only) is less likely to be inherited than\nbipolar disorder\n(which is marked by one or more manic or hypomanic episodes in addition to depression), says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University.\nWhile depression does tend to run in families, just because a family member has depression does not mean you are going to get it, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “It is not a simple gene thing,” he says. “And the important thing is not so much why a person has depression but what are we going to do to help them.”\n“The number one cause of depression is the tough stuff, the major life events that go wrong,” says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. Depression can occur when people experience adverse life events such as the death of someone close, the loss of a job, or some type of psychological trauma. It can even stem from a longing for \"\nthe way things were\n.\"\nDepression can lead to more stress and dysfunction, which can worsen the depression itself.\nThere also is a connection between depression and physical health. For instance, cardiovascular disease can lead to depression (and vice versa).\n4,5\nThankfully, there are effective treatments for depression. “We know that depression is a very treatable condition and that over 80% of people who receive appropriate treatment for their depression will improve significantly,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Unfortunately, the large majority of people with depression never get appropriate treatment.”\nAmerican Psychiatric Association.\nWhat is depression?\nPage Last Reviewed October 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021.\nNational Institute of Mental Health.\nDepression: What is depression?\nPage Last Revised in 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021.\nAmerican Psychiatric Association.\nDSM 5 – Frequently Asked Questions\n. Accessed July 9, 2021.\nNational Institute of Mental Health.\nMajor depression\n. Revised 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021.\nWorld Health Organization.\nDepression\n. Page Last Updated January 30, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021.\nShare via psycom_page_nid4318_page-facebook\nShare via psycom_page_nid4318_page-pinterest\nShare via psycom_page_nid4318_page-twitter\nShare via psycom_page_nid4318_page-mail\nOur Review Process","attrs_markdown":"[HealthCentral Home](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/)\n\n- Communities\n  Back to main menu \\| Communities\n  \n  - [Alopecia](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/alopecia)\n  - [Alzheimer’s Disease](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/alzheimers-disease)\n  - [Asthma](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/asthma)\n  - [Atrial Fibrillation](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/atrial-fibrillation)\n  - [ATTR-CM](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/transthyretin-cardiac-amyloidosis)\n  - [Axial Spondyloarthritis](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/axial-spondyloarthritis)\n  - [Bipolar Disorder](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/bipolar-disorder)\n  - [Breast Cancer](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/breast-cancer)\n  - 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[Collective Conversations About EBC](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/breast-cancer\/collective-conversations-about-early-stage-breast-cancer)\n  - [View All](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/videos)\n  \n  Featured Collections\n  \n  - [ATTR-CM: Every Minute Counts](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/collection\/attr-cm-every-minute-counts)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/news)\n- [Search](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/search)\n\n**0**\n\nLogin\n\n- [Depression](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/depression)\n  - [Tips](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/depression\/tips)\n  - [Tools](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/depression\/tools)\n  - [Treatment](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/depression\/treatment)\n\nMedically Reviewed\n\n# 3 Minute Depression Test\nThis depression quiz is based on the Depression Screening Test developed by Ivan K. Goldberg, MD, a renowned psychiatrist.\n\nUpdated Mar 28, 2025\n\nMedical Reviewer[Kartic Rajput, M.D., Ph.D.](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/author\/kartic-rajput)\n\n###### Jump To\n- [Who This Is For](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/depression-test#who-this-is-for)\n- [Test Accuracy](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/depression-test#test-accuracy)\n- [More About Depression](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/depression-test#more-about-depression)\n- [Take the Quiz](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/depression-test#take-the-quiz)\n- [FAQs](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/depression-test#faqs)\n\nWho This Is For\n\n## Who Is This Depression Quiz For?\n\nBelow is a list of 10 questions designed to help you determine if you might be experiencing depression. The questions relate to life experiences common among people who have depression. Please read each question carefully, and indicate how often you have experienced the same or similar challenges **in the past few weeks.**\n\nTest Accuracy\n\n## How Accurate Is It?\n\nThis quiz is *NOT* a diagnostic tool. Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed by a licensed mental health provider or doctor.\n\nAssessments can be a valuable first step toward getting treatment. All too often people stop short of seeking help out of fear their concerns aren't legitimate or severe enough to warrant professional intervention.\n\nMore About Depression\n\n## Learn More About Depression\n\nDepression can make you feel alone but you have lots of company. Major depressive disorder ([MDD](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/major-depressive-disorder)), the clinical term for [depression](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/depression), is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting an estimated 350 million people in all age groups. You should know that depression isn’t the same as being sad. It’s normal to feel blue or unmotivated from time to time, but depression is more constant. And, it has a real, biological basis.\n\nTake the Quiz\n\n## Depression Quiz\n\n*Your privacy is important to us. All results are completely anonymous.*\n\nIn the past few weeks, how often have you experienced:\n\n*The above quiz is based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). If you think you may be suffering from depression and\/or you (or a loved one)* *are experiencing a mental health crisis, we strongly suggest that you reach out to to a qualified mental health professional. To aid in your search please consider our directory of emergency mental health resources.*\n\n#### Sign up for our monthly Mental Health Newsletter.\nYour [privacy](https:\/\/www.healthcentralcorp.com\/privacy-policy%20) is important to us.\n\n![Woman relaxing while wearing headphones](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/4GbS9vlX123DJp2jCnvYJI\/e52a0f4caef01f96278467b5ce343219\/GettyImages-1626862419-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=180&h=120)\n\nFAQs\n\n## Depression FAQs\n\nFrequently Asked Questions\n\nHow is depression diagnosed?\n\nDepression (also called major depressive disorder) presents with [symptoms](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/depression\/surprising-symptoms-of-depression) that range from mild to severe. Feelings of sadness, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, feeling worthless or guilty, loss of energy or increased fatigue, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed are common. Children and adolescents who are depressed may come across as irritable rather than sad.\n\nA health care professional looks for symptoms that are interfering with the person’s [relationships](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/depression\/how-to-help-your-partner-with-depression) and with their work and that represent a change in the person’s previous level of functioning.1 To receive a diagnosis of depression, the person must have five depression symptoms every day, and nearly all day, for at least two weeks.2\n\nWho can diagnose depression?\n\nPrimary care providers often diagnose depression. They may refer an individual to a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist for treatment. Typically, says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, the provider uses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to make a diagnosis.3 “They go through the criteria in the DSM to see how many criteria the person meets,” Hollon says.\n\nHow many people are diagnosed with depression?\n\nAround 17.3 million US adults have had at least one major depressive episode.2 Some 20% of women and between 10 and 12% of men will experience depression at least once in their life, says says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University.\n\n“Depression is relatively rare during childhood and comparably distributed across the genders,” Hollon adds. “The rates just explode during adolescence and that is when gender disparities first emerge.” And, he adds, “Half of all the folks who are going to be diagnosed with major depression at some point will have at least one episode during adolescence.”\n\nHow long does it take to diagnose depression?\n\nIt can take weeks after depression begins before it is diagnosed. This is partly because people may be resistant to ask for help, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York.\n\nWhen a primary care doctor is looking into whether a person is depressed, they may initially think the symptoms could be caused by a physical illness, Nydegger explains. “Often, a primary care doctor may be looking at the person’s [medications](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/womens-health\/can-birth-control-pills-cause-depression) or whether something is going on physiologically,” he says. “They are trying to rule out medical causes as the reason for the symptoms, which is appropriate, but then it can take longer to get a diagnosis.”\n\nIs it possible to try to diagnose yourself with depression?\n\n“Self-diagnosis is not helpful,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Instead of going online and researching the University of Google, ask your doctor.”\n\nWho has the highest rate of depression?\n\nAdult women have a higher rate of depression at any given point in time (8.7%) as compared to adult men (5.3%). The age group that has the most adults who have had a major depressive episode in the past year is the 18 to 25 age group.4\n\nChildren and teenagers get depressed, too, but it can be tricky to diagnose, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, of Union College and Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “We know that between 2% and 6% of children experience depression,” he says. “About 14% of teenagers age 12 to 17 will experience one episode of major depression. And about 9% of teenagers report a major depressive episode in a given year.”\n\nCan you inherit depression?\n\nGenetic factors do play a role in depression, but so do biological, environmental, and psychological factors.2 Unipolar depression (depression only) is less likely to be inherited than [bipolar disorder](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/bipolar-disorder) (which is marked by one or more manic or hypomanic episodes in addition to depression), says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University.\n\nWhile depression does tend to run in families, just because a family member has depression does not mean you are going to get it, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “It is not a simple gene thing,” he says. “And the important thing is not so much why a person has depression but what are we going to do to help them.”\n\nWhat is the \\#1 cause of depression?\n\n“The number one cause of depression is the tough stuff, the major life events that go wrong,” says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. Depression can occur when people experience adverse life events such as the death of someone close, the loss of a job, or some type of psychological trauma. It can even stem from a longing for \"[the way things were](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/depression\/nostalgic-depression).\"\n\nDepression can lead to more stress and dysfunction, which can worsen the depression itself.\n\nThere also is a connection between depression and physical health. For instance, cardiovascular disease can lead to depression (and vice versa).4,5\n\nThankfully, there are effective treatments for depression. “We know that depression is a very treatable condition and that over 80% of people who receive appropriate treatment for their depression will improve significantly,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Unfortunately, the large majority of people with depression never get appropriate treatment.”\n\nThis article was originally published July 8, 2021 and most recently updated March 28, 2025.\n\n© 2026 HealthCentral LLC. All rights reserved.\n\nSources\n\n1. American Psychiatric Association. [What is depression?](https:\/\/www.psychiatry.org\/patients-families\/depression\/what-is-depression) Page Last Reviewed October 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021.\n2. National Institute of Mental Health. [Depression: What is depression?](https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/publications\/depression\/index.shtml#pub3) Page Last Revised in 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021.\n3. American Psychiatric Association. [DSM 5 – Frequently Asked Questions](https:\/\/www.psychiatry.org\/psychiatrists\/practice\/dsm\/frequently-asked-questions). Accessed July 9, 2021.\n4. National Institute of Mental Health. [Major depression](https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/statistics\/major-depression). Revised 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021.\n5. World Health Organization. [Depression](https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/depression). Page Last Updated January 30, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021.\n\nCopy Link\n\nShare\n\n- [Share via psycom\\_page\\_nid4318\\_page-facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fquiz%2Fdepression-test%3Fap%3Dsocs&quote=Take%20Our%20Depression%20Quiz%20)\n- [Share via psycom\\_page\\_nid4318\\_page-pinterest](https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?description=undefined&media=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fquiz%2Fdepression-test%3Fap%3Dsocs)\n- [Share via psycom\\_page\\_nid4318\\_page-twitter](https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fquiz%2Fdepression-test%3Fap%3Dsocs&via=HealthCentral&text=Take%20Our%20Depression%20Quiz%20&hashtags=HealthCentral&related=healthcentral,health_tips,thebodydotcom,wellsphere)\n- [Share via psycom\\_page\\_nid4318\\_page-mail](mailto:?body=I%20saw%20this%20on%20HealthCentral%2C%20and%20thought%20you%20might%20want%20to%20see%20it%2C%20too%3A%0A%0ATake%20Our%20Depression%20Quiz%20%20%20%0A%20%20%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fquiz%2Fdepression-test%3Fap%3Dsocs%0A%20%20%0AAt%20HealthCentral%2C%20chronic%20meets%20community.%20We%E2%80%99re%20here%20to%20help%20you%20live%20your%20best%20life.%20Visit%20us%20and%20sign%20up%20for%20our%20free%20newsletter%20at%20HealthCentral.com.)\n\nPrint\n\n[Our Review Process](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/medical-review-board)\n\n[Kartic Rajput, M.D., Ph.D., Pain Management Specialist:](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/author\/kartic-rajput)\n\nKartic Rajput, M.D., Ph.D., has extensive experience in the area of neuropsychiatry and pain. He is double board-certified in psychiatry and pain medicine from the American Board of Medical Specialties and attended Medical School at Delhi University in India.\n\n[![](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/3VOhHYo5uK0eimjAEkGZBc\/98e147a76c3b1e4da888762902d89434\/avatars.png?fm=png&q=65&h=48&w=264)Visit Our Depression Community](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/depression)\n\n![](data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)\n\n#### More Like This\n[Mental Health Am I Being Bullied? (Quiz) Medically Reviewed![am\\_i\\_being\\_bullied](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/psycom_page_fid8510_asset_8496\/d01d19a72b57e3f4971ba087ca23ec61\/am_i_being_bullied?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/bullying-test)\n\n[Anxiety Reminder: You Are Not Your Diagnosis![talking to doctor](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/5YZNR1YW3p6d80YuGPqhrT\/c61482cc34bcc5cfcb3b78230a5f9ba0\/iStock-1185378963.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/article\/you-are-not-your-anxiety-diagnosis)\n\n[Depression Gracie Gold Gets Real About Depression![Gracie Gold](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/5CTeMCMTlSxL7ehP0aKTbi\/36602c29b5592bcf8ca2288b4b87c14d\/GettyImages-1201563807.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/article\/skater-gracie-gold-talks-about-depression)\n\n[Depression How Not to Take Things Personally When You Have Depression Medically Reviewed![Hypersensitivity and Depression ](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/bp_140204_promo\/9803b26c83e84616ac4fa1723fac8dc9\/140204_hypersensitivity.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/article\/hypersensitivity-and-how-not-to-take-things-personally)\n\n# When I Feel Hopeless, I Remember This\nLosing hope almost got the best of me. I'm the child of Holocaust survivors who grew up to be a therapist. Here's how I make peace with all the evil in the world.\n\nUpdated Mar 28, 2025\n\nBy\n\n[Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/author\/sherry-amatenstein)\n\nJoin the Discussion2\n\n![Cropped image of a person walking on a wet sandy beach leaving footprints in the sand during sunset.](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/4yh8vkKKiQeEyodJyK9GQP\/8c95da80f1f7d3fb1bf30c1bc3a85771\/girl-walking-on-wet-sandy-beach-leaving-footprints-GettyImages-501799684-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=492&h=328)\n\n[GettyImages\/friendwithlove](https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/girl-walking-on-wet-sandy-beach-leaving-footprints-royalty-free-image\/501799684)\n\nAs a child of Holocaust survivors, I grew up with a visceral awareness that humans are capable of unimaginable evil, alongside an equally visceral desire to help people heal from trauma.\n\nThese two intense needs first came into conflict in 2007 when I left magazine editing to become a psychotherapist. Did I only yearn to heal the trauma of ‘good' people? Were all people who committed evil acts irredeemable, or were there gradations of evildoing– some forgivable? Could I be a healer if I believed some people unworthy of help?\n\nI chose to align with Anne Franks’ words: “*In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart…I can feel the suffering of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right.*”\n\n## Hurt People Hurt\nThroughout my career I’ve reaped immeasurable fulfillment from helping people dig through emotional debris blocking their ability to navigate life in a healthier, more fulfilling way. There are several patients I’ve wanted to hang with over a bottle of prosecco, or be a surrogate mother to–but therapeutic boundaries rightly kept us in our assigned roles.\n\nI’ve treated patients whose values I find–well, wanting. If I can connect to the lost child underneath, the child whose fear and\/or self-loathing sometime leads to self-absorbed, even vindictive actions, I can deal. My mantra to patients: *Hurt people hurt*.\n\nI’ve learned to be a net for other people’s pain–attempting to catch it before too much is absorbed into my system. After a particularly draining session I often utilize [Tonglen](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-x95ltQP8qQ)– the Buddhist meditation practice that focuses on breathing in others’ suffering and sending out joy and compassion not only to them but myself.\n\nBut the 24\/7 news cycle perpetually funneling horrific images of purposeful cruelty tore pinpricks in my faith that most hatred and prejudice is learned.\n\n#### Sign up for our monthly Mental Health Newsletter.\nYour [privacy](https:\/\/www.healthcentralcorp.com\/privacy-policy%20) is important to us.\n\n![Woman relaxing while wearing headphones](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/4GbS9vlX123DJp2jCnvYJI\/e52a0f4caef01f96278467b5ce343219\/GettyImages-1626862419-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=180&h=120)\n\nThose pinpricks devolved into a monsoon of doubts after watching Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein’s 2022 [*The U.S. and the Holocaust*](https:\/\/kenburns.com\/films\/the-u-s-and-the-holocaust\/). This 3-part, 6-hour documentary proved something I’d long suspected. Through interviews with historians, first person survivor testimony, as well as photos, newsreels, radio and newspaper coverage of the period, this masterwork illustrated that while Americans were privy to the scope of what was happening to European Jews, the majority of politicians and citizens agreed the best response was *tightening* our borders. Indeed, the reason Hitler kept expanding the depths of savagery he inflicted was because there was no real pushback, no unbreachable guardrails. No other nation cared…at least not enough.\n\nRegardless of his propensity toward evil Josef Mengele would have been an obscure academic if the opportunity to conduct his ‘research’ at Auschwitz and become ‘The Angel of Death’ hadn’t presented itself.\n\nSigmund Freud, who witnessed World War 1 and fled Austria in 1938 to escape Nazi persecution wrote in [*Civilization and its Discontents*](http:\/\/www.historyguide.org\/europe\/freud_discontents.html)*:* “Men are not gentle creatures who want to be loved…Their neighbor is not only a potential helper or sexual object, but also someone to tempt them to satisfy their aggressiveness onto him…to seize his possessions, to humiliate him, to cause him pain, to torture him...”\n\nThere seemed way, way too much evidence to reaffirm my new personal mantra: *people suck*.\n\n## Is Passivity A Form of Evil?\nIn my 16-year career as a mental health practitioner I have peered into the hearts of too many people’s darkness to imagine an excess of latent ‘Mengeles’ lurking among us. But what is the culpability of those who witness evil and turn their backs or worse?\n\nI remember my father sharing how back in Lodz, Poland after the German invasion a close Catholic friend threw rocks at him, hurling anti-Semitic epithets.\n\nTo write [*The Roots of Evil: The Origins of Genocide and Other Group Violence*](https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Roots-Origins-Genocide-Other-Violence\/dp\/0521422140\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Q9PASV5EKO4E&keywords=the+roots+of+evil+ervin+staub&qid=1676771839&sprefix=ervin+stau%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.18630bbb-fcbb-42f8-9767-857e17e03685) which analyzed “the psychology of perpetrators and bystanders” Holocaust survivor Ervin Staub spent eight years researching not just the Holocaust but genocides and mass murder in Turkey, Cambodia and Argentina.\n\nStaub has explained, “In the course of the evolution of harm doing, to avoid empathetic suffering, passive bystanders…tend to distance themselves from victims, reducing the likelihood of action by them.”\n\nReading this, my mind churned, obsessing that throughout the millennia being manipulated by charismatic leaders into an us-versus-them group-think has led to ‘othering’ a segment of humans who in some way appear ‘different.’ Lesser. Thus do “good” people sink into a swamp?\n\n## Standing At Land’s End\nFor the first time, I contemplated suspending my practice. I told myself I'd be useless to anyone else if I reached the point of looking at an emotionally susceptible patient and thought: ‘*Given the ‘right’ circumstances of escalating fear and staying safe in* [*an insular news bubble*](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/do-you-live-in-a-news-bubble\/)*, could you become a bystander to evil?*’\n\nBefore taking an impetuous leap, I treaded into something that is always balm to my soul: nature.\n\nWalking along the beach at Montauk (a picturesque village at the tip of Long Island), I watched the waves crest into towering crescendos, then lapse into calm before rising again, and I thought about how the only constant is change.\n\nMiss one wave, catch the next.\n\nAt the water’s edge I removed a sneaker and sock, rolled my jeans leg to my shin and dipped my toe into the frigid ocean, gradually adjusting to the cold temperature.\n\n## Accepting The Good *And* The Terrible, All At Once\nStaub wrote: “Human beings have genetic potentials for both altruism and aggression, which evolve through socialization and experience.” He and [other researchers](https:\/\/www.notredame.edu.au\/community\/student-wellbeing-and-support\/active-bystander) encourage striving to become an ‘active bystander’ This means working in a safe and calm way to deescalate a toxic situation.\n\nIf I become passive toward promoting goodness and seeking understanding between the ‘others’, I will be dishonoring my parents’ memory, and the work of brave patients who have learned to ride out their uncomfortable feelings rather than succumb to the undertow.\n\nWhat feels like throwing a pebble in the ocean is better than not making the effort. So long as there is life, I have a chance to effect small, positive change one pebble at a time.\n\nThis article was originally published March 2, 2023 and most recently updated March 28, 2025.\n\n© 2026 HealthCentral LLC. All rights reserved.\n\nJoin the Discussion2\n\nCopy Link\n\nShare\n\n- [Share via 7s2O2TWg4IfLHDe2efBXlC-facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fcondition%2Fdepression%2Flosing-hope%3Fap%3Dsocs&quote=When%20I%20Feel%20Hopeless%2C%20I%20Remember%20This)\n- [Share via 7s2O2TWg4IfLHDe2efBXlC-pinterest](https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?description=undefined&media=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fcondition%2Fdepression%2Flosing-hope%3Fap%3Dsocs)\n- [Share via 7s2O2TWg4IfLHDe2efBXlC-twitter](https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fcondition%2Fdepression%2Flosing-hope%3Fap%3Dsocs&via=HealthCentral&text=When%20I%20Feel%20Hopeless%2C%20I%20Remember%20This&hashtags=HealthCentral&related=healthcentral,health_tips,thebodydotcom,wellsphere)\n- [Share via 7s2O2TWg4IfLHDe2efBXlC-mail](mailto:?body=I%20saw%20this%20on%20HealthCentral%2C%20and%20thought%20you%20might%20want%20to%20see%20it%2C%20too%3A%0A%0AWhen%20I%20Feel%20Hopeless%2C%20I%20Remember%20This%20%20%0A%20%20%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fcondition%2Fdepression%2Flosing-hope%3Fap%3Dsocs%0A%20%20%0AAt%20HealthCentral%2C%20chronic%20meets%20community.%20We%E2%80%99re%20here%20to%20help%20you%20live%20your%20best%20life.%20Visit%20us%20and%20sign%20up%20for%20our%20free%20newsletter%20at%20HealthCentral.com.)\n\nPrint\n\n[Our Review Process](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/medical-review-board)\n\n[Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW, Therapist:](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/author\/sherry-amatenstein)\n\nSherry Amatenstein, LCSW is a New York City-based therapist and author of three books including The Complete Marriage Counselor and Love Lessons from Bad Breakups. She edited the anthology *How Does that Make You Feel? True Confessions from Both Sides of the Therapy Couch* and has written for many publications.\n\n[![](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/3VOhHYo5uK0eimjAEkGZBc\/98e147a76c3b1e4da888762902d89434\/avatars.png?fm=png&q=65&h=48&w=264)Visit Our Depression Community](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/depression)\n\n![](data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)\n\n#### More Like This\n[Depression Can Depression Cause Memory Loss?![Worried man](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/7357jHJEKb47FSzjfcVKLZ\/945f92ef4d5924632cd17e8cab703fda\/large-GettyImages-2222611747-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/depression\/can-depression-cause-memory-loss)\n\n[Depression How to Work Through an MDD Episode With Your Boss Medically Reviewed![Stressed woman working on a laptop](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/3y3Up1QODFsARlIqVqMh9N\/485b9e568b28a600dcaff96cb7b73f23\/p-GettyImages-2233257780-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/slideshow\/how-to-work-through-an-mdd-episode-with-your-employer)\n\n[Depression How to Spot Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms Medically Reviewed Discussion![pensive man resting his chin](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/6hzkQDaV1ZgeSLiYJiubeo\/aa51f53d0c9ecf03ebfbfce8b413abfd\/p-GettyImages-2247115731-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/slideshow\/how-to-spot-signs-of-major-depressive-disorder)\n\n[Depression Preparing for the Holidays When You Have Depression Medically Reviewed For Members![woman studying](https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/yixw23k2v6vo\/4Mh54hC0ZnAMtxzRZLWkXD\/ca4c781ffbdc3c912a6853f13ecaf3c1\/large-GettyImages-1450456373-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/depression\/holidays-with-depression-tips)\n\n#### Emails That Keep You Healthy\\!\n[Newsletters](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/newsletter)\n\n#### Follow Us\\!\n- [Share via footer-instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/chronicillnessIRL)\n- [Share via footer-facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HealthCentral\/#?v=app_369284823108595)\n- [Share via footer-pinterest](https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/HealthCentral)\n- [Share via footer-youtube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/HealthCentral)\n\n##### About\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/about)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/contact)\n- [Editorial Policy](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/editorial-policy)\n- [Medical Review Board](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/medical-review-board)\n- [Something Original](https:\/\/www.healthcentralcorp.com\/#lab)\n- [Advertise With Us](https:\/\/www.healthcentralcorp.com\/content\/advertise-us)\n- [Sitemap](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/sitemap)\n- [Our Other Sites](https:\/\/www.healthcentralcorp.com\/#brands)\n\n##### Legal and Compliance\n- [Advertising Policy](https:\/\/www.healthcentralcorp.com\/advertising-policy)\n- [Do Not Sell My Info](https:\/\/jupiter.healthcentral.com\/preferences\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.healthcentralcorp.com\/privacy-policy)\n- [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.healthcentralcorp.com\/terms-of-use)\n- [Community Guidelines](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community-guidelines)\n- [AACI-Accredited Trusted Medical Website](https:\/\/aacihealthcare.com\/certificates\/c335-2024-trust-us\/)\n\n© 2026 HealthCentral LLC. All rights reserved. Our website content is for educational purposes only. HealthCentral LLC does not provide personal medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. [Read our Disclaimer](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/disclaimer)\n\nAsk HealthCentral","attrs_readable_markdown":"- [Depression](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/depression)\n  - [Tips](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/depression\/tips)\n  - [Tools](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/depression\/tools)\n  - [Treatment](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/community\/depression\/treatment)\n\nMedically Reviewed\n\n## 3 Minute Depression Test\nThis depression quiz is based on the Depression Screening Test developed by Ivan K. Goldberg, MD, a renowned psychiatrist.\n\n###### Jump To\n- [Who This Is For](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/depression-test#who-this-is-for)\n- [Test Accuracy](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/depression-test#test-accuracy)\n- [More About Depression](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/depression-test#more-about-depression)\n- [Take the Quiz](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/depression-test#take-the-quiz)\n- [FAQs](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/quiz\/depression-test#faqs)\n\nBelow is a list of 10 questions designed to help you determine if you might be experiencing depression. The questions relate to life experiences common among people who have depression. Please read each question carefully, and indicate how often you have experienced the same or similar challenges **in the past few weeks.**\n\nThis quiz is *NOT* a diagnostic tool. Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed by a licensed mental health provider or doctor.\n\nAssessments can be a valuable first step toward getting treatment. All too often people stop short of seeking help out of fear their concerns aren't legitimate or severe enough to warrant professional intervention.\n\nDepression can make you feel alone but you have lots of company. Major depressive disorder ([MDD](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/major-depressive-disorder)), the clinical term for [depression](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/depression), is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting an estimated 350 million people in all age groups. You should know that depression isn’t the same as being sad. It’s normal to feel blue or unmotivated from time to time, but depression is more constant. And, it has a real, biological basis.\n\n*Your privacy is important to us. All results are completely anonymous.*\n\nIn the past few weeks, how often have you experienced:\n\n*The above quiz is based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). If you think you may be suffering from depression and\/or you (or a loved one)* *are experiencing a mental health crisis, we strongly suggest that you reach out to to a qualified mental health professional. To aid in your search please consider our directory of emergency mental health resources.*\n\nDepression (also called major depressive disorder) presents with [symptoms](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/depression\/surprising-symptoms-of-depression) that range from mild to severe. Feelings of sadness, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, feeling worthless or guilty, loss of energy or increased fatigue, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed are common. Children and adolescents who are depressed may come across as irritable rather than sad.\n\nA health care professional looks for symptoms that are interfering with the person’s [relationships](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/depression\/how-to-help-your-partner-with-depression) and with their work and that represent a change in the person’s previous level of functioning.1 To receive a diagnosis of depression, the person must have five depression symptoms every day, and nearly all day, for at least two weeks.2\n\nPrimary care providers often diagnose depression. They may refer an individual to a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist for treatment. Typically, says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, the provider uses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to make a diagnosis.3 “They go through the criteria in the DSM to see how many criteria the person meets,” Hollon says.\n\nAround 17.3 million US adults have had at least one major depressive episode.2 Some 20% of women and between 10 and 12% of men will experience depression at least once in their life, says says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University.\n\n“Depression is relatively rare during childhood and comparably distributed across the genders,” Hollon adds. “The rates just explode during adolescence and that is when gender disparities first emerge.” And, he adds, “Half of all the folks who are going to be diagnosed with major depression at some point will have at least one episode during adolescence.”\n\nIt can take weeks after depression begins before it is diagnosed. This is partly because people may be resistant to ask for help, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York.\n\nWhen a primary care doctor is looking into whether a person is depressed, they may initially think the symptoms could be caused by a physical illness, Nydegger explains. “Often, a primary care doctor may be looking at the person’s [medications](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/womens-health\/can-birth-control-pills-cause-depression) or whether something is going on physiologically,” he says. “They are trying to rule out medical causes as the reason for the symptoms, which is appropriate, but then it can take longer to get a diagnosis.”\n\n“Self-diagnosis is not helpful,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Instead of going online and researching the University of Google, ask your doctor.”\n\nAdult women have a higher rate of depression at any given point in time (8.7%) as compared to adult men (5.3%). The age group that has the most adults who have had a major depressive episode in the past year is the 18 to 25 age group.4\n\nChildren and teenagers get depressed, too, but it can be tricky to diagnose, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, of Union College and Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “We know that between 2% and 6% of children experience depression,” he says. “About 14% of teenagers age 12 to 17 will experience one episode of major depression. And about 9% of teenagers report a major depressive episode in a given year.”\n\nGenetic factors do play a role in depression, but so do biological, environmental, and psychological factors.2 Unipolar depression (depression only) is less likely to be inherited than [bipolar disorder](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/bipolar-disorder) (which is marked by one or more manic or hypomanic episodes in addition to depression), says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University.\n\nWhile depression does tend to run in families, just because a family member has depression does not mean you are going to get it, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “It is not a simple gene thing,” he says. “And the important thing is not so much why a person has depression but what are we going to do to help them.”\n\n“The number one cause of depression is the tough stuff, the major life events that go wrong,” says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. Depression can occur when people experience adverse life events such as the death of someone close, the loss of a job, or some type of psychological trauma. It can even stem from a longing for \"[the way things were](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/condition\/depression\/nostalgic-depression).\"\n\nDepression can lead to more stress and dysfunction, which can worsen the depression itself.\n\nThere also is a connection between depression and physical health. For instance, cardiovascular disease can lead to depression (and vice versa).4,5\n\nThankfully, there are effective treatments for depression. “We know that depression is a very treatable condition and that over 80% of people who receive appropriate treatment for their depression will improve significantly,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Unfortunately, the large majority of people with depression never get appropriate treatment.”\n\n1. American Psychiatric Association. [What is depression?](https:\/\/www.psychiatry.org\/patients-families\/depression\/what-is-depression) Page Last Reviewed October 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021.\n2. National Institute of Mental Health. [Depression: What is depression?](https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/publications\/depression\/index.shtml#pub3) Page Last Revised in 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021.\n3. American Psychiatric Association. [DSM 5 – Frequently Asked Questions](https:\/\/www.psychiatry.org\/psychiatrists\/practice\/dsm\/frequently-asked-questions). Accessed July 9, 2021.\n4. National Institute of Mental Health. [Major depression](https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/statistics\/major-depression). Revised 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021.\n5. World Health Organization. [Depression](https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/depression). Page Last Updated January 30, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021.\n\n- [Share via psycom\\_page\\_nid4318\\_page-facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fquiz%2Fdepression-test%3Fap%3Dsocs&quote=Take%20Our%20Depression%20Quiz%20)\n- [Share via psycom\\_page\\_nid4318\\_page-pinterest](https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?description=undefined&media=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fquiz%2Fdepression-test%3Fap%3Dsocs)\n- [Share via psycom\\_page\\_nid4318\\_page-twitter](https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fquiz%2Fdepression-test%3Fap%3Dsocs&via=HealthCentral&text=Take%20Our%20Depression%20Quiz%20&hashtags=HealthCentral&related=healthcentral,health_tips,thebodydotcom,wellsphere)\n- [Share via psycom\\_page\\_nid4318\\_page-mail](mailto:?body=I%20saw%20this%20on%20HealthCentral%2C%20and%20thought%20you%20might%20want%20to%20see%20it%2C%20too%3A%0A%0ATake%20Our%20Depression%20Quiz%20%20%20%0A%20%20%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fquiz%2Fdepression-test%3Fap%3Dsocs%0A%20%20%0AAt%20HealthCentral%2C%20chronic%20meets%20community.%20We%E2%80%99re%20here%20to%20help%20you%20live%20your%20best%20life.%20Visit%20us%20and%20sign%20up%20for%20our%20free%20newsletter%20at%20HealthCentral.com.)\n\n[Our Review Process](https:\/\/www.healthcentral.com\/medical-review-board)\n\n![](data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	Depression Tips Tools Treatment Medically Reviewed 3 Minute Depression Test This depression quiz is based on the Depression Screening Test developed by Ivan K. Goldberg, MD, a renowned psychiatrist. Jump To Who This Is For Test Accuracy More About Depression Take the Quiz FAQs Below is a list of 10 questions designed to help you determine if you might be experiencing depression. The questions relate to life experiences common among people who have depression. Please read each question carefully, and indicate how often you have experienced the same or similar challenges in the past few weeks. This quiz is NOT a diagnostic tool. Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed by a licensed mental health provider or doctor. Assessments can be a valuable first step toward getting treatment. All too often people stop short of seeking help out of fear their concerns aren't legitimate or severe enough to warrant professional intervention. Depression can make you feel alone but you have lots of company. Major depressive disorder ( MDD ), the clinical term for depression , is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting an estimated 350 million people in all age groups. You should know that depression isn’t the same as being sad. It’s normal to feel blue or unmotivated from time to time, but depression is more constant. And, it has a real, biological basis. Your privacy is important to us. All results are completely anonymous. In the past few weeks, how often have you experienced: The above quiz is based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). If you think you may be suffering from depression and/or you (or a loved one) are experiencing a mental health crisis, we strongly suggest that you reach out to to a qualified mental health professional. To aid in your search please consider our directory of emergency mental health resources. Depression (also called major depressive disorder) presents with symptoms that range from mild to severe. Feelings of sadness, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, feeling worthless or guilty, loss of energy or increased fatigue, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed are common. Children and adolescents who are depressed may come across as irritable rather than sad. A health care professional looks for symptoms that are interfering with the person’s relationships and with their work and that represent a change in the person’s previous level of functioning. 1 To receive a diagnosis of depression, the person must have five depression symptoms every day, and nearly all day, for at least two weeks. 2 Primary care providers often diagnose depression. They may refer an individual to a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist for treatment. Typically, says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, the provider uses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to make a diagnosis. 3 “They go through the criteria in the DSM to see how many criteria the person meets,” Hollon says. Around 17.3 million US adults have had at least one major depressive episode. 2 Some 20% of women and between 10 and 12% of men will experience depression at least once in their life, says says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. “Depression is relatively rare during childhood and comparably distributed across the genders,” Hollon adds. “The rates just explode during adolescence and that is when gender disparities first emerge.” And, he adds, “Half of all the folks who are going to be diagnosed with major depression at some point will have at least one episode during adolescence.” It can take weeks after depression begins before it is diagnosed. This is partly because people may be resistant to ask for help, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. When a primary care doctor is looking into whether a person is depressed, they may initially think the symptoms could be caused by a physical illness, Nydegger explains. “Often, a primary care doctor may be looking at the person’s medications or whether something is going on physiologically,” he says. “They are trying to rule out medical causes as the reason for the symptoms, which is appropriate, but then it can take longer to get a diagnosis.” “Self-diagnosis is not helpful,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Instead of going online and researching the University of Google, ask your doctor.” Adult women have a higher rate of depression at any given point in time (8.7%) as compared to adult men (5.3%). The age group that has the most adults who have had a major depressive episode in the past year is the 18 to 25 age group. 4 Children and teenagers get depressed, too, but it can be tricky to diagnose, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, of Union College and Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “We know that between 2% and 6% of children experience depression,” he says. “About 14% of teenagers age 12 to 17 will experience one episode of major depression. And about 9% of teenagers report a major depressive episode in a given year.” Genetic factors do play a role in depression, but so do biological, environmental, and psychological factors. 2 Unipolar depression (depression only) is less likely to be inherited than bipolar disorder (which is marked by one or more manic or hypomanic episodes in addition to depression), says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. While depression does tend to run in families, just because a family member has depression does not mean you are going to get it, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “It is not a simple gene thing,” he says. “And the important thing is not so much why a person has depression but what are we going to do to help them.” “The number one cause of depression is the tough stuff, the major life events that go wrong,” says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. Depression can occur when people experience adverse life events such as the death of someone close, the loss of a job, or some type of psychological trauma. It can even stem from a longing for " the way things were ." Depression can lead to more stress and dysfunction, which can worsen the depression itself. There also is a connection between depression and physical health. For instance, cardiovascular disease can lead to depression (and vice versa). 4,5 Thankfully, there are effective treatments for depression. “We know that depression is a very treatable condition and that over 80% of people who receive appropriate treatment for their depression will improve significantly,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Unfortunately, the large majority of people with depression never get appropriate treatment.” American Psychiatric Association. What is depression? Page Last Reviewed October 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021. National Institute of Mental Health. Depression: What is depression? Page Last Revised in 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021. American Psychiatric Association. DSM 5 – Frequently Asked Questions . Accessed July 9, 2021. National Institute of Mental Health. Major depression . Revised 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021. World Health Organization. Depression . Page Last Updated January 30, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021. Share via psycom_page_nid4318_page-facebook Share via psycom_page_nid4318_page-pinterest Share via psycom_page_nid4318_page-twitter Share via psycom_page_nid4318_page-mail Our Review Process
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Goldberg, MD, a renowned psychiatrist. Updated Mar 28, 2025 Medical Reviewer[Kartic Rajput, M.D., Ph.D.](https://www.healthcentral.com/author/kartic-rajput) ###### Jump To - [Who This Is For](https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test#who-this-is-for) - [Test Accuracy](https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test#test-accuracy) - [More About Depression](https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test#more-about-depression) - [Take the Quiz](https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test#take-the-quiz) - [FAQs](https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test#faqs) Who This Is For ## Who Is This Depression Quiz For? Below is a list of 10 questions designed to help you determine if you might be experiencing depression. The questions relate to life experiences common among people who have depression. Please read each question carefully, and indicate how often you have experienced the same or similar challenges in the past few weeks. Test Accuracy ## How Accurate Is It? This quiz is NOT a diagnostic tool. Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed by a licensed mental health provider or doctor. Assessments can be a valuable first step toward getting treatment. All too often people stop short of seeking help out of fear their concerns aren't legitimate or severe enough to warrant professional intervention. More About Depression ## Learn More About Depression Depression can make you feel alone but you have lots of company. Major depressive disorder ([MDD](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/major-depressive-disorder)), the clinical term for [depression](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression), is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting an estimated 350 million people in all age groups. You should know that depression isn’t the same as being sad. It’s normal to feel blue or unmotivated from time to time, but depression is more constant. And, it has a real, biological basis. Take the Quiz ## Depression Quiz Your privacy is important to us. All results are completely anonymous. In the past few weeks, how often have you experienced: The above quiz is based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). If you think you may be suffering from depression and/or you (or a loved one) are experiencing a mental health crisis, we strongly suggest that you reach out to to a qualified mental health professional. To aid in your search please consider our directory of emergency mental health resources. #### Sign up for our monthly Mental Health Newsletter. Your [privacy](https://www.healthcentralcorp.com/privacy-policy%20) is important to us. ![Woman relaxing while wearing headphones](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/4GbS9vlX123DJp2jCnvYJI/e52a0f4caef01f96278467b5ce343219/GettyImages-1626862419-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=180&h=120) FAQs ## Depression FAQs Frequently Asked Questions How is depression diagnosed? Depression (also called major depressive disorder) presents with [symptoms](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression/surprising-symptoms-of-depression) that range from mild to severe. Feelings of sadness, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, feeling worthless or guilty, loss of energy or increased fatigue, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed are common. Children and adolescents who are depressed may come across as irritable rather than sad. A health care professional looks for symptoms that are interfering with the person’s [relationships](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression/how-to-help-your-partner-with-depression) and with their work and that represent a change in the person’s previous level of functioning.1 To receive a diagnosis of depression, the person must have five depression symptoms every day, and nearly all day, for at least two weeks.2 Who can diagnose depression? Primary care providers often diagnose depression. They may refer an individual to a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist for treatment. Typically, says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, the provider uses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to make a diagnosis.3 “They go through the criteria in the DSM to see how many criteria the person meets,” Hollon says. How many people are diagnosed with depression? Around 17.3 million US adults have had at least one major depressive episode.2 Some 20% of women and between 10 and 12% of men will experience depression at least once in their life, says says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. “Depression is relatively rare during childhood and comparably distributed across the genders,” Hollon adds. “The rates just explode during adolescence and that is when gender disparities first emerge.” And, he adds, “Half of all the folks who are going to be diagnosed with major depression at some point will have at least one episode during adolescence.” How long does it take to diagnose depression? It can take weeks after depression begins before it is diagnosed. This is partly because people may be resistant to ask for help, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. When a primary care doctor is looking into whether a person is depressed, they may initially think the symptoms could be caused by a physical illness, Nydegger explains. “Often, a primary care doctor may be looking at the person’s [medications](https://www.healthcentral.com/womens-health/can-birth-control-pills-cause-depression) or whether something is going on physiologically,” he says. “They are trying to rule out medical causes as the reason for the symptoms, which is appropriate, but then it can take longer to get a diagnosis.” Is it possible to try to diagnose yourself with depression? “Self-diagnosis is not helpful,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Instead of going online and researching the University of Google, ask your doctor.” Who has the highest rate of depression? Adult women have a higher rate of depression at any given point in time (8.7%) as compared to adult men (5.3%). The age group that has the most adults who have had a major depressive episode in the past year is the 18 to 25 age group.4 Children and teenagers get depressed, too, but it can be tricky to diagnose, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, of Union College and Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “We know that between 2% and 6% of children experience depression,” he says. “About 14% of teenagers age 12 to 17 will experience one episode of major depression. And about 9% of teenagers report a major depressive episode in a given year.” Can you inherit depression? Genetic factors do play a role in depression, but so do biological, environmental, and psychological factors.2 Unipolar depression (depression only) is less likely to be inherited than [bipolar disorder](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/bipolar-disorder) (which is marked by one or more manic or hypomanic episodes in addition to depression), says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. While depression does tend to run in families, just because a family member has depression does not mean you are going to get it, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “It is not a simple gene thing,” he says. “And the important thing is not so much why a person has depression but what are we going to do to help them.” What is the \#1 cause of depression? “The number one cause of depression is the tough stuff, the major life events that go wrong,” says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. Depression can occur when people experience adverse life events such as the death of someone close, the loss of a job, or some type of psychological trauma. It can even stem from a longing for "[the way things were](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression/nostalgic-depression)." Depression can lead to more stress and dysfunction, which can worsen the depression itself. There also is a connection between depression and physical health. For instance, cardiovascular disease can lead to depression (and vice versa).4,5 Thankfully, there are effective treatments for depression. “We know that depression is a very treatable condition and that over 80% of people who receive appropriate treatment for their depression will improve significantly,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Unfortunately, the large majority of people with depression never get appropriate treatment.” This article was originally published July 8, 2021 and most recently updated March 28, 2025. © 2026 HealthCentral LLC. All rights reserved. Sources 1. American Psychiatric Association. [What is depression?](https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression) Page Last Reviewed October 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021. 2. National Institute of Mental Health. [Depression: What is depression?](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/index.shtml#pub3) Page Last Revised in 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021. 3. American Psychiatric Association. [DSM 5 – Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/frequently-asked-questions). Accessed July 9, 2021. 4. National Institute of Mental Health. [Major depression](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression). Revised 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021. 5. World Health Organization. [Depression](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression). Page Last Updated January 30, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021. 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Print [Our Review Process](https://www.healthcentral.com/medical-review-board) [Kartic Rajput, M.D., Ph.D., Pain Management Specialist:](https://www.healthcentral.com/author/kartic-rajput) Kartic Rajput, M.D., Ph.D., has extensive experience in the area of neuropsychiatry and pain. He is double board-certified in psychiatry and pain medicine from the American Board of Medical Specialties and attended Medical School at Delhi University in India. [![](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/3VOhHYo5uK0eimjAEkGZBc/98e147a76c3b1e4da888762902d89434/avatars.png?fm=png&q=65&h=48&w=264)Visit Our Depression Community](https://www.healthcentral.com/community/depression) ![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=) #### More Like This [Mental Health Am I Being Bullied? (Quiz) Medically Reviewed![am\_i\_being\_bullied](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/psycom_page_fid8510_asset_8496/d01d19a72b57e3f4971ba087ca23ec61/am_i_being_bullied?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/bullying-test) [Anxiety Reminder: You Are Not Your Diagnosis![talking to doctor](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/5YZNR1YW3p6d80YuGPqhrT/c61482cc34bcc5cfcb3b78230a5f9ba0/iStock-1185378963.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https://www.healthcentral.com/article/you-are-not-your-anxiety-diagnosis) [Depression Gracie Gold Gets Real About Depression![Gracie Gold](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/5CTeMCMTlSxL7ehP0aKTbi/36602c29b5592bcf8ca2288b4b87c14d/GettyImages-1201563807.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https://www.healthcentral.com/article/skater-gracie-gold-talks-about-depression) [Depression How Not to Take Things Personally When You Have Depression Medically Reviewed![Hypersensitivity and Depression ](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/bp_140204_promo/9803b26c83e84616ac4fa1723fac8dc9/140204_hypersensitivity.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https://www.healthcentral.com/article/hypersensitivity-and-how-not-to-take-things-personally) # When I Feel Hopeless, I Remember This Losing hope almost got the best of me. I'm the child of Holocaust survivors who grew up to be a therapist. Here's how I make peace with all the evil in the world. Updated Mar 28, 2025 By [Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW](https://www.healthcentral.com/author/sherry-amatenstein) Join the Discussion2 ![Cropped image of a person walking on a wet sandy beach leaving footprints in the sand during sunset.](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/4yh8vkKKiQeEyodJyK9GQP/8c95da80f1f7d3fb1bf30c1bc3a85771/girl-walking-on-wet-sandy-beach-leaving-footprints-GettyImages-501799684-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=492&h=328) [GettyImages/friendwithlove](https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/girl-walking-on-wet-sandy-beach-leaving-footprints-royalty-free-image/501799684) As a child of Holocaust survivors, I grew up with a visceral awareness that humans are capable of unimaginable evil, alongside an equally visceral desire to help people heal from trauma. These two intense needs first came into conflict in 2007 when I left magazine editing to become a psychotherapist. Did I only yearn to heal the trauma of ‘good' people? Were all people who committed evil acts irredeemable, or were there gradations of evildoing– some forgivable? Could I be a healer if I believed some people unworthy of help? I chose to align with Anne Franks’ words: “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart…I can feel the suffering of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right.” ## Hurt People Hurt Throughout my career I’ve reaped immeasurable fulfillment from helping people dig through emotional debris blocking their ability to navigate life in a healthier, more fulfilling way. There are several patients I’ve wanted to hang with over a bottle of prosecco, or be a surrogate mother to–but therapeutic boundaries rightly kept us in our assigned roles. I’ve treated patients whose values I find–well, wanting. If I can connect to the lost child underneath, the child whose fear and/or self-loathing sometime leads to self-absorbed, even vindictive actions, I can deal. My mantra to patients: Hurt people hurt. I’ve learned to be a net for other people’s pain–attempting to catch it before too much is absorbed into my system. After a particularly draining session I often utilize [Tonglen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x95ltQP8qQ)– the Buddhist meditation practice that focuses on breathing in others’ suffering and sending out joy and compassion not only to them but myself. But the 24/7 news cycle perpetually funneling horrific images of purposeful cruelty tore pinpricks in my faith that most hatred and prejudice is learned. #### Sign up for our monthly Mental Health Newsletter. Your [privacy](https://www.healthcentralcorp.com/privacy-policy%20) is important to us. ![Woman relaxing while wearing headphones](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/4GbS9vlX123DJp2jCnvYJI/e52a0f4caef01f96278467b5ce343219/GettyImages-1626862419-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=180&h=120) Those pinpricks devolved into a monsoon of doubts after watching Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein’s 2022 [The U.S. and the Holocaust](https://kenburns.com/films/the-u-s-and-the-holocaust/). This 3-part, 6-hour documentary proved something I’d long suspected. Through interviews with historians, first person survivor testimony, as well as photos, newsreels, radio and newspaper coverage of the period, this masterwork illustrated that while Americans were privy to the scope of what was happening to European Jews, the majority of politicians and citizens agreed the best response was tightening our borders. Indeed, the reason Hitler kept expanding the depths of savagery he inflicted was because there was no real pushback, no unbreachable guardrails. No other nation cared…at least not enough. Regardless of his propensity toward evil Josef Mengele would have been an obscure academic if the opportunity to conduct his ‘research’ at Auschwitz and become ‘The Angel of Death’ hadn’t presented itself. Sigmund Freud, who witnessed World War 1 and fled Austria in 1938 to escape Nazi persecution wrote in [Civilization and its Discontents](http://www.historyguide.org/europe/freud_discontents.html): “Men are not gentle creatures who want to be loved…Their neighbor is not only a potential helper or sexual object, but also someone to tempt them to satisfy their aggressiveness onto him…to seize his possessions, to humiliate him, to cause him pain, to torture him...” There seemed way, way too much evidence to reaffirm my new personal mantra: people suck. ## Is Passivity A Form of Evil? In my 16-year career as a mental health practitioner I have peered into the hearts of too many people’s darkness to imagine an excess of latent ‘Mengeles’ lurking among us. But what is the culpability of those who witness evil and turn their backs or worse? I remember my father sharing how back in Lodz, Poland after the German invasion a close Catholic friend threw rocks at him, hurling anti-Semitic epithets. To write [The Roots of Evil: The Origins of Genocide and Other Group Violence](https://www.amazon.com/Roots-Origins-Genocide-Other-Violence/dp/0521422140/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Q9PASV5EKO4E&keywords=the+roots+of+evil+ervin+staub&qid=1676771839&sprefix=ervin+stau%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.18630bbb-fcbb-42f8-9767-857e17e03685) which analyzed “the psychology of perpetrators and bystanders” Holocaust survivor Ervin Staub spent eight years researching not just the Holocaust but genocides and mass murder in Turkey, Cambodia and Argentina. Staub has explained, “In the course of the evolution of harm doing, to avoid empathetic suffering, passive bystanders…tend to distance themselves from victims, reducing the likelihood of action by them.” Reading this, my mind churned, obsessing that throughout the millennia being manipulated by charismatic leaders into an us-versus-them group-think has led to ‘othering’ a segment of humans who in some way appear ‘different.’ Lesser. Thus do “good” people sink into a swamp? ## Standing At Land’s End For the first time, I contemplated suspending my practice. I told myself I'd be useless to anyone else if I reached the point of looking at an emotionally susceptible patient and thought: ‘Given the ‘right’ circumstances of escalating fear and staying safe in [an insular news bubble](https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/do-you-live-in-a-news-bubble/), could you become a bystander to evil?’ Before taking an impetuous leap, I treaded into something that is always balm to my soul: nature. Walking along the beach at Montauk (a picturesque village at the tip of Long Island), I watched the waves crest into towering crescendos, then lapse into calm before rising again, and I thought about how the only constant is change. Miss one wave, catch the next. At the water’s edge I removed a sneaker and sock, rolled my jeans leg to my shin and dipped my toe into the frigid ocean, gradually adjusting to the cold temperature. ## Accepting The Good And The Terrible, All At Once Staub wrote: “Human beings have genetic potentials for both altruism and aggression, which evolve through socialization and experience.” He and [other researchers](https://www.notredame.edu.au/community/student-wellbeing-and-support/active-bystander) encourage striving to become an ‘active bystander’ This means working in a safe and calm way to deescalate a toxic situation. If I become passive toward promoting goodness and seeking understanding between the ‘others’, I will be dishonoring my parents’ memory, and the work of brave patients who have learned to ride out their uncomfortable feelings rather than succumb to the undertow. What feels like throwing a pebble in the ocean is better than not making the effort. So long as there is life, I have a chance to effect small, positive change one pebble at a time. This article was originally published March 2, 2023 and most recently updated March 28, 2025. © 2026 HealthCentral LLC. All rights reserved. Join the Discussion2 Copy Link Share - [Share via 7s2O2TWg4IfLHDe2efBXlC-facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fcondition%2Fdepression%2Flosing-hope%3Fap%3Dsocs&quote=When%20I%20Feel%20Hopeless%2C%20I%20Remember%20This) - [Share via 7s2O2TWg4IfLHDe2efBXlC-pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?description=undefined&media=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fcondition%2Fdepression%2Flosing-hope%3Fap%3Dsocs) - [Share via 7s2O2TWg4IfLHDe2efBXlC-twitter](https://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fcondition%2Fdepression%2Flosing-hope%3Fap%3Dsocs&via=HealthCentral&text=When%20I%20Feel%20Hopeless%2C%20I%20Remember%20This&hashtags=HealthCentral&related=healthcentral,health_tips,thebodydotcom,wellsphere) - [Share via 7s2O2TWg4IfLHDe2efBXlC-mail](mailto:?body=I%20saw%20this%20on%20HealthCentral%2C%20and%20thought%20you%20might%20want%20to%20see%20it%2C%20too%3A%0A%0AWhen%20I%20Feel%20Hopeless%2C%20I%20Remember%20This%20%20%0A%20%20%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcentral.com%2Fcondition%2Fdepression%2Flosing-hope%3Fap%3Dsocs%0A%20%20%0AAt%20HealthCentral%2C%20chronic%20meets%20community.%20We%E2%80%99re%20here%20to%20help%20you%20live%20your%20best%20life.%20Visit%20us%20and%20sign%20up%20for%20our%20free%20newsletter%20at%20HealthCentral.com.) Print [Our Review Process](https://www.healthcentral.com/medical-review-board) [Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW, Therapist:](https://www.healthcentral.com/author/sherry-amatenstein) Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW is a New York City-based therapist and author of three books including The Complete Marriage Counselor and Love Lessons from Bad Breakups. She edited the anthology How Does that Make You Feel? True Confessions from Both Sides of the Therapy Couch and has written for many publications. [![](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/3VOhHYo5uK0eimjAEkGZBc/98e147a76c3b1e4da888762902d89434/avatars.png?fm=png&q=65&h=48&w=264)Visit Our Depression Community](https://www.healthcentral.com/community/depression) ![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=) #### More Like This [Depression Can Depression Cause Memory Loss?![Worried man](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/7357jHJEKb47FSzjfcVKLZ/945f92ef4d5924632cd17e8cab703fda/large-GettyImages-2222611747-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression/can-depression-cause-memory-loss) [Depression How to Work Through an MDD Episode With Your Boss Medically Reviewed![Stressed woman working on a laptop](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/3y3Up1QODFsARlIqVqMh9N/485b9e568b28a600dcaff96cb7b73f23/p-GettyImages-2233257780-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/how-to-work-through-an-mdd-episode-with-your-employer) [Depression How to Spot Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms Medically Reviewed Discussion![pensive man resting his chin](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/6hzkQDaV1ZgeSLiYJiubeo/aa51f53d0c9ecf03ebfbfce8b413abfd/p-GettyImages-2247115731-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/how-to-spot-signs-of-major-depressive-disorder) [Depression Preparing for the Holidays When You Have Depression Medically Reviewed For Members![woman studying](https://images.ctfassets.net/yixw23k2v6vo/4Mh54hC0ZnAMtxzRZLWkXD/ca4c781ffbdc3c912a6853f13ecaf3c1/large-GettyImages-1450456373-3000x2000.jpg?fm=avif&fit=thumb&q=65&w=64&h=64)](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression/holidays-with-depression-tips) #### Emails That Keep You Healthy\! 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All rights reserved. Our website content is for educational purposes only. HealthCentral LLC does not provide personal medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. [Read our Disclaimer](https://www.healthcentral.com/disclaimer) Ask HealthCentral
Readable Markdown	- [Depression](https://www.healthcentral.com/community/depression) - [Tips](https://www.healthcentral.com/community/depression/tips) - [Tools](https://www.healthcentral.com/community/depression/tools) - [Treatment](https://www.healthcentral.com/community/depression/treatment) Medically Reviewed ## 3 Minute Depression Test This depression quiz is based on the Depression Screening Test developed by Ivan K. Goldberg, MD, a renowned psychiatrist. ###### Jump To - [Who This Is For](https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test#who-this-is-for) - [Test Accuracy](https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test#test-accuracy) - [More About Depression](https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test#more-about-depression) - [Take the Quiz](https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test#take-the-quiz) - [FAQs](https://www.healthcentral.com/quiz/depression-test#faqs) Below is a list of 10 questions designed to help you determine if you might be experiencing depression. The questions relate to life experiences common among people who have depression. Please read each question carefully, and indicate how often you have experienced the same or similar challenges in the past few weeks. This quiz is NOT a diagnostic tool. Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed by a licensed mental health provider or doctor. Assessments can be a valuable first step toward getting treatment. All too often people stop short of seeking help out of fear their concerns aren't legitimate or severe enough to warrant professional intervention. Depression can make you feel alone but you have lots of company. Major depressive disorder ([MDD](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/major-depressive-disorder)), the clinical term for [depression](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression), is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting an estimated 350 million people in all age groups. You should know that depression isn’t the same as being sad. It’s normal to feel blue or unmotivated from time to time, but depression is more constant. And, it has a real, biological basis. Your privacy is important to us. All results are completely anonymous. In the past few weeks, how often have you experienced: The above quiz is based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). If you think you may be suffering from depression and/or you (or a loved one) are experiencing a mental health crisis, we strongly suggest that you reach out to to a qualified mental health professional. To aid in your search please consider our directory of emergency mental health resources. Depression (also called major depressive disorder) presents with [symptoms](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression/surprising-symptoms-of-depression) that range from mild to severe. Feelings of sadness, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, feeling worthless or guilty, loss of energy or increased fatigue, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed are common. Children and adolescents who are depressed may come across as irritable rather than sad. A health care professional looks for symptoms that are interfering with the person’s [relationships](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression/how-to-help-your-partner-with-depression) and with their work and that represent a change in the person’s previous level of functioning.1 To receive a diagnosis of depression, the person must have five depression symptoms every day, and nearly all day, for at least two weeks.2 Primary care providers often diagnose depression. They may refer an individual to a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist for treatment. Typically, says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, the provider uses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to make a diagnosis.3 “They go through the criteria in the DSM to see how many criteria the person meets,” Hollon says. Around 17.3 million US adults have had at least one major depressive episode.2 Some 20% of women and between 10 and 12% of men will experience depression at least once in their life, says says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. “Depression is relatively rare during childhood and comparably distributed across the genders,” Hollon adds. “The rates just explode during adolescence and that is when gender disparities first emerge.” And, he adds, “Half of all the folks who are going to be diagnosed with major depression at some point will have at least one episode during adolescence.” It can take weeks after depression begins before it is diagnosed. This is partly because people may be resistant to ask for help, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. When a primary care doctor is looking into whether a person is depressed, they may initially think the symptoms could be caused by a physical illness, Nydegger explains. “Often, a primary care doctor may be looking at the person’s [medications](https://www.healthcentral.com/womens-health/can-birth-control-pills-cause-depression) or whether something is going on physiologically,” he says. “They are trying to rule out medical causes as the reason for the symptoms, which is appropriate, but then it can take longer to get a diagnosis.” “Self-diagnosis is not helpful,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Instead of going online and researching the University of Google, ask your doctor.” Adult women have a higher rate of depression at any given point in time (8.7%) as compared to adult men (5.3%). The age group that has the most adults who have had a major depressive episode in the past year is the 18 to 25 age group.4 Children and teenagers get depressed, too, but it can be tricky to diagnose, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, of Union College and Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “We know that between 2% and 6% of children experience depression,” he says. “About 14% of teenagers age 12 to 17 will experience one episode of major depression. And about 9% of teenagers report a major depressive episode in a given year.” Genetic factors do play a role in depression, but so do biological, environmental, and psychological factors.2 Unipolar depression (depression only) is less likely to be inherited than [bipolar disorder](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/bipolar-disorder) (which is marked by one or more manic or hypomanic episodes in addition to depression), says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. While depression does tend to run in families, just because a family member has depression does not mean you are going to get it, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “It is not a simple gene thing,” he says. “And the important thing is not so much why a person has depression but what are we going to do to help them.” “The number one cause of depression is the tough stuff, the major life events that go wrong,” says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. Depression can occur when people experience adverse life events such as the death of someone close, the loss of a job, or some type of psychological trauma. It can even stem from a longing for "[the way things were](https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression/nostalgic-depression)." Depression can lead to more stress and dysfunction, which can worsen the depression itself. There also is a connection between depression and physical health. For instance, cardiovascular disease can lead to depression (and vice versa).4,5 Thankfully, there are effective treatments for depression. “We know that depression is a very treatable condition and that over 80% of people who receive appropriate treatment for their depression will improve significantly,” says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. “Unfortunately, the large majority of people with depression never get appropriate treatment.” 1. American Psychiatric Association. [What is depression?](https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression) Page Last Reviewed October 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021. 2. National Institute of Mental Health. [Depression: What is depression?](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/index.shtml#pub3) Page Last Revised in 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021. 3. American Psychiatric Association. [DSM 5 – Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/frequently-asked-questions). Accessed July 9, 2021. 4. National Institute of Mental Health. [Major depression](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression). Revised 2021. Accessed July 9, 2021. 5. World Health Organization. [Depression](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression). Page Last Updated January 30, 2020. 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