4.1 How can I tell if I am depressed or just in a bad mood?
Description
This article is from the Bipolar Disorder FAQ, by barry@webveranda.com (Barry Campbell) with numerous contributions by others.
4.1 How can I tell if I am depressed or just in a bad mood?
Frequently, it is more obvious to those around us that we are depressed
than it is to ourselves. Distorted judgment is part of having a mood
disorder, so it is not uncommon for our family and friends to recognize
signs before we do.
This section and the next involve the Goldberg Mood Scales, by
Dr. Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D. They are reprinted with his permission.
The scales ARE NOT designed to diagnose any psychiatric disorder, nor are
they intended to replace evaluation by a qualified psychiatrist. They are
only intended to measure the severity of depressive and/or manic symptoms,
and thus to help the reader decide whether to seek a psychiatric evaluation.
The Goldberg Depression Scale, below, is a self-administered
questionnaire designed to measure the severity of depressive
thinking and behavior.
Goldberg Depression Scale
-------------------------
Copyright (c) 1993 Ivan Goldberg
Name______________________________________ Date__________________________
The items below refer to how you have felt and behaved DURING THE
PAST WEEK. For each item, indicate the extent to which it is true, by
circling one of the numbers that follows it. Using the following scale:
0 = Not at all 1 = Just a little 2 = Somewhat
3 = Moderately 4 = Quite a lot 5 = Very much
==========================================================================
1. I do things slowly. 0 1 2 3 4 5
2. My future seems hopeless. 0 1 2 3 4 5
3. It is hard for me to concentrate on reading. 0 1 2 3 4 5
4. The pleasure and joy has gone out of my life. 0 1 2 3 4 5
5. I have difficulty making decisions. 0 1 2 3 4 5
6. I have lost interest in aspects of life that
used to be important to me. 0 1 2 3 4 5
7. I feel sad, blue, and unhappy. 0 1 2 3 4 5
8. I am agitated and keep moving around. 0 1 2 3 4 5
9. I feel fatigued. 0 1 2 3 4 5
10. It takes great effort for me to do
simple things. 0 1 2 3 4 5
11. I feel that I am a guilty person who deserves
to be punished. 0 1 2 3 4 5
12. I feel like a failure. 0 1 2 3 4 5
13. I feel lifeless - - - more dead than alive. 0 1 2 3 4 5
14. My sleep has been disturbed---too little, too
much, or broken sleep. 0 1 2 3 4 5
15. I spend time thinking about HOW I might
kill myself. ~~~ 0 1 2 3 4 5
16. I feel trapped or caught. 0 1 2 3 4 5
17. I feel depressed even when good things
happen to me. 0 1 2 3 4 5
18. Without trying to diet, I have lost, or
gained, weight. 0 1 2 3 4 5
A score of 15 or higher on the depression scale indicates the possible need
for a psychiatric evaluation.
Copyright (c) 1993 Ivan Goldberg
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