This year has been a tough year with the pandemic resulting in several cases of depression and stress. Therefore it is important to establish whether one is depressed or experiencing stress or sadness bout.
Increase in depression cases due to the pandemic
According to a recent study in the American Medical Association Journal, the number of Americans that are showing depression signs has almost tripled due to the pandemic. Every year around 17 million Americans suffer the effects of clinical depression and these cuts across all races, ages, and socioeconomic groups. With the pandemic exacerbating the situation, depression screening has become even more important this year.
Some of the symptoms of depression include feeling irritable, feeling hopeless or sad, experiencing sleep or appetite changes, and having no interest in normal life. Although the symptoms vary from one person to the other, they mostly last at least two weeks and can impact one’s ability to perform daily activities.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness has recommended the inclusion of depression screening by care providers in their wellness exams for adolescents and adults. It is important to have a professional doctor score your depression screening and help talk about the results. Most importantly there are also confidential online depression screening services that people can access.
Online depression screening useful
Clinical psychologist and Kansas City University Assistant Professor, Cindy Schmidt told Medial Daily that online depression screenings can be useful. She said that they are a good way of helping one reflect on how they are doing and also helps in reflecting on how one is coping, Cindy says that when you are choosing an online screening tool to ensure it is available through reputable organizations such as NIH, NAMI, or the American Academy of Paediatrics.
Dr. Schmidt cautions those having difficult times and suicidal thoughts to avoid online screening and seek services of a mental professional or primary care provider. Depression screening scores are influenced by occurrences in the world today and most people will have scores ranging around being depressed. This is because almost everyone has stress and anxiety currently.
