Online Depression Screening Encourages Individuals to Seek Treatment

As the medical community has turned more frequently to the Internet as a tool for education and outreach, online depression screening has become more commonplace. While online depression screening is no substitute for an official diagnosis of a mood disorder by a trained professional, self-screening questionnaires allow individuals to evaluate their symptoms confidentially and may provide the impetus needed to encourage those suffering from a depressive illness to seek treatment.

The typical online depression screening test includes anywhere from five to 20 questions based on established diagnostic tests for depressive disorders. The individual taking the screening test inputs his or her answers and then receives an evaluation and recommendation based on his or her responses. Those test-takers whose responses indicate that they are experiencing a number of symptoms typically associated with depression will be taken to a screen advising them to print out the screening test and to discuss their answers with a physician or psychotherapist.

Depression is a very common affliction. Each year, more than 19 million Americans, or close to 10 percent of the population of the United States, suffers from some form of depression, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. However, many, if not most, of these individuals do not seek professional help. Those suffering from depression fail to seek treatment for many reasons. They may feel that doing so is a sign of weakness, or they may believe that they are just going through a "down" period and that their symptoms will ease with time. There is a difference between a period of normal sadness, experienced as a natural response to sad or distressing external events such as job loss or the death of a loved one, and clinical depression.

While sadness and grief steadily improve over time, depression does not "get better on its own" and it can have devastating consequences, both mental and physical, for the health of the sufferer. Nonetheless, there are many effective treatments available for depression, ranging from medication to talk therapy. New studies show that online depression screening may be instrumental in encouraging more depressed individuals to consult physicians and therapists about their symptoms and to thus benefit from the many available treatment options.

Taking an online screening test allows these individuals to admit how they feel in a private setting and to receive some feedback which may confirm their internal suspicion that something is wrong beyond just a case of "the blues." Receiving a simple evaluation of their symptoms encouraging them to seek the advice of a physician or psychotherapist may be all the "push" such individuals need to pursue potentially life-saving professional help.

A recent research study conducted by the Institute for Public Health Research at the University of Connecticut Health Center showed that more than half of the individuals who took an online depression screening test in connection with the 2008 National Depression Screening Day later sought treatment for their depressive symptoms within three months of taking the test.

The study conducted by the Institute for Public Health Research for the nonprofit organization Screening for Mental Health Inc., also showed that almost one-third of those who sought treatment following the screening had never sought treatment for depression before, indicating that online screening may play a role in encouraging those particularly resistant to asking for help to finally talk to a professional about their symptoms. What's more, individuals who sought treatment for depression after the screening and retook the online screening test following treatment invariably scored much lower in terms of their likelihood to suffer from depression than they had in their initial online evaluation. These results confirm that the efforts of Screening for Mental Health, Inc., and similar organizations have had a tangible positive impact on the diagnosis and treatment of depression.