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3 Minute Depression Test

Based on the work of Dr. Kurt Kroenke, M.D.

Instructions: Below is a list of questions that relate to life experiences common among people who have been diagnosed with depression. Please read each question carefully, and indicate how often you have experienced the same or similar challenges in the past few weeks.

Your privacy is protected. All results are anonymous.

Question 1 of 10

Over the past weeks, how often have you been bothered by...

Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?

Not at all. Several days. More than half the days. Nearly every day.

The IDRlabs 3 Minute Depression Test (IDR-3MDT) was developed by IDRlabs International. The IDR-3MDT is based on the work of Dr. Kurt Kroenke, M.D., and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression screening tool. The IDR-3MDT is not associated with any specific researchers in the field of psychopathology or any affiliated research institutions.

The IDRlabs 3 Minute Depression Test was informed by the PHQ-9’s diagnostic criteria for depression, as published in Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001 Sep;16(9):606-13. PubMed PMID: 11556941; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1495268 and further validated in Arroll B, Goodyear-Smith F, Crengle S, Gunn J, Kerse N, Fishman T, Falloon K, Hatcher S. Validation of PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 to screen for major depression in the primary care population. Ann Fam Med. 2010 Jul-Aug;8(4):348-53 and Chagas MH, Tumas V, Rodrigues GR, et al. Validation and internal consistency of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for major depression in Parkinson's disease. Age Ageing. 2013;42(5):645-9.

The work of Dr. Kroenke has also informed some of the DSM-5 criteria in the form of the widely used psychological instrument, the PHQ-9, which Kroenke developed with his colleagues. The PHQ-9 is a clinical instrument intended for clinical use, especially by qualified professionals and researchers. The present test is intended for educational purposes only. IDRlabs International and the present IDRlabs 3 Minute Depression Test are independent from any of the above researchers, organizations, or their affiliated institutions.

The 3 Minute Depression Test is based on a famous and well-regarded inventory for the assessment of the clinical concept of depression. However, free online tests and quizzes such as this one are solely initial pointers and cannot provide accurate assessments of your current mood or mood disorders. Hence, the test is intended to be used for educational purposes only. A definitive mental health assessment can be made only by a qualified professional.

As the publishers of this free online 3 Minute Depression test, which allows you to screen yourself for the signs and symptoms of this mental condition, we have strived to make the test as reliable and valid as possible, by subjecting this test to statistical controls and validation. However, free online tests and quizzes such as the present 3 Minute Depression Test do not provide professional assessments or recommendations of any kind; the test is provided “as-is.” For more detailed information about the current test or any of our other online psychological tests, please consult our Terms of Service.

Why Use This Test?

1. Free. This 3 Minute Depression Test is delivered to you free of charge and will allow you to obtain your scores related to negative psychological functioning concerning depression.

2. Clinically oriented. The feedback delivered by this instrument is designed to deliver a clear clinical picture of the respondent’s current level of depression as measured according to standardized items.

3. Statistical controls. Statistical analysis of the test is conducted to ensure maximum accuracy and validity of the test scores.

4. Made with the aid of professionals. The present test has been made with the input of people who work professionally with psychology and individual differences research.