Depression tests – what the scores mean
This page explains the meaning of the scores of the two depression tests found here. Please read the disclaimers on that page about such tests and about going to your GP if necessary. Be sure to check out these key symptoms of clinical depression which would indicate that you may have a clinical depression and should go to your doctor at once. If you are a teenager or young person, check out this page of helpful suggestions for who to talk to.
(1) Goldberg Depression Test
Add your answers up to give a total between 0 and 90:
- 54 + Severe depression
- 36 – 53 Moderate/severe depression
- 22 – 35 Mild to moderate depression
- 18 – 21 Borderline depression
- 10 – 17 Mild depression
- 0 – 9 No depression likely
(2) The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Test (CES-D)
Add your answers up, being careful with the reversed-scoring items, to give a total between 0 and 60.
If your total is more than 16, then the chances are good that you are depressed. This public-domain depression self-test refers to the past week, and a fluctuation of 5 points or more up or down from week to week is significant. But you can also think of longer time periods.