Beck depression test

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical condition that negatively affects how a person feels, thinks, and acts. Fortunately, it is also treatable, and early detection is essential for effective treatment.

Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can diminish a person's ability to function at work and at home. Anyone who feels they may have depression should pay attention to their symptoms to determine if they are indeed suffering from this disorder. This step is crucial for seeking appropriate help.

The symptoms of depression can range from mild to severe. Depending on the specific condition, the severity of each symptom, its duration, and the combination of symptoms, it should be assessed whether the depression is mild, moderate, or severe. The most common symptoms of depression may include:

Feeling sad or depressed
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you previously enjoyed
Changes in appetite
Difficulty to sleep
Apathy
Increased fatigue
Feel guilty
Feeling worthless
Difficulty in thinking
Thoughts of death or suicide

Symptoms must last at least two weeks for a diagnosis of depression to be made. Additionally, some medical conditions can cause symptoms similar to depression, such as a brain tumor or thyroid problems, among others. In any case, it is necessary for a doctor to evaluate the affected person's overall health.

Self-administered Beck Depression Assessment Scale

Next you will have to choose one of the following 21 sections according to what best reflects your current situation:

Question 1.

I'm not sad
I do not wanna live. I'm sad
I have no desire to live, I am always sad and I cannot find a solution
I am so sad and I feel so miserable that I suffer
I'm so sad and I feel so miserable that I can't take it anymore.

Question 2.

I'm not too pessimistic nor too discouraged about the future.
I'm discouraged about my future
I can't wait for anything anymore
I will always have sorrows and worries
I have the impression that my future is bad and that my situation will not improve

Question 3.

I don't feel like I've failed.
I think I have failed more than other people
In my life I have done few things that are worthwhile
In my life I have only had failures
I have absolutely failed

Question 4.

I'm not very unhappy
I'm almost always bored
I'm not happy like I was before
There is nothing that gives me satisfaction
I am unhappy with everything

Question 5.

I don't feel very guilty
I feel like I almost always do things wrong or that I'm worthless.
I have a feeling of guilt
I think I always do things wrong or that I'm worthless.
I'm bad, I do everything wrong and I don't go out at all

Question 6.

I don't deserve any punishment
something bad could happen
I think I will be punished
I deserve to be punished
I want to be punished

Question 7.

I'm not unhappy with myself
I'm unhappy with myself
I did not like
I can't stand myself
I hate myself

Question 8.

I'm not worse than the others
I keep in mind my flaws
I blame myself when something doesn't go well.
I have many great defects
I feel guilty for the bad things that happen

Question 9.

It doesn't occur to me to take my own life
Sometimes I think about taking my life, but I won't do it.
It would be better if I died
I have planned how I could take my life
It would be better for my family if I died
If I could, I would take my life

Question 10.

I don't cry more than normal
I cry a lot, more than normal
I'm always crying and I can't stop doing it
I can't cry anymore, even if I wanted to

Question 11.

I don't feel any more irritated than normal.
I get angry more easily than before
I'm always irritated or angry
I don't get irritated by the things that used to annoy me.

Question 12.

I have not lost interest in others
I have less interest in others than before
I have almost no interest in others and have little sympathy for people
I am not interested in people, I feel indifference

Question 13.

I make decisions with the same ease as always
I feel less confident than before and try not to make decisions
I can't make decisions without someone else helping me.
I am unable to make decisions

Question 14.

I don't think it looks any worse than usual.
I'm afraid my appearance will make a bad impression.
I'm afraid that my appearance will get worse and worse
I think my appearance is unpleasant, ugly and even repulsive.

Question 15.

I work as well as ever
It's harder for me than before to get to work
I don't work as well as before
I have to make efforts to do anything
I feel incapable of doing any kind of work, even a small thing.

Question 16.

I sleep as well as ever
In the morning I wake up more tired than usual
I wake up an hour or two before time and have a hard time going back to sleep.
I wake up very early in the morning and don't sleep more than 5 hours.

Question 17.

I don't get more tired than before
I get tired sooner than before
Anything I do makes me tired
I am so tired that I feel unable to do anything, it takes little effort.

Question 18.

My appetite is no worse than usual
I don't have as much appetite as before
I have much less appetite than before
I don't have any appetite

Question 19.

I have not lost weight and if I have, it is only recently.
I have lost more than 2 kilos
I have lost more than 4 kilos
I have lost more than 7 kilos

Question 20.

My health doesn't worry me any more than before.
I constantly worry about my discomfort
My physical discomfort worries me a lot and I almost always think about it.
I only think about my physical discomfort

Question 21.

My sexual interest has not changed
I go into myself less for sex
I am now much less interested in sex than before.
I have lost all my interest in sex

Beck test score

Below you will find the values through Beck test scoring. You will need to take a pencil and paper, and according to the scores you chose in the test, you must add up the points you made on each of the questions.

Question 1.

0. I'm not sad
1. I have no desire to live. I'm sad
2. I have no desire to live, I am always sad and I cannot find a solution
2. I am so sad and feel so miserable that I suffer
3. I am so sad and feel so miserable that I can't take it anymore.

Question 2.

0. I am not too pessimistic nor very discouraged about the future
1. I am discouraged about my future
2. I can't wait for anything anymore
2. I will always have sorrows and worries
3. I have the impression that my future is bad and that my situation will not improve

Question 3.

0. I have no feeling of having failed
1. I think I have failed more than other people
2. In my life I have done few things that are worthwhile
2. In my life I have only had failures
3. I have absolutely failed

Question 4.

0. I'm not very unhappy
1. I am almost always bored
1. I'm not happy like I was before
2. There is nothing that gives me satisfaction
3. I am dissatisfied with everything

Question 5.

0. I don't feel very guilty
1. I feel that I almost always do things wrong or that I am worthless
2. I have a feeling of guilt
2. I think I always do things wrong or that I am worthless
3. I am bad, I do everything wrong and I don't go out at all

Question 6.

0. I don't deserve any punishment
1. Something bad could happen
2. I think I will be punished
3. I deserve to be punished
3. I want to be punished

Question 7.

0. I am not unhappy with myself
1. I am unhappy with myself
1. I didn't like it
2. I can't stand myself
2. I hate myself

Question 8.

0. I am not worse than others
1. I am aware of my defects
2. I blame myself when something doesn't go well
2. I have many great defects
3. I feel guilty about the bad things that happen

Question 9.

0. It doesn't occur to me to take my own life
1. Sometimes I think about killing myself, but I won't do it
2. It would be better if I died
2. I have planned how I could take my life
2. It would be better for my family if I died
3. If I could, I would take my life

Question 10.

0. I don't cry more than normal
1. I cry a lot, more than normal
2. I am always crying and I can't stop doing it
3. I can't cry anymore, even if I wanted to

Question 11.

0. I don't feel more irritated than normal
1. I get angry more easily than before
2. I am always irritated or angry
3. I don't get irritated by the things that used to annoy me.

Question 12.

0. I have not lost interest in others
1. I have less interest in others than before
2. I have almost no interest in others and have little sympathy for people
3. I am not interested in people, I feel indifference

Question 13.

0. I make decisions as easily as ever
1. I feel less confident than before and try not to make decisions
2. I can't make decisions without someone else helping me
3. I am unable to make decisions

Question 14.

0. I don't think I look worse than usual
1. I fear that my appearance will make a bad impression
2. I am afraid that my appearance will get worse and worse
3. I think my appearance is unpleasant, ugly and even repulsive.

Question 15.

0. I work as well as ever
1. It's harder for me to get to work than before
1. I don't work as well as before
2. I have to make efforts to do anything
3. I feel incapable of doing any type of work, even if it is little.

Question 16.

0. I sleep as well as ever
1. In the morning I wake up more tired than usual
2. I wake up an hour or two before time and have a hard time going back to sleep.
3. I wake up very early in the morning and don't sleep more than 5 hours

Question 17.

0. I don't get more tired than before
1. I get tired sooner than before
2. Anything I do makes me tired
3. I am so tired that I feel unable to do anything, even if it takes little effort.

Question 18.

0. My appetite is no worse than usual
1. I don't have as much appetite as before
2. I have much less appetite than before
3. I have no appetite at all

Question 19.

0. I have not lost weight and if I have, it is only recently.
1. I have lost more than 2 kilos
2. I have lost more than 4 kilos
3. I have lost more than 7 kilos

Question 20.

0. My health doesn't worry me more than before
1. I constantly worry about my discomfort
2. My physical discomfort worries me a lot and I almost always think about it
3. I only think about my physical discomforts

Question 21.

0. My sexual interest has not changed
1. I go into myself less for sex
2. I am now much less interested in sex than before
3. I have lost all my interest in sex

Assessment of the Beck test

It is necessary to warn that this test is merely indicative, once you have taken it and know your score, you will be able to know as a guide the degree of depression you have. This way you can assess if you need psychological help so that they can provide you with the necessary tools to balance your mental health so that you can live better.

Degrees of depression according to your score:

From 0 to 9 points: there is no depression
From 10 to 15 points: there is a slight depression
From 16 to 23 points: there is moderate depression
From 24 to 62 points: there is serious depression

Scale, assessment and score based on the Beck self-administered depression assessment scale from the book 'Know your personality. Why you are the way you are' by Javier de las Heras

Are depression tests reliable?

Depression tests are reliable as long as the person who takes them does them with complete sincerity and honesty. This way you will be able to know if your symptoms and the way you feel are in line with the symptoms of depression, you will be able to know the possible degree of depression you have.

In this way, the person can consider seeking a professional to guide and support them in their life , helping them break free from the cycle of depression and regain emotional balance.