How do doctors test you for depression?

Diagnosing Depression With A Drop Of Blood
First blood test to diagnose depression in adults.

Analyzing a single drop of blood can reveal almost any virus, many cancers, your cholesterol level and information for diabetics. Now, for the first time, your blood can help diagnose your mental health.

"What we found is a panel of markers that have different levels in patients with depression," said Eva Redei, a neuroscientists at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

Redei and her team have found signs in the blood that could change how depression is diagnosed.

"Depression is truly one of those illnesses that have been diagnosed very subjectively," she said.

Today, more than 1 in 10 people in the United States are living with depression. It's estimated at least half of the people who are depressed are not diagnosed at all, explained Reidei.

"We also know that primary care doctors only diagnose about 50 percent of them correctly, said Redei." "It's basically a conversation."

That's because right now, diagnosis is based on a battery of questions asked in the doctor's office.

But this blood test could take the guesswork out of diagnosing depression and give further evidence that depression is a physiological illness.

The test looks at levels of nine RNA blood markers. RNA is the molecule that carries out instructions from DNA genetic code. It acts as a messenger to create proteins that perform important functions in our body's cells.

The RNA markers look different in patients with depression versus those who don't have depression.

A study of 32 adults found that levels of these markers changed after 18 weeks of cognitive behavior or talk therapy.

The change in blood markers showed the test could detect physical evidence that the therapy was working among patients who said they felt less depressed after therapy. "It's really the first time to see objective biological blood-based markers for cognitive behavioral therapy. I didn't believe it. I mean I was so surprised that it occurred, but it did," said Redei.

The test could be useful for diagnosing and determining the best course of treatment for patients with depression.

"The patient will know with the security that they do or do not have depression," said Redei.
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Inside Science is an editorially independent news service of the American Institute of Physics

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[hunnybear]

Im worried there not gonna diagnose me and im gonna look like an idiot...

[jodorambam]

I hope my doctors don't test me.
4 year later update: i got tested, absolutely if you show signs you should get tested, it can feel like you shouldn’t reach out for help but please DO reach out. you deserve to learn to be happy

[meara]

i think i have depression, but my mom says im fine : (

[dontlookfo]

my parents refuse to take me to my doctor to see if i have depression
i feel worthless every day and i just want some help

edit 5/7/20: hi i had no idea i made this comment and honestly completely forgot about it and im shocked at the amount of likes, but im doing a lot better these days ^_^ ive been through a whooole lot since i made this comment and i have a therapist now, just wanted to give an update for anyone worried!!!! trust me, it DOES get better <:)

[TheSirkingdom]

I want to see if I have depression, but I don't think my parents would be okay with it. What should I do? edit, 2021: For everyone who reads this from now on, please just ask. I regret never asking because the last four years were so tough for me mentally. Thankfully I’m learning to be better slowly as I go into college now, but it may not be the same for you. If you feel like something may be wrong, bring it up to your parents or someone you trust, I wouldn’t want the world to lose any more people to mental illnesses.

[wheatnir]

...




So mom you wanted to check if I was _actually_ depressed, right?

[weonuqt]

It breaks my heart how many people scared or worried to tell their parents that they have depression for some reasons like that wouldn’t believe ‘em, I know how to feels, I told my father and he believed me but he didn’t care at all, He did nothing, anyways I think the people should be taught more about depression specially the older ones, I look for a future where the teenagers can feel comfortable talk to someone who can help them and don’t have to go through a really strong depression for a long time, I also believe talking about your depression is the hardest because you live without showing it, And in few days you go talk about it, It feels like none will believe you.

In my country it’s hard to get help, Specially that I’m not planning to tell my father again, I literally tried to kill my self more than 8 times in 2 months, I don’t feel sad anymore, I don’t cry like I used to in the last 4 years, Now I’m completely empty and so tired, The feeling that you failed w killing your self make millions times worse for me, Im confused all the time, My brain barely works, I can’t focus or remember what happened in the last 3 hours, I almost know nothing about my self, So this what makes me quite, Cause I don’t have the words, I don’t know how to describe what I’m going through, when nothing is clear you can’t speak about it in an understandable way, But I really need help, if I could, I would shout the loudest saying I NEED HELP, Please.. I have none, I don’t go to school so i don’t have any friends, I’m not that close to my family, they don’t even see me for days tho I’m living in the same house, I feel sometimes I want to talk to someone, but there’s none

[emma-mvtn]

im very depressed. its crystal clear. im just scared that ill go there snd theyll say im fine. but im not fine. and thats the deal.

[Keylearner]

But say that you are so used to living depressed that you don't want a treatment?

[joss]

Oh shit, they gonna find out I have depression 🙄

[perfectlyhuman]

Is the test available or is it still in trials? What's it called?

[novainen]

so if you change your blood you become happier? gimme your blood

[katesnothere]

I want to tell someone how I feel but I have so much anxiety I can't, and I want to get antidepressants but I don't know how to ask.

[pavithra]

Just imagine when a depressed person is tested and the results come out as negative and suddenly everyone think your lying and your family despise you for your depression gets even worse which practically force to end this life.

It's either my crazy stupid imagination or fear of getting did this vid increased my angst along with my depression?

[shivenderdeswal]

I know I have depression and I don't need someone to tell me I have it

[connorplant]

I just feel hopeless in this world. I try and stay happy around people but no matter what, everyday I wake up and want to cry . I feel useless and feel like I do everything wrong . I try so hard to make. My girlfriend happy but I always annoy her and I think she's starting to drift off and not love me no more. I love her to bits but I'm so scared I'm gunna loose her . All I wanna do is hide and never face this world and die 😭

[colakitty]

Ever since I was 7, I have struggled through depression but I always thought I was just sad for a very long time until I finally knew what depression was. I didn't feel like it mattered if I told anyone because no one would understand and I didn't know I was going through it, it just didn't seem severe to me till it just became worse and worse to the point where I tried to end it all at the age of 11. My parents finally knew about my depression and how I thought ending it all would stop the pain and they honestly thought they were helping me out by taking away all my social media so I wouldn't be bullied anymore but at the same time I would have no contact with any of my "friends" because they would only communicate with me on social media. And after that, I wasn't being bullied on social media anymore, but in real life and then I've lost so many people from that because people gossiping about my insecurities out in the open made other people realize how broken, ugly, and worthless I am. I've never been diagnosed nor treated with depression but I want to get better somehow and stop having to fake a smile in front of everyone especially my own family. My parents still try to pretend like I'm fine because my depression has taken over me and the little girl I was and they never want that girl to leave but everyday I'm the one that's in pain, not them. They don't want me seeing a doctor or a therapist because they're too ashamed of me. All I want is to get better..

[lunarose]

Feeling depressed, just moved, divorce from an abusive parent, no proper friends, had blood test a few hours ago. :/

[jilyyyyy.]

It hurts so much that people on internet understand you more than people you're surrounded with.

[mychemicalromancetrash]

I want to tell my granparents that I think I'm depressed, but I'm scared they won't believe me...or will think I'm lying..idk what to do.