Skip to content
PsychologyTests.org
ENZHES

Browse by category

Depression Tests and Mood Screening Tools

Depression screening tools can help summarize low mood, loss of interest, sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, guilt, and functional impact. If scores are high, persistent, or include self-harm thoughts, seek timely professional support or emergency help when needed.

Choosing a tool

Choose a questionnaire that fits the person and context. PHQ-9, MDI and Zung ask about depressive experiences in general. EPDS has a perinatal focus, GDS concerns older adults and KADS addresses adolescents.

MADRS is clinician-rated and combines interview information with observation. Grief and dissociation tools may also appear here because experiences overlap, but they ask different questions from a general depression screen.

Compare the reference period and the kind of experience being described. Loss of enjoyment, low energy, changed sleep and grief can have different backgrounds. Notes about daily functioning and recent events provide context that cannot be captured by selecting the tool with the most questions.

Compare tools in this category

Use administration method, audience, and purpose to choose an appropriate educational or screening resource.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 Item Scale (GAD-7)

Administration
Self-report
Items
7
Intended audience
Adults and older adolescents reviewing anxiety symptoms experienced during the past two weeks
Primary purpose
GAD-7 brings together seven experiences related to anxiety, including persistent worry, difficulty relaxing, restlessness and irritability.

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)

Administration
Self-report
Items
10
Intended audience
Pregnant and postpartum people reviewing mood, anxiety, and self-harm warning signs during the perinatal period
Primary purpose
The Edinburgh scale asks about emotional experiences around the postnatal period, including enjoyment, self-blame, worry, sadness and feeling overwhelmed.

Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)

Administration
Self-report
Items
30
Intended audience
Older adults, commonly age 60 or above, reviewing mood and daily-function changes associated with depression
Primary purpose
The Geriatric Depression Scale explores mood and engagement with life in older adults.

Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale - 11-Item (KADS-11)

Administration
Self-report
Items
11
Intended audience
Adolescents, commonly ages 12-17, reporting depressive symptoms and functional changes with appropriate adult or professional support available
Primary purpose
KADS asks adolescents about low mood, irritability, interest, energy and related experiences.

Major Depression Inventory (MDI)

Administration
Self-report
Items
12
Intended audience
Adults reviewing depressive symptoms and their frequency during the recent assessment period
Primary purpose
The Major Depression Inventory asks about mood, loss of interest, energy and other depressive experiences.

Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)

Administration
Clinician-rated
Items
10
Intended audience
Trained clinicians rating depressive symptom severity after an interview and clinical observation
Primary purpose
MADRS is a clinician-rated assessment covering 10 aspects of depressive symptoms.

Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

Administration
Self-report
Items
9
Intended audience
Adults and older adolescents reviewing depressive symptoms and functional impact over the past two weeks
Primary purpose
PHQ-9 asks how often nine depressive experiences occurred during the past two weeks.

Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS)

Administration
Self-report
Items
20
Intended audience
Adults reviewing emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physical symptoms associated with depression
Primary purpose
The Zung depression questionnaire combines emotional, physical and everyday-functioning experiences in 20 statements.

Primary Care PTSD Screen (DSM-5) (PC-PTSD-5)

Administration
Self-report
Items
6
Intended audience
Adults in primary-care or community settings reviewing trauma exposure and recent post-traumatic stress symptoms
Primary purpose
PC-PTSD-5 begins with a question about exposure to a traumatic event, followed by five questions about recent responses.

Available depression screening tools

AnxietyDepression

Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 Item Scale (GAD-7)

GAD-7 brings together seven experiences related to anxiety, including persistent worry, difficulty relaxing, restlessness and irritability.

7 questions
Depression

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)

The Edinburgh scale asks about emotional experiences around the postnatal period, including enjoyment, self-blame, worry, sadness and feeling overwhelmed.

10 questions
Depression

Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)

The Geriatric Depression Scale explores mood and engagement with life in older adults.

30 questions
Depression

Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale - 11-Item (KADS-11)

KADS asks adolescents about low mood, irritability, interest, energy and related experiences.

11 questions
Depression

Major Depression Inventory (MDI)

The Major Depression Inventory asks about mood, loss of interest, energy and other depressive experiences.

12 questions
Depression

Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)

MADRS is a clinician-rated assessment covering 10 aspects of depressive symptoms.

Clinician-rated worksheet
Depression

Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

PHQ-9 asks how often nine depressive experiences occurred during the past two weeks.

9 questions
Depression

Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS)

The Zung depression questionnaire combines emotional, physical and everyday-functioning experiences in 20 statements.

20 questions
DepressionStress and trauma

Primary Care PTSD Screen (DSM-5) (PC-PTSD-5)

PC-PTSD-5 begins with a question about exposure to a traumatic event, followed by five questions about recent responses.

6 questions