Diagnostic Tests for Depression

Diagnostic Test list for Depression: The list of diagnostic tests mentioned in various sources as used in the diagnosis of Depression includes:

• Psychological assessment
• Mental status examination

Tests and diagnosis discussion for Depression: The first step to getting appropriate treatment for depression is a physical examination by a physician. Certain medications as well as some medical conditions such as a viral infection can cause the same symptoms as depression, and the physician should rule out these possibilities through examination, interview, and lab tests. If a physical cause for the depression is ruled out, a psychological evaluation should be done, by the physician or by referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist.

A good diagnostic evaluation will include a complete history of symptoms, i.e., when they started, how long they have lasted, how severe they are, whether the patient had them before and, if so, whether the symptoms were treated and what treatment was given. The doctor should ask about alcohol and drug use, and if the patient has thoughts about death or suicide. Further, a history should include questions about whether other family members have had a depressive illness and, if treated, what treatments they may have received and which were effective.

Last, a diagnostic evaluation should include a mental status examination to determine if speech or thought patterns or memory have been affected, as sometimes happens in the case of a depressive or manic-depressive illness. ¹

Symptoms of depression include sad mood, loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed, change in appetite or weight, difficulty sleeping or oversleeping, physical slowing or agitation, energy loss, feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt, difficulty thinking or concentrating, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. A diagnosis of major depressive disorder is made if a person has 5 or more of these symptoms and impairment in usual functioning nearly every day during the same two-week period.²

Diagnosis of Depression: medical news summaries: The following medical news items are relevant to diagnosis of Depression:

• Awareness of bipolar disorder symptoms results in quicker treatment
• Cardiac Syndrome X is a difficult to diagnose heart condition
• Certain factors can increase the risk of postpartum depression
• Depressed adolescents may have a different brain structure
• Depressed pregnant women are more likely to have low birth weight babies
• Depression may be triggered by overactive brain
• Depression treatment is often successful
• Different types of sleep disorders plague many millions of Americans
• Doubts over the real cause of depression
• Effect of depression amplifies through generations
• Gender-specific health differences need further examination
• Hypothyroidism frequently misdiagnosed or undiagnosed
• Implanted device alleviates previously untreatable seizure problems
• Multiple sclerosis occurs in 1.1 million people worldwide
• New device allows rapid testing for hypothyroidism
• PET scans have a 91% accuracy for Alzheimer’s diagnosis
• Pschological disorder incidence higher in diabetics
• Reduced libido could be caused by a number of conditions
• Researchers discover altered gene activity in people with depression
• Restless Leg Syndrome still difficult to diagnose
• Symptoms of old age may be similar to many other treatable conditions
• Thyroid disease frequently undiagnosed
• Thyroid disorder underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed
• Trichotillomania is a rare compulsive hair pulling disorder

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