Depression is one of the most prevalent and serious mental illnesses in the world today. Approximately one in four women and one in eight men experience at least one bout of depression in their lifetime. Depression is a biological illness, one that often has a devastating impact on behavior, thoughts and feelings. Although depression can be triggered or worsened by specific events or problems as well as depressive thought patterns and personality traits, medical research has shown that it occurs as a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. Almost everyone has, at one point or another, experienced feelings of unhappiness, a mood that could be associated with a disruptive life event - but true depression entails a pervasive feeling of sadness that impairs general functioning and lasts for more than two weeks.

This test assesses whether the diagnostic criteria for major depression is met, and evaluates depressive thought patterns.

Overall results (score 50)

John shows some mild symptoms of depression. It does not seem to be serious, but it would be important to keep an eye on his symptoms. If they get any worse or persist for a prolonged period of time (weeks or months), he should seek help.

Depressive Symptoms (score 50)

There appears to be several indications of depression, either many of moderate intensity, or a few severe ones. While John's score is not dire, the symptoms listed below that he does possess should be reviewed carefully.

Depressive Mindset (score 69)

It appears that in some areas, John's personality, attitudes, and thinking style protect him against depression, while in others this is not the case. Researchers have noted that depressed individuals tend to be different from non-depressed individuals in a variety of areas. These include their thinking patterns, their personality, and their attitudes about the world. It would be helpful to read John's specific scale results to find out about any problem areas. Overall, when faced with the same situation as a person with a very depressive mindset, he is less likely to become depressed, although he is still somewhat vulnerable.

Maladaptive Perfectionism (score 68)

John had a medium score on Maladaptive Perfectionism. This indicates that when he fails to achieve what he sets out to do, he likely becomes angry with himself, but to a healthy extent. This is a good approach because he is learning from his mistakes so that he improves in the future, but is still leaving his self-esteem intact. People who berate themselves when they fail to reach goals are prone to depression. Such a tendency can be very damaging to a person's self-esteem.

Rumination (score 85)

John significantly over-thinks problems in his life, dwelling on them for too long and allotting them unnecessary energy. This habit likely makes issues in his life seem all the more overwhelming, often to the point where they take over his life and his thoughts. People who ruminate are vulnerable to depression because they cannot allow themselves a minute of peace. As a result, their problems tend to be magnified by the extra thought put into them. They become obsessed with relationship, career or other personal problems.

Cognitive Variables (score 70)

John tends to believe that many failures, setbacks and difficult life challenges are stable, meaning that they will not get better. Perhaps he lacks confidence in his ability to alter the outcome of a situation, or feels that other factors have control over whether things will improve. If he believes that there is room for improvement, even the most upsetting situation can be tolerated. Otherwise, he will begin to lose hope.

Internal Attribution of Failure (score 72)

John often attributes failures, setbacks and difficult life situations to internal factors, meaning that he believes that they are caused by factors within his control - factors that are his fault. This can be a really unhealthy way of thinking about failures and problems in his life. When he blames himself for many things it can really take a toll on his self-esteem. If he believes he is fundamentally incapable of dealing with issues, he may start to feel hopeless and helpless, which is a key cause of depression.

Attentional Bias (score 71)

Depressed individuals tend to be more sensitive to negative information in their environment. They manage to pick out the one unhappy face in a crowd, or notice the negative critiques and ignore the positive. This often seems to be the case with John. He is rather selective about the things he notices in his environment. He appears to have a depressive mindset and often hones in on negative information instead of focusing on the positive. When he centers his attention on negative input from the world around him, he serves to confirm any pessimistic thoughts and opinions he may have about himself. It will take a lot of work, but learning to refocus his attention could do him a world of good.

Catastrophic Thinking Patterns (score 83)

Most of the time, John tends to believe that the consequences of negative events in his life will go far beyond the actual incident. When he begins to dramatize an event, he is wasting more energy on that negative experience than is necessary. People with a depressive mindset tend to think that when something bad happens, the consequences will be severe and far-reaching. They react more strongly to such situations as a result.

Fear of Other-oriented Criticism (score 59)

John worries somewhat about what people will think of him when things go wrong in his life, but not excessively. Perhaps he is sensitive in some areas or feels more vulnerable to social scrutiny on some days than others. Unfortunately, this attitude can lead him to feel worse about his problems than he needs to. It also means that he may be less likely to seek comfort from others when he is in emotional pain.

Rigid Mindset (score 43)

John appears to have fairly flexible mindset and tends to see most issues in shades of gray rather than black and white. This will help him maintain a positive attitude and allow him to adjust when things don't go as planned. People who refuse to bend have a lot of difficulty adjusting when their expectations are not met.