3 Tips For Taking A Stress, Anxiety, And Depression Test Or Screening

In the mental health field, there are all kinds of tests designed to check your mood, measure your anxiety and stress levels, or see if you might be living with depression. While such tests aren’t intended to act as standalone tools for providing a diagnosis, they might help you or your mental health care provider learn more about the symptoms you may be experiencing in order to inform next steps. See below for general information about these three mental health challenges, the tests that may be used to identify symptoms, and some stress, anxiety, and depression test secrets to consider before taking tests like these so you can feel well-prepared.

About stress, anxiety disorders, and depression

These three mental health challenges are common, but each one has the potential to negatively impact an adolescent’s or adult’s daily functioning, quality of life, and long-term mental and physical well-being. Let’s start by taking a quick look at the causes, effects, and typical treatment methods for each one.

Stress

Stress is a normal part of daily life, but it can cause problems when it’s chronic and/or not managed in a healthy way. Examples of these problems include trouble sleeping, decreased cognitive and brain function, emotional control challenges, increased risk of a variety of health conditions from heart disease to depression to substance misuse (formerly referred to as substance abuse), and more. 

If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.

Stress can be caused by environmental factors and sometimes exacerbated by mental illnesses. Treatment to reduce symptoms usually involves making positive lifestyle changes (such as exercising and routinely getting a good night’s sleep), learning relaxation techniques, and developing healthy ways of dealing with stress. Talk therapy may also help.

Anxiety and anxiety disorder types

As the American Psychiatric Association said, finding that you feel anxious can be a natural and even helpful reaction to stress. It’s when anxiety becomes chronic, intense, and/or is not managed in a healthy way that it may represent a diagnosable disorder. Anxiety disorders are one of the most common types of mental health conditions today. 

Examples of anxiety disorders per the Anxiety and Depression Association of America—which may be caused by a combination of genetics, personality, and environmental factors—include:

• Generalized anxiety disorder

• Panic disorder

• Specific phobias or fears

• Social anxiety disorder

The Anxiety and Depression Association also notes that other mental illnesses that are not officially classified as anxiety disorders may feature some form of anxiety as a possible symptom too. Examples include obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Treatment for conditions like all those listed here usually involves some form of talk therapy, sometimes in combination with medication.

Depression

According to the Mental Health Services Administration, depression is a serious mental illness—meaning it’s more than just that you briefly feel depressed, “blue,” or “down in the dumps.” Instead, it’s a diagnosable disorder with specific symptoms that typically requires treatment. There are many different types—from major depression to postnatal depression to seasonal affective disorder—but most tend to have some common symptoms, such as:

• A lack of interest in activities once enjoyed

• A persistent sense of sadness and hopelessness

• A sense of guilt and low self-worth

• Low energy and lethargy

• Significant changes in eating and/or sleeping patterns

It may depend on the type, but depression is generally thought to be caused by some combination of genetics and environmental factors as well. Treatment for depression is similar to treatment for anxiety: It usually includes some type of talk therapy and healthy lifestyle changes, and medication may be recommended in some cases as well.

Taking one of these tests on your own test time is not a substitute for professional mental health care, and you can’t receive a clinical diagnosis from one. Instead, they’re designed to be tools you can use to better understand your symptoms. They may also represent the encouragement you may need to see a doctor or mental health professional for the emotional or behavioral challenges you might be experiencing. If you take one of these tests in a clinical setting, the provider will likely use it to get a better idea of your symptoms so they can provide a customized, maximally effective treatment plan.

Three stress, anxiety, and depression test secrets and tips

If you’re preparing to take a stress, anxiety, and depression test on your own or with a healthcare provider, looking over these tips and reminders before test day may be helpful.

1. These tests are informational tools, not sources of diagnoses or substitutes for care

Again, remember that taking a stress, anxiety, and depression test on your own is intended to be a source of information rather than any kind of diagnostic tool or treatment method. They can help you learn to recognize signs that may indicate you could benefit from seeking professional support. 

Even if a qualified clinician administers one of these tests, they’re unlikely to use the test taking as the only factor in making a diagnosis, if applicable. Instead, it may be one of several methods they use to gather information about your circumstances, symptoms, and thought patterns in order to decide on the best course of action to recommend.

2. Read carefully, as each test may be different

There are no “wrong” answers when it comes to questions about your mental or emotional health. However, misinterpreting a question could give you, your therapist, or your doctor the idea that you may need a different course of treatment. That’s why it can be important to read each question carefully before responding—especially because one type of test may be worded or organized differently from the next.

For example, if the questions are multiple choice or on a scale from one to ten, ensure you know what each number or response represents. If the number one stands for "always" and ten stands for "never," you might get an incorrect result if you mistakenly use one for "never." If you have questions about a test being administered to you or need accommodations to help you understand and take it, ask your care provider.

3. It’s generally best to be honest about your mental health on such tests

It’s advisable to answer these types of test questions honestly—particularly when the test is being administered by a healthcare professional. That way, you’ll be most likely to get the care that you need. Try not to choose the answers you believe you’re "supposed" to choose and instead respond in a way that reflects your lived experiences accurately. 

If you're nervous about what your therapist or doctor might say about your results, another of the stress, anxiety, and depression test secrets is to let them know about your hesitance or feelings of test anxiety beforehand. They may be able to help you feel more comfortable before you get started. 

Discussing your results with a mental health professional

If you take one of these tests on your own, it’s usually recommended that you discuss the results with a professional afterward—especially if they indicate you may have a problem with stress or could be experiencing an anxiety disorder or depression. A qualified therapist who provides mental health services, for example, can discuss the results with you as a starting point for learning more about your symptoms. They may then do additional testing, provide a diagnosis if applicable, and suggest treatment and coping skills as needed.

If you feel nervous regarding opening up to a therapist about your mental health, you may feel more comfortable doing so virtually rather than in person. Online therapy has become more popular in recent years for the comfort and convenience it can provide, so it may be worth exploring if it better suits your needs or preferences. With a platform like BetterHelp, you can get matched with a licensed therapist who you can meet with via phone, video call, and/or in-app messaging from the comfort of home. More than one systematic review of literature on the topic suggests that online therapy can offer similar outcomes to in-person therapy in many cases, so you can generally feel confident in choosing whichever format you’re most comfortable with.