Free Depression Test? You Can Skip This Step in Your Journey

As a therapist, one of the most frequently reinforced tools by insurance companies over the past several years has been to incorporate the use of a standardized depression "test" or "questionnaire" that is sent to clients before each session. This depression test (also referred to as a depression quiz, depression questionnaire, depression scale, or depression survey) is referred to as the PHQ-9 by in mental health. This is a 9 question "test" that asks about the frequency of some typical depression symptoms. This tool is public and can be found all over the web. The higher the score, the more at risk for having depression. The concept is fairly simplistic, but it's important to truly understand the "why" behind the tests. 

By using a standardized test, insurance companies are stating that this means that therapists will be forced to use "Evidenced Based Care." Overall, using a therapy technique that has shown evidence of being effective, is not only ethical and moral, but the entire goal of therapy in general. Nobody would want to spend their time and money to work with a therapist who uses tools that are completely ineffective. 

However, the use of these depression tests are often a push by insurance companies to apply statistics to feelings and emotions. Some large insurance companies and large Telehealth platforms can even use the results of these standardized questionnaires to deny care. 

While I do request my clients to complete these screenings before our first session, my practice always includes a discussion with my clients. I explain the role of the depression screenings/ depression tests and my thoughts on the topic. I explain that in my experience, these tests capture a moment in time. The way that you may give yourself a score may depend on how rushed you are leading into the session, how seriously you take the screenings, and the desire to capture your emotions.