Depression Assessment
A detailed private Backing U self-assessment designed to help you reflect on low mood and reduced functioning, including loss of interest, low energy, hopelessness, withdrawal and difficulty completing ordinary tasks. It looks across persistent sadness, emptiness or low mood, reduced interest or pleasure in normally meaningful activities, low energy, slowed motivation or exhaustion, self-critical, hopeless or pessimistic thinking and withdrawal and reduced everyday functioning. The assessment contains 20 questions and is intended to give you a structured wellbeing snapshot, highlight the areas having the greatest effect, and provide practical recommendations for what to do next. It is not designed to diagnose a condition or replace an individual professional assessment.
The Depression Assessment is a Backing U educational wellbeing and self-reflection tool. It is not a validated diagnostic instrument, does not provide a clinical diagnosis and does not replace individual assessment or advice from a qualified professional. Scores are influenced by how questions are understood and by the timeframe selected. If several items are marked N/A, the total may be lower and should be interpreted cautiously; individual responses may be more informative than the total score. If difficulties are severe, rapidly worsening, affecting basic functioning or creating safety concerns, seek appropriate professional or urgent support. External resources are provided for further reading and support only. They are operated by independent Australian or UK organisations and their inclusion does not imply endorsement of this Backing U tool.
I have noticed persistent sadness, emptiness or low mood.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Persistent sadness, emptiness or low mood has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Persistent sadness, emptiness or low mood has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of persistent sadness, emptiness or low mood.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have noticed reduced interest or pleasure in normally meaningful activities.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Reduced interest or pleasure in normally meaningful activities has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Reduced interest or pleasure in normally meaningful activities has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of reduced interest or pleasure in normally meaningful activities.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have noticed low energy, slowed motivation or exhaustion.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Low energy, slowed motivation or exhaustion has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Low energy, slowed motivation or exhaustion has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of low energy, slowed motivation or exhaustion.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have noticed self-critical, hopeless or pessimistic thinking.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Self-critical, hopeless or pessimistic thinking has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Self-critical, hopeless or pessimistic thinking has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of self-critical, hopeless or pessimistic thinking.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have noticed withdrawal and reduced everyday functioning.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Withdrawal and reduced everyday functioning has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Withdrawal and reduced everyday functioning has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of withdrawal and reduced everyday functioning.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Keep or share a copy of your result
You can email a copy of this result to yourself. You can separately choose whether Backing U may receive an anonymous copy of your responses and result for quality improvement and research.
The Depression Assessment is a Backing U educational wellbeing and self-reflection tool. It is not a validated diagnostic instrument, does not provide a clinical diagnosis and does not replace individual assessment or advice from a qualified professional. Scores are influenced by how questions are understood and by the timeframe selected. If several items are marked N/A, the total may be lower and should be interpreted cautiously; individual responses may be more informative than the total score. If difficulties are severe, rapidly worsening, affecting basic functioning or creating safety concerns, seek appropriate professional or urgent support. External resources are provided for further reading and support only. They are operated by independent Australian or UK organisations and their inclusion does not imply endorsement of this Backing U tool.