Depression Assessment & Diagnosis
People don’t always realise they’re dealing with depression straight away.
Sometimes it looks like feeling sad most of the time. Sometimes it’s more like feeling flat, tired, disconnected or just not quite like yourself. You might be getting through work and daily life, but everything feels harder than it used to. Things you normally enjoy may not interest you much anymore, and even small tasks can start to feel like an effort.
You may also be wondering whether depression is actually the right explanation. Low mood can overlap with anxiety, ADHD, burnout, grief, Bipolar Disorder and other mental health concerns, which is why it can be hard to make sense of it on your own.
A Depression assessment at Psych Sami & Co gives you the chance to sit down with a registered psychologist and look properly at what has been going on, how long it has been there, and what might be contributing.
The point isn’t to force a diagnosis. It’s to get a clearer understanding of what you’re experiencing and what would be useful from here.
What a Depression Assessment Involves
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Confidential Video Consultation
Your first appointment is a private 50-minute video session with a registered psychologist.
You can talk through what has been happening in your own words. That might include low mood, loss of motivation, changes in sleep or appetite, feeling emotionally numb, struggling to concentrate, becoming more withdrawn, or simply feeling as though life has become much harder work.
You do not need to arrive with a neat explanation.
Your psychologist will ask questions to understand when things started, whether there have been similar periods before, and how your mood is affecting day-to-day life.
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Discussion of your experiences
Depression doesn’t look exactly the same for everyone.
Some people feel deeply sad. Others mostly feel exhausted, irritable, detached or unable to enjoy much of anything.
You might be sleeping far more than usual, or hardly sleeping at all. You may be avoiding people, finding it hard to make decisions, or feeling guilty about things that normally wouldn’t bother you.
What matters is the overall pattern and how much it is getting in the way of your life.
We also look at whether anything else could be contributing. Anxiety, grief, stress, trauma, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder and other concerns can sometimes produce symptoms that look similar on the surface.
That is one of the reasons a proper assessment can be more useful than trying to match yourself to a symptom list.
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Use of validated assessment tool/s
Your psychologist may use questionnaires or other recognised assessment tools during the process.
These can help give some structure to the assessment and show how strongly certain symptoms are affecting you.
They are not the whole assessment.
A questionnaire cannot tell us what was happening in your life when things changed, whether your mood comes and goes, or whether another issue might be sitting underneath it.
That is why the results are looked at alongside your history and what comes up in session.
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Feedback and recommendations
Once there is enough information, your psychologist will talk you through what they have found.
If your symptoms appear consistent with depression, they’ll explain what that means. If something else seems more likely, or if there is a mix of things going on, that will be part of the conversation too.
From there, you can talk about what might help.
That may include therapy, practical changes, further assessment, or speaking with your GP or another health professional.
The important part is that you leave with a clearer sense of what is happening and what your next step could be.
FAQs about Depression assessments
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It may be worth looking into if you have been feeling low, flat, exhausted or unlike yourself for a while and it is starting to affect everyday life.
You might notice changes in your sleep, appetite, motivation, concentration or interest in things you would normally enjoy.
Sometimes people seek an assessment because they are not sure whether they are depressed at all. They just know that something has changed.
That is enough reason to have the conversation.
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No.
Online quizzes can sometimes give you a rough indication that depressive symptoms may be present, but they cannot explain why you are feeling the way you are.
They also cannot properly separate depression from things like grief, burnout, anxiety, ADHD, trauma or Bipolar Disorder.
We may use questionnaires as part of the assessment, but they are one source of information rather than the answer.
The assessment is done online. It is not an online self-test.
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For many people, getting to an appointment when they are feeling low or exhausted can be difficult in itself.
Video consultations mean you can speak with a psychologist from home without needing to travel or sit in a waiting room.
You are still speaking directly with a registered psychologist throughout the process. The format is simply more flexible.
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That depends on what comes out of it.
If depression appears to be part of what you’re experiencing, your psychologist can talk with you about treatment and support options.
That may include therapy, practical strategies, speaking with your GP, or further assessment if something else may also be contributing.
If depression does not appear to be the best explanation, we’ll talk through that too.
The goal is not to hand you a label and send you on your way. It is to help you understand what is going on and what might actually help.
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For many people, a Depression assessment can be conducted effectively by video.
What matters is whether your psychologist can gather enough information to understand your symptoms, history and current circumstances.
If something comes up that needs further assessment or another type of appointment, we’ll explain that clearly.
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Most assessments take place over two or three appointments of around 50 minutes each.
Some are more straightforward than others.
If your symptoms overlap with other concerns, or there are parts of your history that need more exploration, the process may take a little longer.
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A formal diagnosis may be provided where it is clinically appropriate and supported by the assessment.
If you need a written report, we can also talk with you about what is required and whether there is an additional fee.
Not everyone needs formal documentation. Some people mainly want a clearer understanding of what they are dealing with and what to do next.
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Your assessment will be conducted by a registered psychologist.
They will guide you through the process, explain what they are looking at and help you understand how the different pieces fit together.
If another health professional needs to be involved, they’ll explain that as well.
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Choose an available appointment through the online booking system, via the button below.
You’ll receive a short intake form before your first session so we have some background information before we meet.
You do not need to know exactly what is wrong before you book. That is part of what the assessment is there to help with.