Think You May Be Depressed? A Screening Can Help

If you feel down for weeks or longer, and it keeps you from doing your normal, everyday activities, it could be depression. You don't have to just accept feeling that way. There are steps you can take that may help.

¿Qué es la depresión?

La depresión es algo más que sentirse triste a veces o tener un mal día. It is a group of symptoms that linger for weeks or longer that interfere with your ability to manage your day-to-day activities. La depresión puede afectar a cualquiera y a cualquier edad. About 16 million American adults experience depression each year.

Algunos de los signos de la depresión son:

• sentirse ansioso o triste con frecuencia o todo el tiempo;
• no querer hacer actividades que antes eran divertidas;
• sentirse irritable, fácilmente molesto o inquieto;
• tiene problemas para conciliar o mantener el sueño
• despertarse demasiado temprano o dormir demasiado;
• sentirse cansado, incluso después de haber dormido bien;
• comer más o menos de lo habitual o no tener apetito;
• Having aches, pains, headaches or stomach problems that do not get better with treatment
• Having trouble focusing, remembering things or making decisions
• sentir culpabilidad, inutilidad o impotencia;
• pensar en suicidarse o hacerse daño.

Detección de depresión

A depression screening, also called a depression test, helps find out if you have depression. Your primary care provider may give you a depression test if you are showing signs of depression.

Junto con un examen físico, es posible que le pregunten por su estado de ánimo, sus sentimientos y sus hábitos de sueño, y si presenta algún otro signo de depresión. You may have a physical exam to rule out health issues that may be causing depression, like anemia or thyroid disease.

Also keep in mind that depression is often missed in people who have other health problems. Be sure to talk to your doctor about it if you think you have symptoms.

Solicitar tratamiento

La buena noticia es que la depresión puede tratarse. Si cree que puede estar deprimido, el primer paso es hablar con su médico. Asegúrese de:

• compartir cómo se siente;
• contar cuánto tiempo hace que se siente así;
• responder con sinceridad a las preguntas del médico.

The most common ways to treat depression are with counseling, medicine or both. Su médico puede sugerirle que acuda a un profesional en salud mental que le ayude a encontrar el tratamiento más adecuado para usted.

Although most people with depression can get better with the right treatment, only about 35 percent of people with severe depression get help from a mental health professional, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

You can learn more about depression treatment from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Seguir el plan

Therapy or counseling with a licensed mental health professional can help people find ways to better cope with issues impacting their mental health. Al igual que ocurre con las enfermedades físicas, las personas con problemas de salud mental también pueden necesitar medicarse para mejorar.

Therapy and medicine together, when recommended by your doctor, has been shown in some cases to be an effective way to manage the symptoms of some mental health disorders.

Cuando los medicamentos forman parte de un plan de tratamiento, su cumplimiento es muy importante. Medicine compliance is an agreement to take the prescribed dose, at the right time for the recommended length of time. It can be a shared decision between the person, their mental health provider and often a family member involved in their care.

Keeping to a medication plan can be hard to do. It is not unusual for some people to not take their medicine as directed. And some don't take it at all. But failing to stick to the plan can hurt their quality of life or cause complications or a relapse.

If you have a hard time taking your medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. They may have tips for keeping up with medication plans. Setting reminders on your phone or using pillboxes to help organize your medicine may help.

Buscar ayuda

If you’re having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please get help right away. You can call or text 988 or visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline site at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Su salud mental es tan importante como su salud física. If you're struggling, call your primary care doctor. Don't put it off. If you have depression, it's important to get treatment. The sooner you get treatment, the sooner you may start to feel better.

Fuentes: Afecciones mentales: Depresión y ansiedad, Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades, 2023; Detección de depresión, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2022; Major Depression, National Institute of Mental Health, 2023; Buscar ayuda, Administración de Servicios de Salud Mental y Abuso de Sustancias, 2023; About Mental Health, CDC, 2025; For Friends and Family Members, SAMHSA, 2023; Technical Interventions for Medication Adherence in Adult Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review, JMIR Publications, 2019; Clinical Challenges: Adherence to Psychiatric Drugs, MedpageToday.com, 2019