Depression – Diagnostic Interviewing
OPEN QUESTION – How have you been feeling in yourself lately?
CLOSED QUESTIONS
Mood
- Have you felt low or depressed in yourself lately?
- Have you felt low/depressed/tearful every day, for most of the day, in the last two weeks?
- How does that affect you? (empathy) It must be difficult to feel like that over such a long period. Tell me a bit more about the way you feel.
- Does your mood improve or get worse as the day goes on (Diurnal variation)
- When was the last time you smiled? (Mood)
- On a scale of 1 to 10, if 10 was really, really down, where would you put yourself?
Anhedonia
- What are kinds of things that you normally enjoy doing? (Anhedonia)
- Have you been enjoying these activities as much as you’ve done in the past? (Anhedonia)
- When was the last time you were involved in (activity) (Anhedonia)
Anergia
- If have children/or working – Having two children must be quite a handful, I wonder how your energy levels keep up? (Anergia)
- Have you been feeling unusually tired in yourself lately? (Anergia)
- How have your energy levels been over the past couple of weeks?
Concentration/Decision Making
- Have you been able to focus on things lately?
- What’s your concentration like?
- When you watch TV, are you able to follow what you watch?
- Do you find it difficult to read books because you can’t concentrate? (if mention of reading as a hobby)
- Have you had problems making decisions?
- How has that affected you? (empathy)
- Can you watch a half-hour television show from start to finish without losing your focus?
Appetite
- Since you’ve been feeling low, have you noticed any changes in your appetite?
- Since you’ve been feeling low, have you noticed any changes to your weight?
- Has it increased, decreased or stayed the same?
- Have your clothes got any bigger or smaller on you?
- Do you actually enjoy food as you usually would?
Sleep
- What has your sleep been like lately?
- Do you find it difficult to fall asleep? (Initial insomnia)
- Do you find it difficult to stay asleep? (Middle insomnia)
- What time do you wake up? (Early morning wakening)
- Is that usual for you?
Hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness
- How do you see the future?
- Do you see a future?
- Is there anything hurting your conscience?
- Do you ever blame yourself for what you are going through/experiencing?
- How do you feel about yourself as a person?
- How would you describe your confidence, self esteem?
- Do you feel other people would be better off without you?
Suicide
- Have things got so bad, that you feel like life is not worth living?
- What thoughts have you had?
- How close have you come to doing any of the things you mentioned?
- What stops you?
- It is not unusual/sometimes when people feel low they may have thoughts of suicide/not wanting to be here… Have you ever felt that way?
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