Are You Depressed? Google May Help You Decide

Today in, You Can Ask Google Literally Anything: Am I Clinically Depressed?

Google has partnered with National Alliance on Mental Illness to help folks determine if they are clinically depressed. They hope this will not only raise awareness, but also encourage treatment. 

OR SO THEY SAY. 

I read a dozen articles this morning discussing this new feature (here, here, here, and here).

From The Google:

The clinically-validated questionnaire, called PHQ-9, is a private self-assessment that will provide a score indicating the severity of the user’s depression. Google says the information will not be recorded or shared. Rather, the goal is for the results of the test to be shared with the user’s doctor to inform further conversations about diagnosis and treatment.

Now, I'm not saying Google lies, but I searched the following:

Depression

Depressed

Am I Depressed?

Clinical Depression

And here's what I got:

And this:

And finally, this:

Now, I'm not saying Google is lying. I'm just saying, if I WERE depressed, that search did not help me. 

Maybe Google already knows I'm depressed?

Either way, this is another in an attempt for Google to (ostensibly) be helpful, which I do applaud (even if it failed miserably in this instance).

If you are depressed, or think you are depressed, here are some thorough screening tools you can use:

Mental Health America

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

Psych Central

And for Postpartum Depression, from the Postpartum Health Alliance.

As always, if you are suicidal, call: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)