Quiz: Dealing With Depression

Test your knowledge about an often misunderstood mental illness

Christina Ianzito,

AARP

En español

Published January 18, 2013

8 Questions

e9a865cd-151c-4dd9-92ac-6d068034a29b

Quiz: Dealing With Depression

[ {
 "question" : "What is depression?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Suddenly having the blues for several days for no apparent reason ",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Sadness and anxiety that last for weeks at a time",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "A normal reaction to a major loss",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "All of the above",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Depression is a treatable mental illness marked by a prolonged feeling of sadness, along with symptoms such as irritability, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, insomnia, overeating, loss of appetite, a diminished interest in activities that used to be pleasurable and difficulty concentrating.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
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}, {
 "question" : "What percentage of Americans are estimated to have depression?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "2.5",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "3.2",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "4.7",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "7.6",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reports 11.2 percent of Americans regularly had feelings of worry, nervousness or anxiety.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
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}, {
 "question" : "What group has an elevated risk for developing major depression (a diagnostic term indicating more severe symptoms)?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "People between the ages of 45 and 64",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "White males",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "College graduates ",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "All of the above",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "According to Johns Hopkins University, other people at higher risk include people who are divorced, never graduated high school, can't work, are nonwhite or don't have health insurance.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
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}, {
 "question" : "What is SAD?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Seasonal Anxiety Disorder",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Seasonal Annual Depression",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Seasonal Affective Disorder",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "None of the above",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Seasonal Affective Disorder is a kind of recurring depression that's usually triggered by less daylight in the fall and winter months. For the 4 to 6 percent of Americans who suffer from SAD (which is more prevalent in the higher latitudes, as you might expect), the light deficit appears to interfere with the body's normal hormone production and internal clock.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "What is dysthymia?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "A depression-induced temporary amnesia",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "A mild form of chronic depression",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "A rare resistance to all forms of treatment for depression",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "A brief depression caused by a death or other major loss",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Dysthymia (a Greek word that roughly translates to &quot;ill humor&quot;) is sometimes described as a &quot;low-grade&quot; depression — a long-term state marked by persistent low moods, low energy and other symptoms, but they are less severe than the symptoms of a major depression. It can be treated with medication and other methods.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which statement is false?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Elderly white men ages 80 through 84 have a suicide rate more than twice that of the general population.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Depression affects more than 6.5 million people over age 65.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Only 10 percent of older adults with depression receive treatment.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Women are less likely than men to take antidepressants.",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Women are actually 2.5 times more likely than men to take antidepressants — and 23 percent of women in their 40s and 50s take antidepressants (compared with 10 percent of all people over age 12). The other three statements are true, according to the Geriatric Mental Health Association.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "What are SSRIs?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Electroconvulsive shock treatments for severe depression",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "A class of medication used to treat depression",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Psychiatric tests that enable physicians to diagnose depression",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "None of the above",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are the most commonly prescribed type of antidepressant (under such common brand names as Prozac, Lexapro and Zoloft). They increase the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, which in many cases seems to improve symptoms of depression.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "According to “Good Housekeeping,” which of these celebrities have spoken out about having depression?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Demi Lovato, Jim Carrey, Chrissy Teigan",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Kristen Bell, Ellen DeGeneres, Taraji P. Henson",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Adele, Jon Hamm, Bruce Springsteen",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "All of the above",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Springsteen told AARP in 2016 that depression and therapy have &quot;been a huge part of my life experience.&quot;\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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Quiz: Dealing With Depression

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Christina Ianzito covers scams and fraud, and is the books editor for aarp.org and AARP The Magazine. Also a longtime travel writer and editor, she received a 2020 Lowell Thomas Award for travel writing from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.