Dysthymia Test: Free Persistent Depressive Disorder Screening

Use this private dysthymia test to check patterns of chronic low mood, low energy, self-esteem, focus, sleep, appetite, and hopelessness. Your answers stay in your browser and are not stored.

Start Test How Results Work

Why duration matters

Dysthymia is different from a short rough patch. Clinicians look for a long-lasting pattern, often two years or more in adults.

Take the Dysthymia Screening Test

Answer based on your usual pattern, especially symptoms that have lasted many months or years.

This is a screening aid, not a diagnosis. If you may hurt yourself, call 988 in the U.S. or local emergency services now.

Question 1: Have you felt down, low, or emotionally flat for much of your normal week?

Question 2: Has your low mood lasted for many months or years rather than only a brief period?

Question 3: Do you often feel tired, slowed down, or low on energy even after rest?

Question 4: Do you struggle with low self-esteem, self-criticism, or feeling not good enough?

Question 5: Do you have trouble concentrating, deciding, or staying mentally clear?

Question 6: Do you sleep too little, sleep too much, or wake feeling unrefreshed?

Question 7: Has your appetite often been lower or higher than usual during low-mood periods?

Question 8: Do you feel pessimistic, hopeless, or unable to imagine things improving?

Question 9: Do you function at school, work, or home but feel like you are pushing through rather than feeling well?

Question 10: Have there been few breaks where your mood felt clearly better for more than a couple of months?

How this persistent depressive disorder test works

This dysthymia screening test combines two ideas users usually need: symptom burden and duration. A high score does not prove persistent depressive disorder, but it can show that your pattern deserves a calmer, more structured conversation with a clinician.

Persistent depressive disorder is commonly described as a long-term depressed mood with symptoms such as low energy, low self-esteem, sleep or appetite changes, poor concentration, and hopelessness. In adults, the duration pattern is often at least two years; for children and teens, clinicians may use one year and irritability can be part of the picture.

If your score is elevated, consider saving or printing your result and writing down when symptoms began, what makes them worse, and whether you have had any symptom-free periods. That timeline is often more useful than a single score.

How to use the test

  1. Answer each question based on your usual pattern, not only how you feel today.
  2. Use the result to decide whether to take the PHQ-9, track your symptom timeline, or speak with a clinician.
  3. If your score is moderate or high, write down duration, symptom-free breaks, sleep changes, appetite changes, and any safety concerns before an appointment.

Example result

For example, someone who chooses "Often" for chronic low mood, duration, low energy, low self-esteem, and limited symptom-free breaks may receive a moderate result. That output does not label them with dysthymia; it suggests that persistent depressive disorder should be discussed with a qualified professional.

Score guide

Score Meaning
0-7 Low current pattern
8-15 Mild persistent symptoms
16-22 Moderate persistent symptoms
23-30 High persistent symptom pattern

Dysthymia vs major depression

Dysthymia, now commonly called persistent depressive disorder, is often less intense than a major depressive episode but lasts longer. Major depression may feel more acute and disruptive over a shorter period, while dysthymia can become so familiar that people describe it as their normal personality or baseline mood.

Some people experience both: a chronic low mood with periods of more severe depression. That pattern is sometimes called double depression. Because bipolar disorder, grief, trauma, thyroid problems, substance use, and medication effects can resemble depression, a professional evaluation is important when symptoms persist.

When to seek help

  • Your low mood has lasted months or years.
  • You keep functioning but feel emotionally worn down most days.
  • Sleep, appetite, focus, or self-worth are repeatedly affected.
  • Your score is moderate or high, especially with hopelessness.
  • You have thoughts of self-harm, suicide, or not wanting to be alive.

Related screening tools

PHQ-9 Depression Test

Use a standardized two-week depression severity screener and compare your score ranges.

High-Functioning Depression Test

Check hidden symptoms when you are keeping up externally but struggling internally.

Persistent Depressive Disorder Guide

Learn symptoms, diagnosis considerations, treatment options, and long-term management.

Score Interpretation Guide

Understand what depression screening scores can and cannot tell you.

Sources and clinical context

This page uses plain-language screening guidance and links to authoritative educational sources. It does not replace clinical assessment.

Dysthymia Test FAQ

Quick answers before and after taking the persistent depression test.

No. It can help you organize symptoms, but diagnosis requires a clinical interview and sometimes medical checks to rule out other causes.

Dysthymia is an older term. Persistent depressive disorder is the current diagnostic term and is often described as a chronic form of depression.

Yes, it can be useful. This dysthymia test focuses on persistence and chronic patterns, while the PHQ-9 measures recent two-week depression severity.

A high score is a signal to speak with a mental health professional or primary care clinician. Bring your symptom timeline and any PHQ-9 results if you have them.