Screening self-tests are tools that help you look at your mental health or wellness. These tests look for signs or symptoms that can show up in some mental illnesses. They can also help you look at patterns of feelings or patterns of substance use.

While these self-tests can’t always take every situation or events that affect wellness into account, they can give you a snapshot of your feelings. Simply taking a few minutes to think about the way you feel can help guide you to areas of your life that need extra attention, regardless of your self-test results. It’s also a good way to learn about signs and symptoms to watch out for, even if you’re feeling okay right now.

Remember, your self-test results are not a substitute for a medical diagnosis. 

If you’re concerned about any aspect of your health and wellness, it’s best to talk to your doctor or other health care provider. However, these self-tests are a good way to start a conversation with your doctor or someone else who’s supporting you. You can even print out your results and bring them to your appointment. This can be very helpful if you’re nervous about talking with your doctor or have a hard time describing what you’re feeling.

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Stress

"Stress” is a term that is commonly used in everyday life. It is a normal physical, emotional, and mental response to any challenge. Good stress is a balance between arousal and relaxation that can help you concentrate and achieve what you want. Bad stress is too much stress, such as the constant worry over school and relationships. 

Stress can come from events and situations that happen to you (e.g., family, relationships, exams and assignments, unexpected bills, an overwhelming workload, and noisy neighbours). Many of these things you cannot change and are beyond your control. Stress can also come from within you (e.g., fear, uncertainty about the future, unrealistic expectations, and negative thinking). 

The Difference Between Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety have similar symptoms. However, stress tends to be short term and in response to a recognizable threat. Anxiety may linger and not have an easily identifiable trigger. The Stress vs Anxiety button below explains the differences and similarities between stress and anxiety and looks at treatment and management strategies.

Sadness

Sadness is a normal reaction to a loss, disappointment, problems, or other difficult situations. Feeling sad from time to time is just another part of being human. In these cases, feelings of sadness go away quickly and you can go about your daily life. Other ways to talk about sadness might be ‘feeling low,’ ‘feeling down,’ or ‘feeling blue.’ A person may say they are feeling ‘depressed,’ but if it goes away on its own and doesn’t impact life in a big way, it probably isn’t the illness of depression.

Depression

Depression is a mental illness that affects your mood, the way you understand yourself, and the way you understand and relate to things around you. It can also go by different names, such as clinical depression, major depressive disorder, or major depression. Depression can come up for no reason, and it lasts for a long time. It’s much more than sadness or low mood. People who experience depression may feel worthless or hopeless. They may feel unreasonable guilty. Some people may experience depression as anger or irritability. It may be hard to concentrate or make decisions. Most people lose interest in things that they used to enjoy and may isolate themselves from others. There are also physical signs of depression, such as problems with sleep, appetite and energy and unexplainable aches or pains. Some may experience difficult thoughts about death or ending their life (suicide). Depression lasts longer than two weeks, doesn’t usually go away on its own, and impacts your life. It’s a real illness, and it is very treatable. It’s important to seek help if you’re concerned about depression.