The first question therapists ask when diagnosing depression targets sadness or lost interest, the article reports.

Licensed practitioners follow structured guidelines drawn from established medical manuals.

Clinicians measure how long symptoms have lasted and how severe they feel.

They also check whether mood problems disrupt work, relationships, and daily functioning.

Screening includes physiological changes such as sleep or appetite disruptions.

Interviews are designed to rule out other medical conditions before a psychiatric diagnosis.

Early identification can speed treatment and reduce the risk of escalating symptoms.

U.S. clinicians keep refining these interviews as psychiatric research evolves.

Read the full article for more details on the first depression screening question.