THE BURNS DEPRESSION CHECKLIST*

Instructions:   
The following is a list of symptoms that people sometimes have. Select the appropriate box that best describes how much you experienced the symptom during the past week.

  Thoughts and Feelings
  1. Feeling sad or down in the dumps  
  2. Feeling unhappy or blue  
  3. Crying spells or tearfulness  
  4. Feeling discouraged  
  5. Feeling hopeless  
  6. Low self-esteem  
  7. Feeling worthless or inadequate  
  8. Guilt or shame  
  9. Criticizing yourself or blaming yourself  
  10. Difficulty making decisions  
  Activities and Personal Relationships
  11. Loss of interest in family, friends or colleagues  
  12. Loneliness  
  13. Spending less time with family or friends  
  14. Loss of motivation  
  15. Loss of interest in work or other activities  
  16. Avoiding work or other activities  
  17. Loss of pleasure or satisfaction in life  
  Physical Symptoms
  18. Feeling tired  
  19. Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much  
  20. Decreased or increased appetite  
  21. Loss of interest in sex  
  22. Worrying about your health  
  Suicidal Urges**
  23. Do you have any suicidal thoughts?  
  24. Would you like to end your life?  
  25. Do you have a plan for harming yourself?  
  


* Copyright 1984 David M. Burns, M.D. (Revised, 1996)
** Anyone with suicidal urges should seek help from a mental health professional


Interpreting the Burns Depression Checklist:       

Total Score:

0-5
6-10
11-25
26-50
51-75
76-100
  
Level of Depression:

no depression
normal but unhappy
mild depression
moderate depression
severe depression
extreme depression