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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Is there a specific test to detect severe depression e.g. CAT Scan?

    Related Topics
    Depression Mental Health
    A friend of mine with very severe Depression had some sort of test several years ago that showed up the actual area in the brain that was affected.
    Does anybody know the name of this test?
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    Thanks

    Dr Clive Jones

    Counselling Psychologist, Counsellor, Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Sport Psychologist

    Dr Clive Jones is a registered psychologist specialising in the assessment and treatment of mental health issues and disorders and High Performance Sport psychology. He … View Profile

    You don't need a CAT scan to determine whether or not someone is severely depressed. As you would know, being a friend of someone severely depressed, they will know it if they are and so will those closest to them.


    Detecting changes in the brain of someone severely depressed is not to be confused with finding evidence of cause or aetiology. There is a very delicate reciprocal relationship between the biology, psychology and social environment of the individual whereby each of these three components of human existence contribute significantly to our emotional state and mental health.

    The plasticity of the brains biology means that our social environments can change our brains biology and reciprocally our brains biology will influence how we engage our social environment.

    The biopsychosocial complexity of severe depression and any other mental health state suggests that the unique path taken by each individual in that state has to be treated with the utmost respect for the uniqueness of the case.

    Feel free to email if you need anything clarified on what I'm getting at here.

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