MindCheck gives everyone free and private online assessment for stress, anxiety and depression

Dec. 17, 2018 - PRLog -- Depression, anxiety and stress have reached global epidemic proportions. According to the World Health Organisation, 300 million people of all ages currently suffer from depression. That is equivalent to about the same amount of people living in the entire USA, the third most populated country in the world, or nearly half of the population of Europe. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide.

According to WHO data cited in Forbes, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death globally for 15-29 year-olds, and is at record-breaking levels for students in high-income countries. In the U.K., for example, suicide rate in students rose by 56% between 2007 and 2016.

Anxiety is also a major problem. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.

In the UK, approximately 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem each year. In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week.

In Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1 in 5 Australians experience a mental health condition in a given year and 45% will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lifetime.

The problem is so serious and so widespread that mental health was included in the UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015.

Most mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and stress are highly treatable. Yet, only a fraction of the population seeks treatment. In the US, for example, researchers found that of all people living with anxiety, only 36.9% receive treatment.

"That is why I developed MindCheck," says Ricardo, MindCheck creator. "People need to understand what they are experiencing and seek treatment. They need to understand that those are treatable conditions and they can feel better again." Ricardo himself suffered from debilitating Panic Attacks, Generalised Anxiety Disorder and the occasional states of depression that frequently accompany people with chronic anxiety.

MindCheck is a free and private website / application that allows everyone to take a quick assessment of their states of stress, anxiety and depression. The test is based on a scientifically validated questionnaire that is already widely used by medical doctors, mental health professionals and researches in the field. Users don't need to register or put their names in to take MindCheck. They can just do it anonymously and get a report at the end.

The test is for self-awareness and is not a complete mental health assessment. This can only be given by qualified mental health professionals after a comprehensive examination. MindCheck is mostly used to enable self-awareness of one's condition and direct them to seek qualified help. "The aim is to help people understand what they are experiencing and nudge them into finding qualified people who can help," says Ricardo.

MindCheck is also a tool for doctors and mental health professionals. Because it uses a scientifically proven and widely accepted questionnaire, it enables doctors and mental health professionals to pre-screen their patients electronically. They can send the assessment via SMS, email or just hand in a mobile device to the patient to take the test on the spot. The patient's results are calculated automatically for the doctor and saved for future reference of improvement (when given by a doctor or mental health professional).

MindCheck can be accessed on mobile devices or desktop computers by going to https://mindcheck.me and it is free and private for individuals, so everyone can take the test any time and how many times they want, from anywhere in the world.