Do I need to see a psychiatrist? A 3-minute self-check

This self-check helps you decide whether it is time to see a psychiatrist. It asks about the past month, because a few hard days are part of life, while problems that last or keep coming back are more likely to need care.

The questions cover the reasons people most often see a psychiatrist:

• low mood, loss of interest, and worry or panic;
• big changes in sleep;
• the effect on study, work and family life;
• using alcohol, drugs or sleeping pills to cope;
• unwanted thoughts or habits that are hard to control, such as checking or washing again and again;
• spells of unusually high energy, and unusual experiences such as hearing things other people don't.

Mental health conditions are common, and effective prevention and treatment options exist¹. The last question asks about thoughts of death or self-harm, so that anyone who needs urgent help sees it straight away.

Questions 1 to 10 each score from 0 (“Rarely or never”) to 3 (“Almost always”), so the total runs from 0 to 30. The total places your answers in one of three result ranges:

Two answers lead to the third result whatever the total:

• Spells of very high energy with little need for sleep, answered “Often” or more. These can be a sign of mania, which is part of bipolar disorder³.
• Hearing or seeing things others don't, or feeling that people are against you, answered “Sometimes” or more. These can be signs of psychosis², and are best assessed by a psychiatrist soon.

Question 11, about thoughts of death or self-harm, is not added to the total. Any answer other than “Rarely or never” opens a panel with urgent help at once. You can still finish the self-check and see your result.

Your result describes a pattern in your answers, not you as a person. It is a self-check, not a diagnosis: only a qualified professional can assess what is going on, after talking with you and considering your physical health.

• No strong signs right now: your answers don't point to a need for specialist care at the moment. If something still bothers you, it is fine to talk to someone.
• A professional opinion could help: some difficulties are affecting you. If they have lasted two weeks or more, a consultation can help you make sense of them.
• Seeing a psychiatrist is a good next step: your answers suggest significant difficulties, or include experiences a psychiatrist should assess.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specialises in mental health. A psychiatrist can make a diagnosis, check for physical causes and explain the options, which may be talking therapy, medicine or both. A clinical psychologist assesses and treats people with talking therapies. If you are unsure which one suits you, the psychiatrist or psychologist guide asks ten quick questions to help you decide.

Whatever your result, a few steps can help while you decide:

• Write down what you have noticed: when it started, how you are sleeping and eating, and what has become harder at home, in study or at work. Notes like these make a first appointment easier; see what happens at a first psychiatry appointment.
• Talk to someone you trust. Saying it out loud often makes the next step feel smaller.
• Keep a simple routine: regular sleep and meals, some daylight and some movement each day.
• Avoid using alcohol, drugs or sleeping pills to cope, and tell the professional you see if you have been using them. Never start, stop or change a medicine without talking to a doctor.
• Check in again in two weeks, or sooner if things change.

With the right care, many people feel better, although recovery looks different for each person¹.

See a qualified professional, such as a BMDC-registered psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist, if these problems have lasted two weeks or more, or are affecting your study, work or family life. Care is available in private practice and at public hospitals.

Get help the same day if you:

• have thoughts of harming yourself;
• hear voices or see things other people don't;
• cannot sleep at all for several nights.

If you are under 18, please share how you feel with a parent, guardian, teacher or another adult you trust. A parent or guardian can book an appointment for you.

The team at Dr. MR Siddique Psychiatry Centre wrote this quiz to help people decide on a next step. It is not a validated test, and it cannot diagnose any condition. The questions are in our own words; they are not copied or translated from any published questionnaire. Use it to notice patterns and to start a conversation, with someone you trust or with a professional.

The sources below explain the signs mentioned on this page. Some are written for readers in the UK, but the signs they describe are the same everywhere.