What screening means
Screening is a quick method to estimate whether your answers are consistent with a pattern of symptoms or traits. It is designed to be practical and often prioritizes sensitivity (catching potential cases early).
- Goal: identify possible risk and suggest next steps
- Output: ranges (low / moderate / high) or “may be consistent with”
- Best use: early awareness and monitoring over time
What diagnosis means
Diagnosis is a clinical judgment made by a qualified professional. It requires more than a score: it integrates symptom patterns with context, duration, impairment, history, and alternative explanations.
- Goal: identify the most accurate explanation and an appropriate plan
- Process: interview + history + context + sometimes multiple instruments
- Outcome: diagnosis (when appropriate) and personalized guidance
Why online tests are usually screening
Online tests typically rely on self-report answers without a clinical interview. This makes them great for accessibility and quick insight, but it also limits certainty.
- No clinician to clarify meaning of items or context
- Many symptoms overlap across different conditions
- Temporary stress can raise scores without a disorder being present
- Response style (over- or under-reporting) affects results
False positives and false negatives (in plain language)
Screening tools can sometimes flag risk when a diagnosis is not present (false positives) or miss a case (false negatives). This is normal and depends on cutoffs, the population, and how the test is used.
- False positives: stress, overlap, or temporary events inflate answers
- False negatives: minimized reporting, lack of insight, or atypical symptom expression
When to consider a professional evaluation
- Symptoms are persistent (weeks or months) and feel hard to manage
- Daily functioning is affected (work, relationships, sleep, routines)
- You have safety concerns, panic episodes, or thoughts of self-harm
- You want a clear differential picture and a personalized plan
This page is educational. If you feel in immediate danger or are in crisis, contact local emergency services right away.
Related reading
Explore tests
Explore screening and self-reflection tools here: All Tests.
FAQ
Can an online test diagnose me?
Most online tests are screening tools and cannot provide a diagnosis. Diagnosis requires a broader clinical assessment that considers context, duration, impairment, history, and alternative explanations.
Why do screening tools sometimes give false positives?
Screening aims to catch possible cases early. Stress, temporary life events, response style, and overlapping symptoms can raise scores even when a diagnosis is not present.
What does a professional assessment add?
Professionals integrate interview, history, context, differential considerations, and sometimes multiple instruments to reach a diagnosis and a personalized plan.