Are online mental health tests trustworthy?

Let’s be real - who hasn’t been tempted by an online mental health quiz? It’s only natural to be curious when faced with the question, “do you have anxiety?” or ‘is your childhood trauma ruling your life?’. All you have to do is answer a few multiple-choice questions, and in a matter of minutes, you have an overview of your mental health.

These kinds of tests are becoming more and more popular and it’s easy to see why. Someone who’s been struggling with their mood might see them as a quick and convenient starting point to understanding more about their mental health. They’re much faster than a doctor’s appointment and they can be taken anytime, anywhere.  

But the question is: how reliable are online mental health quizzes? Is the information accurate and genuinely helpful, or could it be potentially harmful? Let’s get into it…

How can you tell if an online mental health quiz is reliable?

Not all mental health quizzes are made equal. Many trusted mental health organisations offer scientific online self-assessment tools, which can help to identify possible symptoms and concerns. These can be really useful, but that doesn’t mean that they’re a replacement for an official diagnosis.

On the other hand, some online tests are written without any form of mental health expertise or trusted sources, which makes them unreliable and (obviously) the kind of thing you’d want to avoid.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell which quizzes are trustworthy, so we’ve put together some green and red flags that you can look out for:

Green flags:

• You recognise the source of the quiz as a reputable and trustworthy mental health organisation.

• It uses clinical references, like GAD-7 and PHQ-9, which are standard assessments used to assess depression and anxiety.

• It explains how your test results are calculated.  

• You’re encouraged to follow up with a mental health professional or your GP at the end of the quiz if you need to.

Red flags:

• The source is an unverified website, or the test is written without a mental health expert.

• The questions are unclear or vague.

• Reliable tests will want to gather as much information as possible to make an accurate assessment.

• It doesn’t explain how your test results are calculated.

• It claims to give you a diagnosis at the end. Remember, only a mental health care professional is able to give a formal diagnosis.

• It doesn’t state that it’s confidential, and that your information will not be shared.

What are the benefits of online mental health quizzes?

Mental health quizzes are super accessible, and when a test is reliable, they can be a useful first step to understanding your mental health better. They can help you to recognise patterns of how you’ve been feeling, give you the language to describe your symptoms and give you a nudge towards getting professional help if you need it.

At ieso, we have created a reliable clinically-approved mental health quiz, which can give you guidance on whether you might need to seek support for your symptoms (please note it is does not provide a diagnosis, we would always advise that you speak to your GP for any further follow up). These questions have been written by qualified mental health therapists. And don’t worry, all your answers will be completely confidential.  

What are the risks of online mental health quizzes?

• You could be misdiagnosed

When online mental health quizzes aren’t scientific or written by a mental health expert, they can give you the wrong information, which can cause a whole lot of issues. You could be given an incorrect diagnosis or led to believe there’s something wrong when there’s not, and vice versa. Remember, a reliable mental health quiz won’t claim that it’s able to diagnose you, because only a human can do that.

• An online test can’t give you the full picture  

Even a trustworthy online mental health test has its limitations. When filling out a questionnaire, some people might play down some of their symptoms or struggle to admit how they’re really feeling, so the test is only a measure of how that person wants to come across. However, a healthcare professional would know to look out for these things and ask follow-up questions to try and get a better understanding of what’s going on.

• Your data might not be safe

You’d probably rather keep the information that you share during a mental health assessment private, but if you’re using untrustworthy websites, there’s a chance that your data might be shared elsewhere without you knowing.

The bottom line

Online quizzes can be a useful starting point when it comes to understanding more about your mental health, but you should use them carefully.

Make sure that you look out for any red flags and only take tests that you feel are trustworthy. If you’re struggling with your mental health, it’s always best to speak to your GP or a mental health professional, whether you’ve taken an online mental health quiz or not.

At ieso, we offer talking therapy for a range of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Our expert therapists can help you to understand what’s going on with your mood and give you strategies to cope better. You can refer yourself quickly and our appointment times are flexible to fit around your schedule. Find out more.