---
title: "SCARS Institute: Mental Health – Depression Self-Assessment for Scam Victims – v4"
canonical: https://scampsychology.org/mental-health-depression-self-assessment-for-scam-victims-2026/
type: post
author: "SCARS Research Team"
published: 2026-04-18
modified: 2026-09-26
categories: ["• PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA", "• VICTIM PSYCHOLOGY", "♦ PSYCHOLOGY", "♦ SELF-TESTS", "ASSESSMENTS", "RECOVEROLOGY", "UPDATED 2026"]
summary: "[raw] Depression Self-Assessment for Scam Victims Depression Self-Assessment for Scam Victims Mental Health Assessment  ·  Adapted from PHQ-9 Clinical Framework Your Privacy Is Protected We never see your identity Your responses are processed in your browser and your email. Only…"
organization: "Official SCARS Institute Journal of Scam Psychology & Recoverology"
organization_url: https://scampsychology.org/
llms: https://scampsychology.org/llms.txt
---

# SCARS Institute: Mental Health – Depression Self-Assessment for Scam Victims – v4

Depression Self-Assessment for Scam Victims

# Depression Self-Assessment for Scam Victims

Mental Health Assessment  ·  Adapted from PHQ-9 Clinical Framework

## Your Privacy Is Protected

#### We never see your identity

Your responses are processed in your browser and your email. Only you see any identifying information about you.

#### De-identified data supports research

With your permission and your identity removed, your de-identified answers are sent to the SCARS Institute for scientific research only. Data is never shared with third parties.

#### Keep your own copy

When you finish, you can save, email, or print your results on your own device — to keep, or to share with your therapist or mental health professional.

The SCARS Institute provides this tool to help you notice patterns consistent with depression following a scam experience, and to decide whether extra support would help. You can save it to share the results with your therapist or mental health professional.

I give my consent for my fully de-identified assessment data to be used for research purposes only. I understand that all personal identifiers have been removed from my responses, this information will not be shared with any third parties, and my participation is completely voluntary.

## About This Assessment

This assessment is adapted from the PHQ-9 clinical framework — one of the most widely used and validated tools in mental health screening — and extended to include trauma-specific symptoms that are common in scam victims.

Reflect on the **past two weeks** as you answer each question. A pattern of responses matters more than any single score. This assessment covers six areas: core mood changes, cognitive and emotional impact, physical changes, behavioural changes, trauma-specific amplifiers, and a critical safety section.

0 — Not at all

1 — Several days

2 — More than half the days

3 — Nearly every day

**Important — Section 6:** This assessment includes a short safety section with questions about thoughts of self-harm or not wanting to live. If you score anything above 0 on those questions, the assessment will direct you immediately to crisis support. Please answer honestly — these questions exist because your safety matters.

**Please Note.** This assessment was developed by the SCARS Institute based on the PHQ-9 clinical framework, adapted for scam victims. It does not diagnose depression or any other condition — it identifies patterns that warrant professional attention. Clinical diagnosis requires evaluation beyond self-report. We strongly recommend sharing these results with a mental health professional.

**Do not refresh or reload this page.** Your answers are stored only in this browser session — reloading will erase all your progress.

Why we ask this

Select an answer to continue

**Save your results before leaving this page.** Reloading or closing this page will permanently erase your results.

##### V4