Dr. Judith Joseph launches quiz to identify anhedonia in depression

On Tuesday, psychiatrist Dr. Judith Joseph unveiled an online anhedonia quiz designed to spot “high‑functioning depression,” a form of depression where people keep working and caring for others while silently losing the ability to feel pleasure. The tool was announced on NPR’s “Your Turn” podcast, where Joseph explained that the quiz adapts the Snaith‑Ham questionnaire to measure reduced joy, or anhedonia, in everyday life.

The announcement comes as mental‑health experts warn that many sufferers slip through the cracks because the condition is not listed in the DSM‑5, the standard diagnostic manual. Unlike classic depression, which often shows up as crying, staying in bed, and drawing attention, high‑functioning depression is quiet and numb. Joseph calls anhedonia the “silent sister” of depression, an existential crisis that can go unnoticed by friends, families, and even the patients themselves. She says the pressure to stay productive, especially in professions that discourage vulnerability, fuels the problem.

Joseph’s own research, published in the peer‑reviewed journal Cureus, surveyed adults with questionnaires that measured high‑functioning depression, trauma and anhedonia. The study found a strong link: participants with higher anhedonia scores also scored higher on high‑functioning depression scales. Parents and caregivers reported the highest levels of both. Joseph notes that women who are the steady presence for families and workplaces are especially prone to the pattern, often pushing themselves until they break down or end up in an emergency room without understanding why.

The new quiz aims to give people a way to recognize the warning signs before burnout hits. Joseph hopes clinicians will start asking about anhedonia as part of routine check‑ups, not just looking for overt crises like mania or psychosis. If more patients can identify their loss of joy early, treatment could begin before the condition spirals into full‑blown depression. The conversation around silent depression is shifting, and the quiz may become a first step toward broader awareness and better mental‑health care.