Great Depression Trivia Quiz

Answer: Melancholy

Melancholy or melancholia has been used for centuries to describe severe forms of depression, especially when it involves physical symptoms. Today, the term melancholic depression is used to refer to a subtype of depression that particularly features anhedonia (inability to find pleasure in normally enjoyable things). William Herndon, Lincoln's third law partner, stated of Lincoln, "He was a sad-looking man; his melancholy dripped from him as he walked." Yet, he was also noted for his sense of humour and resilience.

In a letter written in 1842, Lincoln gave the following advice to his friend Joshua Speed: "Remember in the depth and even the agony of despondency, that very shortly you are to feel well again."

Answer: Spike Milligan

Spike Milligan suffered from bipolar disorder for most of his life, had several mental breakdowns, and was hospitalized on a number of occasions during particularly severe depressive episodes. Despite his mental health issues, Milligan had a successful career in radio, television, and theatre, and wrote many books, including both fiction and non-fiction, as well as several volumes of memoirs.

He co-authored "Depression and How to Survive It" with the psychiatrist Anthony Clare.

Answer: Black dog

Churchill often experienced months-long episodes in which he spent most of his time in bed, had little energy or appetite, and had difficulty concentrating. On the other hand, when he was feeling well, he was noted for his prodigious energy and productivity, and needed little sleep.

The term "black dog" has been attributed to the Roman poet Horace and has been used as a metaphor for depression ever since. There is an Australian mental health organisation called the Black Dog Institute. Their logo consists of a hand making the "V for Victory" sign, made famous by Churchill, which casts a shadow in the form of a dog's head.

Their website explains that this is a metaphor indicating that depression can lie in the background even when one is feeling victorious, and yet also symbolises that "the positive is more powerful than the negative."

Answer: Paul Gauguin

To this day, there is debate about the nature of van Gogh's mental health problems. He reported many troubling symptoms, including hallucinations, mania, depressive episodes, anxiety, and insomnia, as well as seizures of some kind. It is commonly thought he may have had epilepsy, and it has also been suggested that he had bipolar disorder, although others have proposed that he may have suffered from an undiagnosed medical condition.

He had an intense relationship with Paul Gauguin, whom he greatly admired, although Gauguin was said to be arrogant and domineering, which strained their friendship. Gauguin claimed that van Gogh threatened him with a razor while the former was going out for a walk. Shortly after this incident, van Gogh had a mental breakdown and mutilated his own ear, which he then gave to a prostitute for unknown reasons, before passing out from blood loss. Later on, he had no recollection of the event and was unable to satisfactorily explain his actions.

Answer: John Quincy Adams

Both John Quincy Adams and his father John Adams suffered from essential tremor, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking, and several members of his family suffered from alcoholism and depression. Despite this, Adams was a man of remarkable ability.

A study published in the journal "Political Psychology" in 2006 used historiometric methods to estimate the IQ of every American President from Washington to George W. Bush. Although many US Presidents were rated as highly intelligent, John Quincy Adams was ranked as the smartest of them all, with an estimated IQ between 165 and 175.

Answer: Buzz Aldrin

Aldrin had a family history of depression, and his mother and his mother's father each committed suicide. After the Apollo program, he discovered that he had no sense of purpose in life and felt socially isolated. He began drinking heavily and descended into alcoholism. However, he permanently gave up drinking in 1978.

Answer: Philip K. Dick

Dick is quoted as saying, "When I believe, I am crazy. When I don't believe, I suffer psychotic depression." He attempted suicide unsuccessfully in 1972 after a romantic breakup. In 1974, while recovering from the effects of sodium pentothal after dental surgery, he had an extraordinary mystical experience, followed by persistent hallucinations over a period of weeks, in which he felt like he was living two parallel lives, one in modern times and one as an ancient Christian being persecuted by Romans in the first century. Several of his later novels were inspired by these experiences.

Answer: Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe rose to fame despite coming from a background of considerable adversity. Born Norma Jeane Mortenson, when she was seven, her mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and she became a ward of the state, living in a series of foster homes and an orphanage for a time. Later in life she would receive intensive psychiatric treatment for her emotional problems.

The contrast between her glamorous public persona and her troubled personal life has been an enduring source of fascination and she been the subject of countless books, films, and other media.

Answer: Margaux Hemingway

The granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, Margaux graced the covers of many famous magazines in the 1970s, including Cosmopolitan, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and Vogue. Unfortunately, mental illness seems to have run in her family, and like her famous grandfather, her life tragically ended in suicide. She was aged 42 when she died.

Answer: Zach Braff

Braff described the film as "partly autobiographical" and stated that he was feeling very depressed when he wrote the screenplay. He has described experiencing incidents of depression in which he felt inexplicably sad, even when felt that his life was going great.