HIPAA does protect a patient's privacy. These days, without a signed release
from an individual we can't get any information regarding a patient's
history or diagnosis.

Regarding the original thread, the OP's symptoms need to meet the criteria
spelled out in the DSM, a book that describes the symptoms of various
psychiatric diagnoses. Meeting these criteria helps the health professional
make these diagnoses, similar to an internist getting a series of lab tests
and other studies to make their diagnoses.

If the OP had responded affirmatively to these questions (if they were even
asked), then there may have been a chance that she was/is in fact depressed.
A prolonged and persistent fever of unknown origin is another matter
entirely, and also requires an extensive medical workup, since such symptoms
could be ominous as well.

An off the cuff remark about appearing depressed and a failure to follow up
on a prolonged fever seems a bit glib and superficial, but again we weren't
in the exam room, so don't know all of the conversation that was discussed.
These days, however, the number of patients coming to my practice on
antidepressants has skyrocketed. Either depression has become pandemic in
the general population, or the drug salesmen have been extremely successful
in their promotion of these drugs.

At the very least she should see another primary care physician, someone who
will pay attention and listen to her complaints. The best resource for this
is to talk to other health professionals who know the individual physicians.
(The worst resource is to get information is word of mouth, because the
slickest and "nicest" doctor according to someone's aunt, may also be
technically weak).

Finally, she should sign a release and get a copy of all of her medical
records from the original physician. If the record states that she is
depressed, she should have the record corrected, either by the original
physician, or by another health professional. The record should state
something like: no evidence of depression either currently or in the recent
past during a febrile episode, and does/did not meet DSM criteria for this
diagnosis.

With such a statement she could clearly fill out her FAA form and say she
had never been diagnosed as having had a history of depression.

Just my interpretation as an AME and flight surgeon.