Cover - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	May 12, 2022
Cover [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	EQUUS TOTAL RETURN, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0000878932
Document Type	10-Q/A
Amendment Flag	true
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2022
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2022
Entity Common Stock Shares Outstanding		13,518,146
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	814-00098
Entity Incorporation State Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	76-0345915
Entity Address Address Line 1	700 Louisiana St.
Entity Address Address Line 2	48th Floor
Entity Address City Or Town	Houston
Entity Address State Or Province	TX
Entity Address Postal Zip Code	77002
City Area Code	713
Local Phone Number	529-0900
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Security 12b Title	Common Stock
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Amendment Description	Equus Total Return, Inc. (“Equus” or the “Company”) is filing this Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-Q/A (“Amended 10-Q”) which supersedes and replaces in its entirety the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 12, 2022 (“Original Filing”). The sole purpose of this Amended 10-Q is to provide the required Inline XBRL tagging, which was inadvertently omitted from the Original Filing.  No other changes to the Original Filing have been made. This Amended 10-Q does not reflect events occurring after the Original Filing except as noted above.  This Amended 10-Q continues to speak as of the date of the Original Filing and the Company has not otherwise updated disclosures contained therein or herein to reflect events that occurred at a later date.