Validation of PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 to Screen for Major Depression in the Primary Care Population
Ann Fam Med Arroll et al.
8: 348
The Article in Brief
Validation of PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 to Screen for Major Depression in the Primary Care Population
Bruce Arroll
, and colleagues
Background The goal of this study was to validate the 2- and 9-question Patient Health Questionnaires, which have been recommended for depression screening in primary care.
What This Study Found The sensitivity and specificity of the PHQ-2 for diagnosing major depression were 86 percent and 78 percent, respectively, with a score of two or higher, and 61 percent and 92 percent with a score of three or higher. For the longer PHQ-9, the sensitivity and specificity were 74 percent and 91 percent, respectively, with a score of 10 or higher. For the PHQ-2, a score of two or higher detected more cases of depression than a score of three or higher. A PHQ-9 score of 10 or higher appeared to detect more depressed patients than the originally described PHQ-9 scoring for major depression.
Implications
- The PHQ-2 can be a useful and time-saving tool for primary care physicians in screening for depression.
- The authors call for a reevaluation of the original PHQ-9 criteria for major depression, as the simple additive score of 10 or higher identified more depressed patients than the original and more onerous method for scoring the questionnaire.
