PHQ-9- Implementing Patient Health Questionnaire in Primary Care of Adolescent Depression

Depression also known as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), is one of the most common psychiatric disorders that children and adolescents experience in the United States. Screening for depression in children and adolescents in plays a significant role in improving adolescents’ depression severity.With increased suicide rates, evidence-based screening tools are increasingly being utilized in the primary care setting to better identify youth at risk of MDD.  Recognizing that an increased number of children and teenagers experience MDD symptoms, BHMG West Park Pediatrics providers began incorporating PHQ -9 one year ago in annual check-ups for children aged twelve and older. However, the question concerning whether screening tools affect early detection of depressive symptoms in adolescents remain unanswered. Therefore, literature on the subject was collected from various sources, including EBSCOhost, ProQuest and nursing research related to the clinical issues was investigated with quantitative reports. A poster presentation was also designed to investigate and evaluate the impact of increased PHQ-9 depression screening and whether using the PHQ-9 more effectively predicts depression, requiring physician treatment in adolescents. Quantitative studies, such as retrospective longitudinal studies and predictive studies have demonstrated the importance of implementing the PHQ-9 in primary care. A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted to recognize the differences in essential care practices for identifying depression and to provide evidence of the fit and potential value of depression care quality measures in the context of current practice. A predictive study was also conducted to investigate whether responses to the PHQ-9 predict subsequent suicide attempts or deaths

Author(s): Swee Lin Ang

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