USPSTF: Screen All Adults For Depression

Healthcare professionals should screen all adults for depression during regular visits, according to a draft recommendation issued by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

The new draft recommendation follows a 2009 guideline stating that adults should only be screened when “staff-assisted depression care supports are in place, and selective screening based on professional judgment and patient preferences when such support is not available." The new recommendation, however, urges healthcare professionals to screen all adults over 18 years old using the Patient Health Questionnaire, a 9 question survey for the identification of signs of depression.
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In an analysis of available data on the efficacy of depression screening and treatment, researchers found that patients identified through in-office screening and subsequently treated for their condition showed symptom improvements and better outcomes compared to those that were not screened or treated.

For this reason, the draft recommendation has been issued a grade B, meaning that there is a “moderate certainty” that screening all adults for depression will be beneficial.

The USPSTF is currently taking and reviewing public comments on the recommendation until August 24, 2015.

The full recommendation can be found on the USPSTF website.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

USPSTF. Draft recommendation statement: depression in adults: screening. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/draft-recommendation-statement115/depression-in-adults-screening1. Accessed July 31, 2015.