This week has been a challenging one at my SRP. When I first arrived today at the location of my SRP, Camelback pediatrics, I received a number of PHQ-9 teenage depression screens to score. The process of scoring these forms is not known to everyone.
The scoring of these screens is not very difficult, and requires only a rudimentary knowledge of addition to complete. The forms have 9 questions (hence, PHQ-9), and the subjects are given a graded scale from 0-3 with which to answer each question, with a 0 indicating that the symptom described in a given question is felt rarely or never, and a 3 indicating it is almost constant (see my previous post for an in-depth look at the questions we administered!). To obtain the total depression score, one must add all of the answers together.
For example, a hypothetical patients fills out his PHQ-9 form below:
3 + 2 + 0 + 0 + 3 + 1 +2 + 3 + 2 = 16
Next, we read the chart below and assess the level of the patient's depression.
From the chart above, we see that our hypothetical patient has moderately severe depression. Success! The form has been scored.
That's all for today my friends!
Stay frosty! - Ted ;)
Would a score of 0 indicate mania? The interpretation for such a result doesn't seem to be listed in the second image.
ReplyDeleteIt indicates no depression. This screen only looks at depression and not other mental disorders, as this is only a section of the full PHQ (the PHQ-9), specifically adapted for depression screening.
DeleteCan you explain the additional factors that would need to be tested for or asked about in order to make a true diagnosis of depression?
ReplyDelete