Frontiers in psychiatry
Limitations of PHQ-9 as a first line mental health screener in primary care
By Newson JJ, Parameshwaran D, Schweitzer J and 1 others.
Abstract
Background
The PHQ-9, originally designed as an assessment for depression, is now widely used as a first line screener in primary care and is often the sole mental health screener used. However, it is currently unknown how well the PHQ-9 performs as a general screener for mental distress. Here we aim to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the (PHQ-9) for capturing general or transdiagnostic mental distress, defined as experiencing 5 or more severe mental health symptoms.