Major depressive disorder screening

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Mitra Chitsazan, M.D.[2]

According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), screening for major depressive disorder is recommended in children and adolescents 12 to 18 years of age, in older adults, and in pregnant women (at least once during pregnancy and again 4-8 weeks after delivery).

• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) does not recommend routine screening for major depressive disorder (MDD) in children 7 to 11 years of age. ^[1]
• The USPSTF recommends screening for MDD in children and adolescents 12 to 18 years of age. ^[1]
  • The Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents ([PHQ-A]) and the Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care ([BDI-PC]) can be used.
• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and American Academy of Family Physicians recommend screening for MDD in the general adult population.
• The USPSTF, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend screening all postpartum women for depression. ^{[1] [2] [1] [3]}
• The USPSTF recommends that all pregnant women should be screened for depression at least once during the perinatal period. It recommends screening at least once during pregnancy and again 4-8 weeks after delivery. ^[1]
  • A validated screening instrument such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale or the PHQ-9^[4] can be used.
• In older adults, instruments such as PHQ-2, PHQ-9^[4], Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, or Geriatric Depression Scale are appropriate screening tools.
• When any of the screening instruments is positive for possible depression, the diagnosis needs to be confirmed according to the criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed.