Skip Navigation
American College of Physicians Logo
  • Subscribe
  • Submit a Manuscript
  • Sign In
    Sign in below to access your subscription for full content
    INDIVIDUAL SIGN IN
    Sign In|Set Up Account
    You will be directed to acponline.org to register and create your Annals account
    INSTITUTIONAL SIGN IN
    Open Athens|Shibboleth|Log In
    Annals of Internal Medicine
    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to Annals of Internal Medicine.
    You will be directed to acponline.org to complete your purchase.
Annals of Internal Medicine Logo Menu
  • Latest
  • Issues
  • Channels
  • CME/MOC
  • In the Clinic
  • Journal Club
  • Web Exclusives
  • Author Info
Advanced Search
  • ‹ PREV ARTICLE
  • This Issue
  • NEXT ARTICLE ›
Summaries for Patients |1 December 2009

Screening for Depression in Adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations Free

  • ‹ PREV ARTICLE
  • This Issue
  • NEXT ARTICLE ›
Jump To
  • Full Article
  • FULL ARTICLE
  • FULL ARTICLE
    • Who developed these guidelines?
    • What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
    • How did the USPSTF develop these recommendations?
    • What did the authors find?
    • What does the USPSTF recommend that patients and doctors do?
    • What are the cautions related to these recommendations?
  • Figures
  • Tables
  • Supplements
  • Audio/Video
  • Summary for Patients
  • Clinical Slide Sets
  • CME / MOC
  • Comments
  • Twitter Link
  • Facebook Link
  • Email Link
More
  • LinkedIn Link

Who developed these guidelines?

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is a group of health experts that reviews published research and makes recommendations about preventive health care.

What is the problem and what is known about it so far?

Depression is characterized by persistent sadness and hopelessness that interferes with daily life. Depression goes beyond a normal reaction to a life situation. It persists for months or even years and can affect a person's work, relationships with family and friends, sleep and eating habits, ability to complete the regular tasks of everyday life, and general health. About 1 of every 5 persons has depression at some time in his or her life. Depression is common among patients who see primary care doctors. Common depression symptoms are lack of energy and loss of interest in things previously enjoyed. Sometimes depression goes away on its own, but many depressed persons need treatment with counseling or medication to speed recovery. Often, persons with depression do not realize that their feelings are due to a medical condition and do not seek medical care.
Some experts think that doctors should screen patients for depression. Screening involves looking for a disease in persons who do not report symptoms. Patients found through screening can begin treatment. We know that depression is common and that asking patients about sad feelings can identify those with depression. However, it is not clear whether screening for depression by routinely asking patients about symptoms improves patient outcomes. In 2002, the USPSTF found limited evidence on how well screening for depression works when doctors do not have tools to help improve diagnosis and treatment and allow appropriate follow-up. There was little information about which screening questions work best and how often they should be asked. The USPSTF therefore reviewed research published since the 2002 recommendation to see whether more definitive information about the benefits and harms of depression screening is available.

How did the USPSTF develop these recommendations?

The USPSTF reviewed research published since 2002 and combined it with the evidence included in the 2002 review to evaluate the benefits and harms of screening for depression.

What did the authors find?

Good evidence suggests that screening improves the accurate identification of patients with depression in primary care settings. Screening works best when doctors' offices have systems in place to support accurate diagnosis, prescription of effective treatment, and careful follow-up of depressed patients. Patients are unlikely to benefit from screening if such systems are not in place.

What does the USPSTF recommend that patients and doctors do?

Doctors who have programs in place to ensure accurate diagnosis and provide effective treatment with careful monitoring and follow-up within their practices should screen patients for depression. If a doctor cannot offer patients this type of care, then screening programs are not likely to improve patients' outcomes.

What are the cautions related to these recommendations?

The risk for serious adverse events from treatment with antidepressants is increased in some populations. Careful monitoring and follow-up is especially important for patients who are prescribed antidepressants. Patients who have unexplained sadness, lack of interest in life, constant “blue mood,” and low energy should tell their doctors about these symptoms.

This feature is available only to Registered Users

Subscribe/Learn More
Submit a Comment

0 Comments

PDF
Not Available
Citations
Citation

Screening for Depression in Adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations. Ann Intern Med. 2009;151:I–56. doi: https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-151-11-200912010-00002

Download citation file:

  • Ris (Zotero)
  • EndNote
  • BibTex
  • Medlars
  • ProCite
  • RefWorks
  • Reference Manager

© 2020

×
Permissions

Published: Ann Intern Med. 2009;151(11):I-56.

DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-151-11-200912010-00002

0 Citations
Advertisement

See Also
Screening for Depression in Adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement
Screening for Depression in Adult Patients in Primary Care Settings: A Systematic Evidence Review
View MoreView Less

Related Articles
Screening for Depression in Adults: A Summary of the Evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Annals of Internal Medicine; 136 (10): 765-776
Screening for Depression: Recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Annals of Internal Medicine; 136 (10): I-56
Screening for Depression in Adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement
Annals of Internal Medicine; 151 (11): 784-792
Screening for Depression in Children and Adolescents: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement
Annals of Internal Medicine; 164 (5): 360-366
View MoreView Less

Related Topics
Prevention/Screening

Prevention/Screening.

PubMed Articles
Therapeutics Targeting the Gut Microbiome: Rigorous Pipelines for Drug Development.
Cell Host Microbe 2020;27(2):169-172.
The burden of pre-extensively and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis among MDR-TB patients in the Amhara region, Ethiopia.
PLoS One 2020;15(2):e0229040.
View More

Results provided by: PubMed

Advertisement
CME/MOC Activity Requires Users to be Registered and Logged In.
Sign in below to access your subscription for full content
INDIVIDUAL SIGN IN
Sign In|Set Up Account
You will be directed to acponline.org to register and create your Annals account
Annals of Internal Medicine
CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT
Create Your Free Account|Why?
To receive access to the full text of freely available articles, alerts, and more. You will be directed to acponline.org to complete your registration.
×
The Comments Feature Requires Users to be Registered and Logged In.
Sign in below to access your subscription for full content
INDIVIDUAL SIGN IN
Sign In|Set Up Account
You will be directed to acponline.org to register and create your Annals account
Annals of Internal Medicine
CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT
Create Your Free Account|Why?
To receive access to the full text of freely available articles, alerts, and more. You will be directed to acponline.org to complete your registration.
×
link to top

Content

  • Home
  • Latest
  • Issues
  • Channels
  • CME/MOC
  • In the Clinic
  • Journal Club
  • Web Exclusives

Information For

  • Author Info
  • Reviewers
  • Press
  • Readers
  • Institutions / Libraries / Agencies
  • Advertisers

Services

  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Alerts
  • Current Issue RSS
  • Latest RSS
  • In the Clinic RSS
  • Reprints & Permissions
  • Contact Us
  • Help
  • About Annals
  • About Mobile
  • Patient Information
  • Teaching Tools
  • Annals in the News
  • Share Your Feedback

Awards and Cover

  • Personae (Cover Photo)
  • Junior Investigator Awards
  • Poetry Prize

Other Resources

  • ACP Online
  • Career Connection
  • ACP Advocate Blog
  • ACP Journal Wise

Follow Annals On

  • Twitter Link
  • Facebook Link
acp link acp
silverchair link silverchair

Copyright © 2020 American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.

Print ISSN: 0003-4819 | Online ISSN: 1539-3704

Privacy Policy

|

Conditions of Use

This site uses cookies. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our privacy policy. | Accept
×

You need a subscription to this content to use this feature.

×
PDF Downloads Require Access to the Full Article.
Sign in below to access your subscription for full content
INDIVIDUAL SIGN IN
Sign In|Set Up Account
You will be directed to acponline.org to register and create your Annals account
INSTITUTIONAL SIGN IN
Open Athens|Shibboleth|Log In
Annals of Internal Medicine
PURCHASE OPTIONS
Buy This Article|Subscribe
You will be redirected to acponline.org to sign-in to Annals to complete your purchase.
CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT
Create Your Free Account|Why?
To receive access to the full text of freely available articles, alerts, and more. You will be directed to acponline.org to complete your registration.
×
Access to this Free Content Requires Users to be Registered and Logged In. Please Choose One of the Following Options
Sign in below to access your subscription for full content
INDIVIDUAL SIGN IN
Sign In|Set Up Account
You will be directed to acponline.org to register and create your Annals account
Annals of Internal Medicine
CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT
Create Your Free Account|Why?
To receive access to the full text of freely available articles, alerts, and more. You will be directed to acponline.org to complete your registration.
×