Antidepressant Overtreatment Associated With Brief Screening
Antidepressant Overtreatment Associated With Brief Screening
In exploratory observational analyses of RCT data from patients unlikely to have major depression, and therefore unlikely to benefit from antidepressants, use of a brief depression symptom measure during an office visit was associated with increased depression diagnosis and increased antidepressant recommendation and/or prescription. Analyses examining the specific brief measure used (PHQ-2 vs PHQ-9) suggested these associations were primarily attributable to use of the PHQ-9. Further studies are needed to confirm and explore the mechanisms of these findings and to investigate the balance of benefits and risks associated with the use of brief depression symptom measures.
Conclusion
In exploratory observational analyses of RCT data from patients unlikely to have major depression, and therefore unlikely to benefit from antidepressants, use of a brief depression symptom measure during an office visit was associated with increased depression diagnosis and increased antidepressant recommendation and/or prescription. Analyses examining the specific brief measure used (PHQ-2 vs PHQ-9) suggested these associations were primarily attributable to use of the PHQ-9. Further studies are needed to confirm and explore the mechanisms of these findings and to investigate the balance of benefits and risks associated with the use of brief depression symptom measures.
Source...