December 1, 1972Postgraduate Medicine
Screening Depressed Patients in Family Practice
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Overview
Clinical report shows a brief 13-item questionnaire identifies depression in family practice, suggesting a rapid method to estimate severity.
Key Points
- To describe a brief screening questionnaire designed to help family physicians identify depressed patients and assess symptom severity.
- Evaluated the application of a 13-item self-administered questionnaire requiring approximately five minutes for patient completion in general medical practice.
- Assessed the tool's utility in providing preliminary estimates of depression severity to guide further clinical evaluation.
- The 13-item questionnaire facilitates the rapid detection of depression that might otherwise present with masked symptoms in primary care.
- The tool provides an initial indication of probable depression severity, though comprehensive physician probing remains necessary for precise evaluation.
Cite This Study
Beck et al. (1972) studied this question.