Two common screening tests are used for depression in the United States.
The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)is the most commonly used depression screening instrument in the United States. It incorporates DSM-IV depression diagnostic criteria with other common symptoms of major depressive disorder into a brief self-report tool to allow for effective depression screening.
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is also commonly used to screen for depression and to determine the severity of depression. It contains 21 self-report items that individuals complete using multiple-choice response formats and takes just 10 minutes to complete.