Screening for Depression in Adults
Authors: Amar K. Das, Raz Gross, Myrna M. Weissman
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2003)

Letters6 May 2003Screening for Depression in AdultsAmar K. Das, MD, PhD, Raz Gross, MD, MPH, and Myrna M. Weissman, PhDAmar K. Das, MD, PhDColumbia University; New York, NY 10032Search for more papers by this author, Raz Gross, MD, MPHColumbia University; New York, NY 10032Search for more papers by this author, and Myrna M. Weissman, PhDColumbia University; New York, NY 10032Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-138-9-200305060-00018 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:The recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (1) for screening for depression advise that a positive screening result should lead to a full diagnostic evaluation to determine the presence or absence of specific depressive disorders, such as major depression or dysthymia. The recommendations do not mention that a major depressive episode, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(2), can be a phase of a bipolar disorder or a major depressive disorder. This distinction is of great clinical significance.Bipolar disorders, which include bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymia, are relatively ...References1. Screening for depression: recommendations and rationale. Ann Intern Med. 2002;136:760-4. [PMID: 12020145] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV. 4th ed. American Psychiatric Association. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Assoc; 1994. Google Scholar3. Manning JS, Haykal RF, Connor PD, Akiskal HS. On the nature of depressive and anxious states in a family practice setting: the high prevalence of bipolar II and related disorders in a cohort followed longitudinally. Compr Psychiatry. 1997;38:102-8. [PMID: 9056129] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Boerlin HL, Gitlin MJ, Zoellner LA, Hammen CL. Bipolar depression and antidepressant-induced mania: a naturalistic study. J Clin Psychiatry. 1998;59:374-9. [PMID: 9714266] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Hirschfeld RM, Williams JB, Spitzer RL, Calabrese JR, Flynn L, Keck PE, et al. . Development and validation of a screening instrument for bipolar spectrum disorder: the Mood Disorder Questionnaire. Am J Psychiatry. 2000;157:1873-5. [PMID: 11058490] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Amar K. Das, MD, PhD; Raz Gross, MD, MPH; Myrna M. Weissman, PhDAffiliations: Columbia University; New York, NY 10032 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoScreening for Depression: Recommendations and Rationale Metrics Cited byDescribing the Relationship between Cat Bites and Human Depression Using Data from an Electronic Health RecordDepression in diabetic patientsBipolar Disorder 6 May 2003Volume 138, Issue 9Page: 767KeywordsAnxietyBipolar disorderDepressionDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersDysthmiaForecastingMajor depressive disorderMood disordersPatientsQuestionnaires ePublished: 6 May 2003 Issue Published: 6 May 2003 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2003 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...