Screening for Depression in Adults
Authors: James C. Coyne, Steven C. Palmer, Patricia A. Sullivan
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2003)

Letters6 May 2003Screening for Depression in AdultsJames C. Coyne, PhD, Steven C. Palmer, PhD, and Patricia A. Sullivan, PhDJames C. Coyne, PhDUniversity of Pennsylvania Cancer Center; Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Coyne, Palmer, Sullivan), Steven C. Palmer, PhDUniversity of Pennsylvania Cancer Center; Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Coyne, Palmer, Sullivan), and Patricia A. Sullivan, PhDUniversity of Pennsylvania Cancer Center; Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Coyne, Palmer, Sullivan)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-138-9-200305060-00017 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Pignone and colleagues' call for routine screening of general medical patients for depression (1) contrasts with past conclusions that the strength of evidence is insufficient for such a recommendation. The discrepancy is explained by both a shift in the question being addressed and the kind of evidence considered. Rather than evaluating screening in routine care, Pignone and colleagues examined whether routine screening combined with enhanced routine care improves outcomes. Fully 84% of the weight of evidence in their key meta-analysis is carried by three studies. Two (2, 3) yielded null results, so the positive effect is entirely ...References1. Pignone MP, Gaynes BN, Rushton JL, Burchell CM, Orleans CT, Mulrow CD, et al. . Screening for depression in adults: a summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. 2002;136:765-76. [PMID: 12020146] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Callahan CM, Hendrie HC, Dittus RS, Brater DC, Hui SL, Tierney WM. Improving treatment of late life depression in primary care: a randomized clinical trial. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1994;42:839-46. [PMID: 8046193] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Lewis G, Sharp D, Bartholomew J, Pelosi AJ. Computerized assessment of common mental disorders in primary care: effect on clinical outcome. Fam Pract. 1996;13:120-6. [PMID: 8732321] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Wells KB, Sherbourne C, Schoenbaum M, Duan N, Meredith L, Untzer J, et al. . Impact of disseminating quality improvement programs for depression in managed primary care: a randomized, controlled trial. JAMA. 2000;283:212-20. [PMID: 10634337] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Simon GE, Goldberg D, Tiemens BG, Ustun TB. Outcomes of recognized and unrecognized depression in an international primary care study. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 1999;21:97-105. [PMID: 10228889] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center; Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Coyne, Palmer, Sullivan) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoScreening for Depression in Adults: A Summary of the Evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Michael P. Pignone , Bradley N. Gaynes , Jerry L. Rushton , Catherine Mills Burchell , C. Tracy Orleans , Cynthia D. Mulrow , and Kathleen N. Lohr Screening for Depression: Recommendations and RationaleScreening for Depression in Adults Michael Pignone , Bradley Gaynes , Kathleen Lohr , Jerry Rushton , and Cynthia Mulrow Metrics Cited bySystematic depression screening in high-risk patients attending primary care: a pragmatic cluster-randomized trialDescribing the Relationship between Cat Bites and Human Depression Using Data from an Electronic Health RecordScreening for Depression in Adult Patients in Primary Care Settings: A Systematic Evidence ReviewElizabeth A. O'Connor, PhD, Evelyn P. Whitlock, MD, MPH, Tracy L. Beil, MS, and Bradley N. Gaynes, MD, MPHElectronic Screening for Mental Health in Rural Primary Care: ImplementationDepression in diabetic patientsUse of brief depression screening tools in primary care: consideration of heterogeneity in performance in different patient groupsEffectiveness of disease management programmes for recognition, diagnosis and treatment of depression in primary care: A review 6 May 2003Volume 138, Issue 9Page: 767KeywordsPatients ePublished: 6 May 2003 Issue Published: 6 May 2003 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2003 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...