New Recommendations for Depression Screening

The USPSTF recommends that adult patients be screened for depression in primary care practices.

The third U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has been releasing new and updated guidelines during the past year (guidelines homepage; Journal Watch May 15 2001; Journal Watch Mar 19 2002).

USPSTF 3 concludes each of its guidelines with a recommendation, graded as follows:

A -- The intervention is strongly recommended.

B -- The intervention is recommended.

C -- The USPSTF makes no recommendation for or against the intervention.

D -- The intervention is not routinely recommended.

I -- Evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against the intervention.

In contrast to its 1996 findings, the USPSTF now finds good evidence that screening for depression in primary care practices can improve clinical outcomes in adult patients. The method of …

Reviewing Author

Thomas L. Schwenk, MD