Page 9 - Womens Center Brochure

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE DEPRESSION?
If reading the list of symptoms makes you suspect that you may be suffering from depression you need to get a proper diagnosis.
There is more than one way to determine if you have depression. Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQ) are a one of them. The PHQ9 is a 9 item, self-administered questionnaire and the PHQ2 is a a self-administered, 2 item questionnaire.
The standard way to be diagnosed is through a clinician-administered Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) diagnostic modality in which a healthcare provider questions you and determines if you fit all of the criteria listed in the DMS under a particular type of depression.
In a recent analysis of depression diagnosis 17 studies were analyzed and it was determined that the PHQ9 has good diagnostic accuracy. It was able to diagnose major depression as accurately as the DSM modality used as the reference standard. (6)
What does that mean for you?
It means you don’t have to sit with a healthcare provider for 2 hours and answer questions. You can complete a questionnaire on your own and your provider can assess a diagnosis after you complete it.
The bottom line is that you need to reach out to your health care provider if you suspect you have depression.