"Helpful in Thinking Through the Question": Redesigning the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 for Depression Assessment...

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Research
• Psychometric Instrument Development
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and debilitating mental health condition.
• Self-report questionnaires like the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) are vital for depression assessment in clinical and research settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate two modified versions of the PHQ-8.
• To enhance patient acceptability, comprehension, and engagement in depression screening.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study involving 20 participants with varying depressive symptom severity.
• Participants provided feedback on the standard PHQ-8, a visually augmented version, and a version combining visual aids with rephrased statements.

Main Results:

• Eighty percent (16/20) of participants preferred one of the augmented PHQ-8 versions over the standard form (P=.006).
• Preferred versions enhanced understanding of survey items and increased participant engagement.

Conclusions:

• Visual and linguistic modifications to the PHQ-8 can significantly improve the patient experience during depression screening.
• Enhanced questionnaire design may lead to more accurate and accessible mental health assessments.