Mental Health
USPSTF recommends screening for depression and anxiety in all adults from ages 18 to 64 years, including people who are pregnant and postpartum.182, 183 Pregnant persons should be screened for perinatal depression.184 USPSTF and AAP recommend screening adolescents annually for major depressive disorder and anxiety.185, 186, 187, 188, 189 Though the interval is unknown, repeated screening may be most productive in adolescents with risk factors for anxiety, and opportunistic screening may be appropriate for adolescents with infrequent health care visits. Pregnant persons should be screened for perinatal depression.184
Providers should discuss the limits of their confidentiality and be aware of the age of consent for mental health services in their states and reporting requirements for adolescents.
Commonly used screening tools can be found in Exhibit 14.
Exhibit 14. Commonly Used Screening Tools for Mental Health Conditions
| Screening tool name | Mental Health Condition | Patient Age | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | Adolescents | ||
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7 (GAD-7) | Anxiety | X | X |
| Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) | Anxiety | X | |
| Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) | Depression | X | |
| Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ2) | Depression | X | |
| Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9) | Depression | X | |
| Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Modified for Adolescents (PHQ9M) | Depression | X | |