PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 in Western Kenya

Excerpt

The Authors Reply: Coyne and colleagues cite one meta-analysis of diagnostic validation studies but proffer a more negative interpretation than the authors who concluded that “the PHQ9 has good diagnostic properties, and was able to correctly diagnose major depression (sensitivity 92%) while being able to exclude this condition with some certainty (specificity 80%)”1. A second PHQ-9 meta-analysis found 77% sensitivity and 94% specificity2. In a review of case-finding instruments in primary care, the PHQ-9 had operating characteristics comparable to longer depression measures3. Other features of the PHQ-9 have contributed to its popularity, including its brevity, its focus on the nine core symptoms of DSM-IV depressive disorders, its sensitivity to change, its robust performance across different race/ethnic groups, its translation into more than 70 languages, and its nonproprietary nature. …