Citation

Watson SE, Spurling SE, Fieldhouse AM, Montgomery VL, Wintergerst KA. Clin. Pediatr. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Norton Children's Hospital, Louisville, KY, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0009922820905861

PMID

32066264

Abstract

Adolescents with diabetes are at increased risk for depression and anxiety, which when untreated negatively affects diabetes control. During a 6-month period, the Patient Health Questionnaire for Depression and Anxiety (PHQ-4) screening tool was utilized. Those with a positive screen then completed the Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-A) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. In this article, we report on the correlations in outcomes between the PHQ-4 and the PHQ-A and GAD-7 and its clinical utility for determining the need for standard versus acute behavioral health care. Over 6 months, 77 patients aged 10 to 18 years screened positive on the PHQ-4. Thirty-two patients had positive screening with the PHQ-A and/or the GAD-7. Thoughts of self-harm were reported by 13 (40%), with 1 experiencing current/active symptoms. The PHQ-4 as a screening tool was able to identify adolescents with symptoms of depression and/or anxiety who would benefit from further evaluation by a behavioral health provider.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent; anxiety; child; depression; type 1 diabetes mellitus