Mental Health

Scoring tools, antidepressant prescribing & crisis pathways

4–6 weeks for full antidepressant effect — warn patients|Minimum 6 months treatment after remission|Always review at 2 weeks after initiating|Pakistan Crisis: 0317-4288665

Select Screening Tool

PHQ-9 — Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Gold standard for depression screening and severity monitoring in primary care (Kroenke et al., 2001). Validated for ≥12 years.

PHQ-9 Depression Severity

Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?

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1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things

2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless

3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much

4. Feeling tired or having little energy

5. Poor appetite or overeating

6. Feeling bad about yourself — or that you are a failure

7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading or watching TV

8. Moving or speaking so slowly that others could have noticed; or being so fidgety/restless

Suicide Risk Indicator — Always document

9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself