title: Responsiveness of the PHQ-9 to Psychopharmacological Depression Treatment.
abstract: This is the first study that investigates the responsiveness of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a standard 9-item self-report depression scale, to antidepressant medication. Authors analyzed data from 1,788 depressed outpatients (66.8% women; mean age, 50.3 years), participating in a prospective, open-label, non-interventional, observational study of sertraline. On the 0-27-point PHQ-9 scale, the total sample gained 10.3 points at 12 weeks, corresponding to a standardized effect size of -1.85. With reference to two independent criterion standards, the PHQ-9 change scores were considerably greater in therapy responders than in nonresponders. The PHQ-9 was equally responsive in men and women. Therefore, the PHQ-9 qualifies as a practical tool for gauging response to pharmacological treatment in depressed patients.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of General Internal and Psychosomatic Medicine, Heidelberg Univ. Medical Center, Germany. bernd.loewe@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Löwe
authors.forename: Irini
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schenkel
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carney-Doebbeling
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Göbel
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D012650:Self Disclosure; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D020280:Sertraline