Abbreviated brief symptom inventory for use as an anxiety and depression screening instrument in primary care.
BACKGROUND
Screening for anxiety and depression in primary-care clinics has the potential to increase identification and treatment of affected patients. The feasibility of such screening, however, depends on the availability of quick, easily interpretable screening tools.


METHODS
In this pair of studies, a 4-item screening instrument was developed from the depression and anxiety scales of the Brief Symptom Inventory. One sample of undergraduate volunteers was used to identify pairs of items to be included in the screener. A second sample of primary-care patients was used to evaluate the performance of these items as compared to other measures of the same construct and a standardized clinical interview.


RESULTS
The studies suggest that 4 items from the Brief Symptom Inventory can be used to identify patients with depression and/or anxiety in primary care.


CONCLUSIONS
Circumstances under which this measure, compared to other measures such as the Patient Health Questionnaire, would be appropriate are discussed.
Lang
Ariel J
AJ
Department of Psychiatry, University of California-San Diego, CA, USA.
Norman
Sonya B
SB
Means-Christensen
Adrienne
A
Stein
Murray B
MB
D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002140:California; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult