Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 September 2017
25. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health if the use of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 checklists for assessing mental health in persons are approved for use by the HSE and general practitioners here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40773/17]
View answerIndividuals who are concerned about their mental health may access services in a variety of ways. Many people go to their family doctor with mental health problems such as depression or anxiety and will not need the help of a psychiatrist. In other cases, the GP may decide to refer the person to members of the mental health team such as a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist or addiction counsellor. When assessing an individual's mental health, questionnaires like the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 may be used.
The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) is a validated self-administered version of the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders screening questionnaire. It contains the mood (PHQ-9), anxiety, alcohol, eating and somatoform modules as covered in the original PRIME-MD. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale was subsequently developed as a brief scale for anxiety. It is also validated.
There are many such screening tools available, and screening for mental health problems forms the basis of good clinical practice across mental health services. These screening tools are not particularly highlighted for use in mental health services (over and above other validated screening tools) by the HSE, but are likely to be used by clinicians as part of their clinical practice.
