How can physicians most effectively screen patients for depression and alcohol use? The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) aims to answer that with an easy-to-use guide.

The Point of Care Guide for Routine Screeing for Depression, Alcohol Problems and Domestic Violence provides physicians simple tools to help screen, as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

The guide shares a validated single question to screen for problem drinking and a two-question initial screening for depression, which can be confirmed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).

The guide also proposes a three-question screen for domestic violence for use by physicians who wish to incorporate routine screening for partner violence.

These questions could be self-administered during the annual health wellness exam and reviewed by physicians during the visit to determine if more investigation is needed.

Primary care providers and inpatient-psychiatric facilities can also partner with Qsource to ignite powerful change by improving behavioral health screening and care coordination. Learn more and find additional behavioral health screening tools.

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