Depression The purpose of the journal study in the Annals of Internal Medicine is to update the 2002 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) with the 2012 recommendation statement on depression screening in adults. There were a number of problems with the 2002 study in terms of the reliability of the evidence, limiting the use of its recommendations. Based upon the experiences in the formulation of first recommendation's result and by using the 2002 results and comparing them in a longitudinal fashion with those of 2012, more definitive results were achieved to recommend depression screening in the appropriate clinical settings to detect and prevent suicide. The accuracy of such screenings and the supporting evidence is presently much better, justifying a wider use of them to better treat patients suffering from depression.

Introduction

The purpose of the journal study is to update the 2002 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation statement on depression screening in adults. The health question deals with the benefit and/or harm of screening primary care patients for depression (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2009, 784. The population that the update is addressed to non-pregnant adults, and older adults. The update is not for children and adolescents that a separate population.

Analysis

Although independent, the USPSTF is supported due to the U.S. Congress mandating this support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (ibid., 789). The views and preferences of the target population by such a group is balanced and weighed. The target users of the guideline were clearly defined as healthcare providers in institutions and in psychotherapy practices (ibid.).
Systematic methods were used to search for evidence which included direct evidence concerning depression screening programs and their ability to improve health outcomes. These included questions concerning accuracy in the screening instruments to identify depressed adults in primary care settings and also the of treatment of depressed adults with psychotherapy and antidepressants. New areas of research that were considered included the appropriateness of the treatment of depression in the older adult patients (ibid., 785). The criteria for the selection of the evidence to be considered was rigorous and included longitudinal information from the 2002 task force…