Depression Screening: Update From The USPSTF

A new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that all U.S. adults, including pregnant and postpartum women, be screened for depression when they visit the doctor. The previous recommendation's issued by the group in 2009 did not have enough evidence to either recommend or discourage pregnant or postpartum women be screened for depression, according to Live Science.

The USPSTF also issued a "B grade recommendation" for depression screenings, meaning that it is of moderate to substantial net benefit.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently predicted mental illness would jump from the fifth leading cause of death and disability to second place by 2020.

"Depression has a major effect on quality of life for the patient and affects family members, especially children," the group noted in its report. People who received a positive screening result--meaning they possibly had depression--would then undergo additional assessments in order to determine their medical condition. 

While the new guidelines recommend that those 18 and older be screened for depression, the optimal timing of the screening is not yet known, according to the task force. 

With the new recommendation including pregnant and postpartum women, the new findings suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy and other types of talk therapy may be helpful for women suffering from depression. And while research has shown that use of antidepressants during pregnancy can harm a fetus, the risks are small, according to study authors. However, more research is required regarding the potential harms or benefits of their use. 

The study is published in the journal JAMA. 

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