Training and Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Students on the Utilization of Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Screening Tool in Adults in a Health Care Setting

Author: Joanne Hudkins

Field of Study: Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Math

Faculty Mentors: Susan Glodstein

Easel: 65

Timeslot: Midday

Abstract: Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions in the United States. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends routine depression screening for all adults to enhance early detection and improve overall health outcomes. Research has shown that screening significantly helps address the social, economic, and health challenges faced by individuals with depression. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) is a valid and reliable tool for diagnosing depression and monitoring responses to treatment. This project aims to evaluate whether educational presentations on the PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 standardized depression screening tools can improve nurse practitioner students' knowledge regarding depression screening across various practice settings. Thirteen nurse practitioner students participated in the program and completed a pretest and posttest to assess their education. The results confirmed a significant change in the mean scores for participants' knowledge post-intervention. This demonstrates an improvement in the nurse practitioner students' knowledge of using PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 for depression screening following the educational session.