Is screening cardiac inpatients for depression really feasible?

Regarding follow-up assessment of depression, in our study of collaborative care depression management to which the study was linked, we also used the PHQ-9 to make a diagnosis of clinical depression by requiring depressed mood or anhedonia and a total of 5 symptoms occurring at least half the days; given that these are the 9 symptoms of major depression and are similar to the diagnostic criteria for major depression, we did not feel that additional assessment by a psychiatrist was necessary. Depression in patients with acute cardiac disease is independently associated with recurrent cardiac events and cardiac mortality, and if an efficient program can be used to initiate appropriate treatment, this seems a worthwhile goal.