A hospital system in Virginia now screens patients for depression when they visit the doctor.
It’s a simple questionnaire patients fill out before the appointment.
“This allows us to have early detection and follow up for depression, which impacts our lives and saves lives, too,” Inova Behavioral Health Services President Dr. Linda Lang said.
Every patient starts by answering two basic questions about their mental health, Lang said.
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“The questions are basically asking over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by little interest or pleasure in doing things,” she said. “And then the second question is feeling down, depressed or hopeless.”
Depending on how patients answer, they may get prompted to answer a few follow-up questions. If the screening shows warning signs for depression or self-harm, patients can get help in real time.
“A high score, which is 25 or greater, will trigger us to connect a patient with a behavioral health consultant right there in the office,” Lang said.
Changing Minds
It can affect anyone at any time. It doesn’t discriminate by age, race, gender or income. Yet many of us find that mental health and mental illness are tough topics to talk about. That’s why NBC4 is shining a light on the subject by providing education, information and hope.
The new screening tool is being used across Inova Health System for anyone who’s seeing a primary care physician or visiting the emergency department and specialty clinics.
The rollout began in April, and they’ve already had success, Lang said.
“We were able to make a connection and get those patients into treatment where they otherwise would not have even really been asked the question,” Lang said. “So, we feel like this is absolutely serving the community and transforming the way we care for our community.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 20% of people are affected by depression, and the pandemic has only made matters worse.
“Our memory can be affected by depression, our ability to sleep well, our appetite,” Lang said. “It is part of our total life and total health, and I think we want to see people holistically now and have it really be woven into everything that we think about.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
