The “GHU-Checkist”: Validity and acceptability of a 17-words checklist for rapid screening of depressive symptoms and anxiety

Background and objectives

Early detection of psychiatric disorders in general hospital settings could facilitate a systematic assessment of anxiety and depression, and lessen their non-detection, misdiagnoses and subsequent negative impacts. We built a new short screening tool with simple Yes/No questions on anxiety and depression and examined its diagnostic capacity and acceptability.

Methods

Our cross-sectional study included 608 patients examined in an emergency department at a Parisian general hospital. Their depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7). Participants also completed the ‘GHU-checklist’, a list of 17 words evoking moods or feelings. Sensitivity and specificity of the checklist were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results

22.7% of participants had depressive symptoms as measured by the PHQ-9, while 25.4% suffered from moderate or severe anxiety. Most participants perceived positively the GHU-checklist, which had a sensitivity of 81.5% in distinguishing patients with depressive symptoms. Sensitivity was 86.0% for moderate anxiety and 94.7% for severe anxiety. The specificity ranged from 64.3% to 71.1%.

Conclusions

A short 17-words checklist is able to ultra-rapidly screen for depressive and anxiety symptoms in non-psychiatric medical settings, and was perceived positively by patients. Its systematic use could facilitate a rapid and systematic assessment of these symptoms, especially in crowded and under-staffed settings such as the emergency department.