Validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 and PHQ-2 in general internal medicine primary care at a Japanese rural hospital: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Two depression screening tools, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 and PHQ-2, have not had their validity examined in general internal medicine settings in Japan. We examined the validity of these screening tools.

Methods: A total of 598 outpatients of an internal medicine clinic in a rural general hospital were enrolled consecutively and stratified by PHQ-9 score.

Prevalence of depression among outpatients visiting a general internal medicine polyclinic in rural Japan.

Objective: In Europe and the US, primary care has been anticipated in identifying untreated depression. Findings show a high prevalence of depression in such settings. However, the prevalence of depression in an internal medicine clinic in a rural area of Japan, which has a role in primary care, is unclear.

Multiple barriers against successful care provision for depressed patients in general internal medicine in a Japanese rural hospital: a cross-sectional study.

Background: A general internist has an important role in primary care, especially for the elderly in rural areas of Japan. Although effective intervention models for depressed patients in general practice and primary care settings have been developed in the US and UK medical systems, there is little information regarding even the recognition rate and prescription rate of psychotropic medication by general internists in Japan. The present study surveyed these data cross-sectionally in a general internal medicine outpatient clinic of a Japanese rural hospital.