Which tools are commonly used for screening depression and anxiety in primary care?

• A. PHQ-9 for depression; GAD-7 for anxiety.
• B. MMSE and MoCA.
• C. CAGE questionnaire.
• D. PHQ-2 and GAD-2.

Answer: (A)

In primary care, mood disorders are routinely screened using brief, validated self-report scales that directly measure depressive and anxiety symptoms. The combination of a nine-item depression scale and a seven-item anxiety scale is widely used because they are quick to administer, tie closely to DSM criteria, and provide clear cutoffs for presence and severity. The depression tool asks about how often core depressive symptoms have occurred over the past couple of weeks and yields a total score that guides decisions about further evaluation and treatment, while the anxiety tool does the same for core anxiety symptoms, helping clinicians gauge severity and monitor response over time.

Other options aren’t as well suited for screening mood disorders in this setting. Cognitive screening tools like MMSE and MoCA assess memory, attention, and other cognitive functions rather than mood symptoms. The CAGE questionnaire targets problematic alcohol use rather than depressive or anxiety symptoms. There are ultra-brief versions that use only two questions each, but the longer, standard forms—PHQ-9 for depression and GAD-7 for anxiety—are more informative for diagnosis, management planning, and tracking changes.