Impact of PHQ-9 Screen on Early Identification of Depression in IBD Clinic

Key findings including identification of depression is higher in the intervention group compared to the control group. Though the data is not statistically significant, this is likely secondary to the small sample size in the setting of the pandemic. In addition, univariate analysis revealed a statistically significant finding that the older the age of the patient, the less likely they are to have depression. Our data showed that the mean age of depressed patients was 38.3 compared to nondepressed patients whose mean age is 47.1. Further analysis can help elucidate this finding, for example identifying if older patients are being treated for depression or more likely to seek out therapists compared to younger patients. Univariate analysis also revealed that intestinal Crohn's disease was a risk factor for depression. This is possibly secondary to the severity of disease in these individuals, especially if their IBD is causing an impact on their quality of life. Looking into the number of hospitalizations, days off from work or school, and coexisting medical diagnoses can allow us to further understand if depression stems from their disease. Given preliminary findings, we plan to continue this study for a larger sample size and further determine if there is a significant delay in identifying depression with the current standard of care.