RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Use of the Health History as a Psychiatric Screening Tool JF The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice JO J Am Board Fam Med FD American Board of Family Medicine SP 452 OP 458 DO 10.3122/jabfm.11.6.452 VO 11 IS 6 A1 Post, Douglas A1 Miller, Karl YR 1998 UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/11/6/452.abstract AB Background: Numerous studies indicate that most mental health services are provided in the primary care medical setting and that problems exist with misdiagnoses and lack of recognition of mental health disorders. The purpose of our investigation was to determine whether patient responses on a typical medical health history form could be used to predict depression or anxiety. Methods: New adult patients at a university community family practice clinic were surveyed during a 6-month period. Study patients completed a health history form and standardized inventories of anxiety and depression. Results: The study sample included 187 patients. Positive responses to mood-related symptoms reported on the health history best predicted anxiety and depression. Nonmood symptoms were also significant, although not as powerful, predictors of these disorders. A significant relation existed between total number of positive symptoms and psychiatric diagnoses, which continued when mood symptoms were removed from the analyses. Results were used to develop physical, nonmood primary care symptom profiles that could be used to screen for anxiety and depression. Conclusion: Providing physicians the means to improve mental health diagnostics can help advance patient care and health care system outcomes.