Table 4. Baseline Severity of Illness and Suicidality Measurement Using the 9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Electronic Health Record Data among Depressed Patients in DARTNet Practices
Depression CohortDepression Cohort + Fulfillment Data Available
PHQ-9s collected, n1440192
Episodes with at least one PHQ-9, n738169
Patients with at least one PHQ-9, n670149
Baseline severity of illness measurement
    Episodes with a baseline PHQ-9,* n13522
    Days between index depression diagnosis and closest PHQ-9, n
        Mean−8.9−5.3
        Median0.00.0
        Range−116 to 6−116 to 5
    Baseline PHQ-9s collected
        Before index diagnosis date (T−120 to T−1)26 (19.26)2 (9.09)
        On index diagnosis date99 (73.33)16 (72.73)
        After index diagnosis date (T+1 to T+7)10 (7.41)4 (18.18)
    Baseline severity of illness levels
        ICD-9 severity level
            Level 1 (mild)8 (10.96)
            Level 2 (moderate)11 (15.07)
            Level 3 (severe without psychosis)0 (0.00)
            Level 4 (severe with psychosis)0 (0.00)
        PHQ-9 severity level
            0–4 (no depression)25 (18.52)0 (0.00)
            5–9 (minimal)39 (28.89)5 (22.73)
            10–14 (mild)31 (22.96)8 (36.36)
            15–19 (moderate)23 (17.04)3 (13.64)
            20–27 (severe)17 (12.59)6 (27.27)
Baseline suicidality measurement
    ICD-9 suicidality
        Ideation0 (0.00)0 (0.00)
        Suicide attempt0 (0.00)0 (0.00)
        None135 (100.0)22 (100.0)
    PHQ-9 item 9 (suicidality) score
        Mean0.40.6
        Median0.00.0
        Range0–30–3
    Specific scores
        0 (no thoughts in past 2 weeks)76 (73.08)14 (63.64)
        1 (thoughts on several days)20 (19.23)4 (18.18)
        2 (thoughts on more than half the days)6 (5.77)3 (13.64)
        3 (thoughts nearly every day)2 (1.92)1 (4.55)
  • Data provided as n (%) unless otherwise indicated.

  • * Baseline PHQ-9 was defined as the closest total PHQ-9 score within 120 days before and 7 days after the index depression diagnosis date.

  • ICD-9, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision.