The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) as a brief screening tool for depression: a study of Iranian college students

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aims of the present study were (a) to investigate the psychometric properties and to explore the factorial structure of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), (b) to explore the association of PHQ-9 scores with Loneliness Scale (LS) scores, (c) to determine the severity of symptoms of depression, and (d) to examine sex differences. The PHQ-9 and LS were administered to a convenience sample of 260 Iranian university students. Cronbach's α was .84 for the PHQ-9. Two factors were extracted labelled “Affective", and “Somatic/Vegetative.” PHQ-9 scores correlated positively (r = .57) with LS scores. Suicidal ideation was predicted by both factors of the PHQ-9 and by their LS scores. Sixty-nine percent of the students experienced mild to severe depression, and the men and women did not differ significantly in scores. This study can provide data points for meta-analyses and may help to determine social, cultural or economic conditions influencing student depression.