Identifying Adolescent Depression in the Public School System

Problem Statement: Twenty percent of United States adolescents experience major depression at some point. Elevated school dropout rates, substance abuse, chronic disease, mortality and morbidity rates, and impaired growth remain because 60 % of adolescents with unidentified depression do not receive treatment. Purpose: This evidence-based project identified adolescents aged 16-19 in a South Carolina high school who had symptoms of depression. Counseling and resource information were provided for students with scores of 10 or greater, or thoughts of self-harm on the PHQ-9. Method: Students were screened using the PHQ-9. Data was organized in Excel and analyzed using the T-tests and Kruskal-Wallis’s tests to determine the significance when comparing participating students’ depression identification without school screening to participating students newly identified with symptoms of depression using the PHQ-9 screening tool. The distribution frequencies, t-tests, and Kruskal-Wallis’s tests were performed for students identified with symptoms of depression using history, gender, race, grade, and treatment outcomes as variables. Results: In-school screening identified more students with symptoms of depression than traditional methods. Female students were twice as likely as males (46.3% vs. 23.3%) to be positive for symptoms of depression. The PHQ-9 screening resulted in a significant number of students (5) identified with suicidal ideation. The outcomes for age and race were not significant. Implications for Practice: School-based screening with the PHQ-9, compared to no screening, newly identifies adolescents with symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation. This provides opportunities for treatment, support, and policies to improve mental and physical health outcomes.