Study reveals patients are often confused when answering depression questionnaire

Do you ever get confused about how to answer a questionnaire before a medical appointment? You're not alone.

A new study, aided by the University of Arizona, found that many questions ahead of therapy sessions are misinterpreted.

Patient questionnaires serve as a method for self-reporting when it comes to symptoms of depression.

“The most commonly used form of the patient health questionnaire is a nine-item version, and so it asks about the nine main symptoms of depression," said Zachary Cohen, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona. "And this questionnaire asks, 'How often have you been bothered by the following problems?'"

The forms are recommended by the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies.

The study published in JAMA Psychiatry investigated how hundreds of people interpreted questions about their symptoms.

“They were not telling us about the frequency with which they were bothered by oversleeping. They were answering more based on the, just, frequency of oversleeping," Cohen said.

The study revealed potential problems with how care providers administer treatment to patients. However, Cohen said changing the language to the form would be a potential solution.