Staff Education on Structured PHQ-9 Administration to Enhance Depression Screening in Outpatient Mental Health Care
Zekarias F. Abessa
In outpatient mental health settings, inconsistent use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) due to gaps in knowledge and lack of standardized training can lead to missed opportunities for early identification of depression and delayed treatment. Mental health nurses play a key role in screening and early intervention, underscoring the criticality of this role in practice. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project explored whether a structured PHQ-9 staff education program could impro