Screening for depression for adults. External review against programme appraisal criteria for the UK National Screening Committee

Summary

This review is looking for new evidence about screening for depression. It focuses on 3 key questions. The first question looks at the effect of treating milder depression to reduce the future development of more severe depression. The second question explores if screening adults for depression reduces the negative impact that depression has in their life. The review found a lack of evidence to answer these questions. It is not clear that treating milder depression reduces the development of more severe depression in the longer term (beyond 2 years). It is uncertain if screening reduces the negative impact of depression. It is also uncertain how well depression is identified and managed in the UK at present. In conclusion, there is not enough new evidence for the UK NSC to change its position. This means that screening for depression in the UK is still not recommended.