DEPRESSD - Minimal Detectable Change of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8), and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2): An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and its 8-item (PHQ-8) and 2-item (PHQ-2) short versions are used to evaluate depression symptoms in general practice and other settings, but there is limited evidence on the amount of change needed to exceed measurement error. The objective was to estimate the minimal detectable change (MDC) of the PHQ-9, PHQ-8, and PHQ-2 and to examine whether MDC varies by participant characteristics and study-level variables.