Scientific Publication

Validity and diagnostic accuracy of the Luganda version of the 9-item and 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire for detecting major depressive disorder in rural Uganda

Abstract

The prevalence of depression in rural Ugandan communities is high and yet detection and treatment of depression in the primary care setting is suboptimal. Short valid depression screening measures may improve detection of depression. The authors describe the validation of the Luganda translated 9-item and 2-item Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQ-9 and PHQ-2) as screening tools for depression in 2 rural primary care facilities in Eastern Uganda. This research is supported by the Department for International Development’s Programme for Improving Mental Health Care (PRIME) which is led by the University of Cape Town