Health Topic: Depression
About 1 in 20 adults experience major depression in a given year. Depression and anxiety disorders may affect heart rhythms, elevate blood pressure, and alter blood clotting. Depression can also lead to elevated insulin and cholesterol levels. Depression or anxiety may result in chronically elevated levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Depression also frequently increases the risk of suicidal behavior. The risk for suicide linked with depressive disorders is significantly increased compared to the general population. Screening for depression is the first step to identifying patients who need help and follow up.

Who should be screened?
Adults 18 and older.

What is the GPRA measure?
The GPRA measure is the percentage of IHS AI/AN patients ages 18 and older who are screened for depression during the year.

How is IHS doing?
IHS has not established a long-term goal for this measure. The IHS 2012 goal was to achieve the rate of 56.5% for the proportion of adults ages 18 and older who receive annual screening for depression. IHS exceeded the goal by reaching 61.9%. The bars on the graph below show that IHS has increased the rate from 15% in 2006 to 61.9% in 2012 in the seven years it has reported this measure. However, beginning in 2010 refusals was removed from the rates. So, the 2006-2009 rates cannot be compared with the 2010-2012 rates.

View a table of this chart's data.

To see how IHS is doing on this measure at the Area (regional) levels, click here.