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Evaluation of the PHQ-9 Item 3 as a Screen for Sleep Disturbance in Primary Care

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ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

Sleep disturbance is a significant problem for adults presenting to primary care. Though it is recommended that primary care providers screen for sleep problems, a brief, effective screening tool is not available.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this preliminary study was to test the utility of item three of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9-item (PHQ-9) as a self-report screening test for sleep disturbance in primary care.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional survey of male VA primary care patients in Syracuse and Rochester, NY. Sensitivity and specificity statistics were calculated as well as positive and negative predictive value to determine both whether the PHQ-9 item-3 can be used as an effective sleep screen in primary care and at what PHQ item-3 cut score patients should be further assessed for sleep disturbance.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred and eleven male, VA primary care patients over the age of 18 and without gross neurological impairment participated in this one-session, in-person study.

MEASURES

During the research session, patients completed several questionnaires, including a basic demographic questionnaire, the PHQ-9, and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).

KEY RESULTS

PHQ-9 item 3 significantly correlated with the total score on the ISI (r = 0.75, p < 0.0001). A cut score of 1 on the PHQ-9 item 3, indicating sleep disturbance at least several days in the last two weeks, showed the best balance of sensitivity (82.5%) and specificity (84.5%) as well as positive (78.4%) and negative (91%) predictive value.

CONCLUSIONS

Item 3 of the PHQ-9 shows promise as a screener for sleep problems in primary care. Using this one-item of a popular screening measure for depression in primary care allows providers to easily screen for two important issues without unnecessarily adding significant burden.

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Contributors

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of the Veteran’s Affair’s department or other departments of the U.S. government. We acknowledge the Center for Integrated Healthcare, Syracuse VA Medical Center (VAMC) who contributed support to this research study.

Funders

This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, and the Center for Integrated Healthcare.

Prior Presentations

The material discussed in this paper has not been a part of any prior presentations.

Conflict of Interest

None disclosed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA

    Kristin L. MacGregor MS, Jennifer S. Funderburk PhD & Stephen A. Maisto PhD

  2. Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Center for Integrated Healthcare, 800 Irving Ave, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA

    Kristin L. MacGregor MS, Jennifer S. Funderburk PhD, Wilfred Pigeon PhD & Stephen A. Maisto PhD

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA

    Jennifer S. Funderburk PhD & Wilfred Pigeon PhD

  4. Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Center of Excellence, 400 Fort Hill Ave, Canandaigua, NY, USA

    Wilfred Pigeon PhD

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  1. Kristin L. MacGregor MS
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  2. Jennifer S. Funderburk PhD
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Correspondence to Kristin L. MacGregor MS.

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MacGregor, K.L., Funderburk, J.S., Pigeon, W. et al. Evaluation of the PHQ-9 Item 3 as a Screen for Sleep Disturbance in Primary Care. J GEN INTERN MED 27, 339–344 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-011-1884-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-011-1884-5

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