Three-Question Depression Screener Used for Lumbar Disc Herniations and Spinal Stenosis

Study Design. A depression screener was used to de-termine positive responses amongst patients with two disorders commonly treated with surgery. Objective. To examine the relation between positive responses to the depression screener and pain character-istics, sociodemographic responses, and Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey subscale scores among patients with lumbar disc herniation or spinal stenosis. Summary of Background Data. Numerous studies have reported a correlation between depression and low back pain, but few have examined this relation among patients with a diagnosis of sciatica from lumbar disc herniation or spinal stenosis. The Health Status Question-naire 2.0 includes both the Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey (a validated, multidimensional, generic instru