Are 2 Questions Enough to Screen for Depression and Anxiety in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain?

Objective. To examine the sensitivity of 2 single-item questions compared with 2 longer questionnaires for screening depression and anxiety among patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Summary of Background Data. Psychosocial factors are frequently identifi ed as risk factors for developing CLBP and as predictors for treatment, and questionnaires are often used to screen for this. Shorter instruments may be easier to use in clinical practice settings. Methods. A total of 564 patients with 2 to 10 months of at least 50% sickness absence due to nonspecifi c low back pain were assessed for depression and anxiety with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Single-item questions for depression and anxiety from the Subjective Health Complaint Inventory and 2 longer questionnaires, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Hopkins Symptom Checklist–25, were compared with MIN