Date of Conferral

3-20-2026

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Cara Krulewitch

Abstract

This staff education project focuses on improving depression detection in a primary care settings using Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) screening tool. Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, requiring reliable and adaptable screening tools. The diagnosis of depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in primary care but is poorly identified and frequently missed. The lack of consistent screening for depression among patients often results in delayed identification of symptoms, which postpones early treatment, increasing the risk of complications associated with untreated depression. The practice site identified that depression screening was frequently missed during patient intake, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project addressed the practice-focused question: How does the implementation of staff education on the use of the screening tool, PHQ-9, improve the knowledge of staff in detecting depression? The purpose of staff education was to improve depression detection in primary care settings by educating staff on the use of a screening tool – the PHQ-9. The desired outcome is to improve staff knowledge of the purpose and use of the PHQ-9 screening tool, thereby increasing the consistency of depression screening and ultimately improving the rate of detection. This staff education project was developed using the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) model. Eight staff members from the practice participated in the projects. The education outcome was assessed using pretest and posttest questionnaires the to determine the level of knowledge gained from the training. The pretest mean score was 6.38, and the posttest mean score was 8.75, suggesting that education was effective in improving staff knowledge of the PHQ-9.

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