An Ultra-Brief 2-Item Depression Screening Tool for Correctional Populations

Although a number of depression screening instruments exist for use primarily in community mental health and medical settings, few have been validated on correctional populations. This study sought to examine the clinical utility of six different 2-item pairs in identifying risk for DSM-5 major depressive episode among a sample of county jail inmates. Data for the current report were derived from routine clinical assessments of 283 inmates recently admitted to a county jail. All inmates were administered the depression screening items as part of a structured diagnostic assessment interview to identify mental health needs. Results revealed that the best performing 2-item screen involved the combination of "difficulty concentrating" and "lack of energy," which represented the best balance of sensitivity (85.5%) and specificity (76.6%). Screening for major depression using as few as two items can be a valid and efficient strategy in identifying risk for major depressive episode among jail inmates.