Davy Vancampfort, Tine Van Damme, Wim Dankaerts, Dieter Van Assche, Brendon Stubbs, Ryan L McGrath
{"title":"Screening for depression misses people with suicidal ideation in patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain attending private physiotherapy.","authors":"Davy Vancampfort, Tine Van Damme, Wim Dankaerts, Dieter Van Assche, Brendon Stubbs, Ryan L McGrath","doi":"10.1080/09593985.2025.2490036","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain face an increased risk of suicidal ideation, yet suicide risk is not routinely assessed in physiotherapy. Many primary care professionals use a two-stage screening approach, assessing depression first and only asking about suicide if depressive symptoms are present.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study examines the appropriateness of this approach in private musculoskeletal physiotherapy practicein Belgium and whether physiotherapists' observations of patients' distress align with patient self-reports.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four-hundred fifty patients completed thePatient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which includes the PHQ-2 and a suicide ideation item, while 84 physiotherapists completed an observer-report PHQ-2. Cross-tabulation and logistic regression compared observer ratings with patient-reported distress.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mean scores on the observer-report and self-report PHQ-2 were similar (1.6 ± 1.6 vs. 1.6 ± 1.5, <i>p</i> = .79)and moderately correlated (<i>r</i> = 0.50, <i>p</i> < .001). Among patients reporting suicidal ideation (16.4%; <i>n</i> = 74), 41.9% (<i>n</i> = 31) scored below the PHQ-2 cutoff of 3, and 52.7% (<i>n</i> = 31) scored below on the observer-report version. A self-report PHQ-2 score of 3 or above was more strongly associated with suicidal ideation (odds ratio[OR] = 6.76; 95%CI = 3.96-11.53) than an observer-report PHQ-2 score of 3 or above (OR = 3.72; 95%CI = 2.21-6.28), though the latter had higher classification accuracy (83.6% vs. 76.2%). Physiotherapists were more likely to recommend professional support for patients with suicidal ideation (50.0% vs. 34.6%, <i>p</i> = .012), but coping advice did not differ by suicide risk.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Many patients with suicidal ideation did not meet the PHQ-2 depression threshold, highlighting the limitations of a two-stage screening approach in physiotherapy. Based on these findings, this approach is not recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":48699,"journal":{"name":"Physiotherapy Theory and Practice","volume":" ","pages":"2021-2029"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Physiotherapy Theory and Practice","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2025.2490036","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/4/10 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"REHABILITATION","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain face an increased risk of suicidal ideation, yet suicide risk is not routinely assessed in physiotherapy. Many primary care professionals use a two-stage screening approach, assessing depression first and only asking about suicide if depressive symptoms are present.
Objective: This study examines the appropriateness of this approach in private musculoskeletal physiotherapy practicein Belgium and whether physiotherapists' observations of patients' distress align with patient self-reports.
Methods: Four-hundred fifty patients completed thePatient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which includes the PHQ-2 and a suicide ideation item, while 84 physiotherapists completed an observer-report PHQ-2. Cross-tabulation and logistic regression compared observer ratings with patient-reported distress.
Results: Mean scores on the observer-report and self-report PHQ-2 were similar (1.6 ± 1.6 vs. 1.6 ± 1.5, p = .79)and moderately correlated (r = 0.50, p < .001). Among patients reporting suicidal ideation (16.4%; n = 74), 41.9% (n = 31) scored below the PHQ-2 cutoff of 3, and 52.7% (n = 31) scored below on the observer-report version. A self-report PHQ-2 score of 3 or above was more strongly associated with suicidal ideation (odds ratio[OR] = 6.76; 95%CI = 3.96-11.53) than an observer-report PHQ-2 score of 3 or above (OR = 3.72; 95%CI = 2.21-6.28), though the latter had higher classification accuracy (83.6% vs. 76.2%). Physiotherapists were more likely to recommend professional support for patients with suicidal ideation (50.0% vs. 34.6%, p = .012), but coping advice did not differ by suicide risk.
Conclusion: Many patients with suicidal ideation did not meet the PHQ-2 depression threshold, highlighting the limitations of a two-stage screening approach in physiotherapy. Based on these findings, this approach is not recommended.
期刊介绍:
The aim of Physiotherapy Theory and Practice is to provide an international, peer-reviewed forum for the publication, dissemination, and discussion of recent developments and current research in physiotherapy/physical therapy. The journal accepts original quantitative and qualitative research reports, theoretical papers, systematic literature reviews, clinical case reports, and technical clinical notes. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice; promotes post-basic education through reports, reviews, and updates on all aspects of physiotherapy and specialties relating to clinical physiotherapy.