The reliability of a short scale PHQ-2 for screening depression among Pakistani medical students.

Objective: To investigate the reliability of a short scale i.e: PHQ-2 in medical students. Study Design: Cross-sectional Descriptive. Setting: Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur. Period: 25-10-23 to 25-11-23. Methods: 159 Pakistani medical college students were selected through convenience sampling technique. Participants completed two scales, namely the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and the Beck Suicide Ideation Scale (BSSI). The collected data from both scales were analyzed using SPSS version 21. The analysis included assessing the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) scores and its items in comparison with the Beck Suicide Ideation Scale (BSSI). Results: The average PHQ-2 score observed was (2.14 ± 1.69 standard deviation). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was (α = 0.72), indicating a high level of PHQ-2 internal items consistency. PHQ-2 showed a significant correlation with the Beck Suicide Ideation (BSSI) at (r=.48), indicating good construct reliability. Conclusion: The PHQ-2 scale appeared as a reliable scale for screening depression and it can be used for assessing depression and suicidal ideations in academic settings of Pakistan. However, its complementation with PHQ-9 is recommended for clinical use.