Baer L, Jacobs DG, Cukor P, O'Laughlen J, Coyle JT, Magruder KM, Baer, L, Jacobs, D G, Cukor, P, O'Laughlen, J, Coyle, J T, and Magruder, K M
Objective: To test the application of fully automated telephone screening using computerized digital voice recordings and touch-tone responses to assess symptoms of depression.Design: A cross-sectional study of a 2-week-long telephone survey.Setting: Toll-free telephone calls placed from home, work, or school to a central telephone/computer system at a telecommunications company in the Boston, Mass, area.Participants: A total of 1812 participants called the system. Of these, 278 were students and faculty at a large midwestern state university, 725 were employees of a large northeastern high-technology firm, and 809 did not identify which site they were calling from.Main Outcome Measures: The 20-question multiple-choice Zung Depression Scale was used to screen for depressive symptoms, and additional questions gathered demographic and caller satisfaction information.Results: No technical problems were encountered during the trial. Of 1812 callers, 1597 (88.1%) completed all questions. Of these, 412 callers (25.8%) met criteria for "moderate or marked" depression and another 194 (12.1%) met criteria for "severe or extreme" depression. The majority of callers scoring positive for depression had received no previous treatment for depression. Of callers who completed the screening questionnaire, 74.6% reported the call to have been at least "moderately" helpful.Conclusion: Readily available low-cost technology provides a fully automated, widely accessible, and confidential method of screening for a common mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]