Universal screening for depression at the primary healthcare level could result in significant public health benefits and economic savings for India, according to a new modelling study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia.
The study examined the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of integrating population-based depression screening into India’s comprehensive primary healthcare system, in line with the Centre’s proposal to introduce routine screening at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
Conducted jointly by researchers from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, NIMHANS in Bengaluru, and the National Health Systems Resource Centre, the study was funded by the Union Department of Health Research.
The researchers compared universal screening of adults aged 30 and above and an expanded option covering those aged 20 and above with the current practice of diagnosing only symptomatic individuals.
Two-step screening
