If you're like me, you've seen these questionnaires and filled them out innumerable times. The ones that ask, "Over the past 2 weeks how often have you felt down depressed, or hopeless?" And you rate with not at all, some days, more than half the days, nearly every day, etc. and at the end you get a score. They have these typically for depression and anxiety, which seem to be the common ones. You may get one at your regular doctor, a psychiatrist, therapist, etc.
Does anyone have any information, evidence, and or arguments for or against taking these? I can see why if you're seeing a therapist and they give this to you intermittently it could help track your mental health and see if you're improving, deteriorating or staying the same and spot any dips or jumps. But they have apps that do this and you could just note it in a journal or on your phone. The tests seem unnecessary in some ways.
But otherwise, other than if you're totally newly presenting with these symptoms, why continue to be made to fill these out? Your doctor will have your file and know you have mental health issues. A reason I also don't want to fill it out was that the last time I did I not only got a call and message from a nurse because of my answers, but on the online form it also has this warning message for me to go to the er because of my answers. They must have recently implemented this because I've never had that happen in the years I'd been going.
I know insurance will make providers have patients fill these out for their records or to get a code for reimbursement. But if you refuse to fill them out would that make things more difficult for you or your provider? Would they just put in a number for you anyway? Would they make some note in your file about you being resistant?
Are there good reasons to fill it out, or not to? How do we know where these are going, who is seeing them, has access to them? Personally I'm tired of them. I've filled out so many in my life and they're always the same. Just ask me how I have been and I'll tell you. I don't need the silly questionnaire. I also have issues with the simplistic and limited ability to answer the questions and I don't entirely like the "score" you receive at the end...like, oh thanks for telling me I'm "only" moderately depressed. Ok. I'll pass that memo on to my near constant suicidal ideation and let it know it can stop now.