11 board-style questions on depression in the PulseMD family medicine question bank — physician-reviewed, written against current guidelines with the reference cited on each question. Two free samples below; the full set with answers, explanations, and spaced review is free to start.
A 42-year-old woman presents for a routine wellness visit. She reports feeling "down" for the past several weeks, with decreased energy, poor appetite, and difficulty sleeping. She has no significant past psychiatric history and takes no medications. You wish to formally screen for major depressive disorder using a validated primary care instrument. Which screening tool is most appropriate?
A 42-year-old woman presents with 4 weeks of persistent sadness, anhedonia, fatigue, poor concentration, insomnia, and a 10-pound weight loss. She reports feeling worthless and has passive thoughts of death but denies a specific plan or intent. Her PHQ-9 score is 18 (moderately severe). She has no prior psychiatric history and takes no medications. What is the most appropriate initial treatment plan?
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