Abstract
Abstract Background: The prevalence of depression among college students has significantly increased in the past decade. Depression is twice as common among college students than compared to the general population. Without early identification and treatment of depression, it can negatively impact important outcomes such as social connectedness, academic performance, academic retention, and future economic productivity. Objective: Early identification and depression screening should be a priority among the college population. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to develop an evidence-based Depression Screening Protocol for an identified college health center utilizing the patient health questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) integrated in the electronic medical record. Various meetings with the healthcare providers, directors, and staff were held to share rationale for the development of the depression screening protocol and helped to identify the questions and concerns regarding implementation of the Depression Screening protocol. Results: Of the college students receiving health services at the identified college health center, a total of 1,741 college students were screened for depression, 1,719 students completed the PHQ-2, 22 students completed the PHQ-9, and 13 students were referred to counseling and psychological services. Conclusion: The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project demonstrated that the implementation of an evidence-based Depression Screening Protocol at a college health center was manageable and sustainable. This quality improvement project was successfully integrated into the identified health college center and it improved early identification of depression among college students; BSN to DNP