Organizations need to know the status of the mental health of their employees. These screening tools will aid the HR teams to assess their current state.

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Mental
Health
Screening
and COVID-19
April 3, 2020
Ref: The Anxiety and Depression Association of America, WashingtonTimes.com, Mary Alvord, PhD

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Anxiety Screening Tool
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the
following problems? Use “/” to indicate your answer.
Not
at all
Several
Days
> half
the
days
Nearly
every
day
1. Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge 0 1 2 3
2. Not being able to stop or control worrying 0 1 2 3
3. Worrying too much about different things 0 1 2 3
4. Trouble relaxing 0 1 2 3
5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit still 0 1 2 3
6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable 0 1 2 3
7. Feeling afraid, as if something awful might happen 0 1 2 3
Add columns + + +
Total Score
Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire (PRIME-MD-PHQ). The PHQ, including the GAD-7
Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke, and colleagues. PRIME-MD® is a trademark of Pfizer Inc. Copyright© 1999 Pfizer Inc.

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Interpretation
Total Score
Anxiety severity
0-4 Minimal anxiety
5-9 Mild anxiety
10-14 Moderate anxiety
15-21 Severe anxiety
If there are at least 4 checks, consider anxiety.
Proceed with counselling and psychoeducation.
Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire (PRIME-MD-PHQ). The PHQ, including the GAD-7
Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke, and colleagues. PRIME-MD® is a trademark of Pfizer Inc. Copyright© 1999 Pfizer Inc.

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Depression Screening Tool : Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?
Use “/” to indicate your answer.
Not at
all
Several
Days
>half the
days
Nearly
every day
1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things 0 1 2 3
2. Feeling down, depressed or hopeless 0 1 2 3
3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much 0 1 2 3
4. Feeling tired or having little energy 0 1 2 3
5. Poor appetite or overeating 0 1 2 3
6. Feeling bad about yourself or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down 0 1 2 3
7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading newspaper or watching television 0 1 2 3
8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed, Or the opposite – being
so figety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual
0 1 2 3
9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself 0 1 2 3
Add columns + + +
Total Score
Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire (PRIME-MD-PHQ). The PHQ, including the GAD-7
Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke, and colleagues. PRIME-MD® is a trademark of Pfizer Inc. Copyright© 1999 Pfizer Inc.

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Question on impairment of social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
If you checked off any problems, how difficult have these
problems made it for you to do your work, take care of things at
home, or get along with other people?
Not difficult at all
Somewhat difficult
Very difficult
Extremely difficult
Interpretation
Total Score
Depression severity
1-4 Minimal depression
5-9 Mild depression
10-14 Moderate depression
15-19 Moderately severe depression
20-27 Severe depression
If there are at least 4 checks, consider depression. Proceed with counselling and psychoeducation.
If total score is 11 or higher, proceed with Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSRS)
Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire (PRIME-MD-PHQ). The PHQ, including the GAD-7
Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke, and colleagues. PRIME-MD® is a trademark of Pfizer Inc. Copyright© 1999 Pfizer Inc.

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Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)
PAST
MONTH
SUICIDE IDEATION PROMPTS YES NO COURSE OF ACTION
Wish to be dead Counselling,
psychoeducation
Suicidal thoughts
Suicidal thoughts with method without specific plan
Suicidal Intent Admit
Psychiatrist referral
Suicidal Intent with specific plan
Suicide Behavior

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Counselling and
Psychoeducation
Occupational Health Services
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Take a walk inside
your home or
around the block if
possible in your
community
Occupational Health Services
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• Stay physically active.
• Movement can affect our mood
and staying sedentary is not
helpful.
• Do yoga or other exercises
at home following YouTube
videos.

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Occupational Health Services
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• Make sure to get some quality sleep
• Keep your room dark and quiet
• Avoid large meals two hours
and caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime
• Go to bed at the same time each night
• Wind down and stop working on any task,
especially ones that include computers
and devices, an hour before bedtime

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Maintain healthy eating habits and make sure to get in enough
protein, fiber and other essential nutrients.

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Occupational Health Services
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• Stay socially connected through
online platforms, video chats and
phone calls.
• Physical isolation doesn’t mean
people can’t stay connected.
Set up virtual happy hours with
family, friends or take advantage of
virtual museum tours, concerts and
other entertainment.
• Also, be mindful of who you
keep in touch with. For
example, don’t talk with a
friend who tends to elevate
anxiety about coronavirus.

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If teleworking,
designate an area in
the house that is
reserved for work.

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Limit news about the coronavirus.
Designate times or allotting a certain amount of time
to catch up on the news and to filter through information
that is relevant and helpful.
The constant stream of news can be an overload,
people want to get just enough information
to take the right precautions.
Get information from a credible source.

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Occupational Health Services
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• Release tension with breathing
exercises.
• Stress and anxiety about
current events lead to the build
up of physical tension in the
body such as stomach tightness
and an aching back.
• Pausing several times a day to
notice unnecessary tension and
take three calming breaths,
exhaling for a count of five and
then inhaling.

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While there are things during a disease outbreak that are
uncontrollable, focus on what you can control.
Proper washing of hands
with soap and water
Cover when sneezing or
coughing
Avoid going out.
Stay at home
Wear mask
Practice social distancing
Use 60%-90% alcohol
Drink plenty of water /
liquid
Cook food thoroughly
Avoid people
who are sick
Avoid animals
Consult your doctor if you have symptoms of
FEVER, COUGH, FAST BREATHING OR DIARRHEA.

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Occupational Health Services
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We are resilient.
We’ve gone through some really
rough times and we are all going
to pull together.
We can do things to help
ourselves.
Because we’re all affected, there
will be systems that will help us.
You are not alone.