This is the most common question we are asked.
The short answer is YES for the vast majority of patients. Here is the longer answer and explanation.
In most clinical trials of treatment for depression, the measure of success (outcome) is called “response” to treatment, according to the National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH] which means that the person’s symptoms have decreased to at least half of what they were at the start of the trial. At Spark TMS we use the widely accepted Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to gauge severity of depression at both the outset and conclusion of treatment. The PHQ-9 is a multipurpose instrument for screening, diagnosing, monitoring and measuring the severity of depression.
| PHQ-9 Score | Depression Severity |
|---|---|
| 0 – 4 | None-minimal |
| 5 – 9 | Mild |
| 10 – 14 | Moderate |
| 15 – 19 | Moderately Severe |
| 20 – 27 | Severe |
At Spark TMS, 84% of our most recent patients have reported improvement by reduction to at least half of their starting score. Two thirds of those patients in fact had a 75% reduction in their PHQ-9 score by the conclusion of their treatment. See actual questionnaire below.
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?
Not at all 0 Several days +1 More than half the days +2
Nearly every day +3
