College of Nursing and Health Sciences DNP Defense - Portia Adjei Donker
College of Nursing and Health Sciences DNP Defense - Portia Adjei Donker
Title: Educating Healthcare Providers on the Use of Screening Tools for Mood Disorders.
Date: Friday April 24, 2026
Time: 3pm
ZOOM: Please contact dhoffman@umassd.edu for link
Committee:
Christine Bell, PhD, RN
Kristen Sethares, PhD, RN, CNE, FAHA, FHFSA, FAAN
Erin D'avella, NP
Abstract:
Mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and depression are prevalent and often debilitating mental health conditions that affect the quality of life of individuals and are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, affecting global health outcomes. These disorders adversely affect individuals' productivity, relationships, and overall well-being. Mood disorders can be difficult and costly to manage. Screening tools, such as the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), can aid in the screening and early detection of mood disorders. However, effective implementation of these tools depends on educating healthcare providers with the essential knowledge and skills needed to use and implement these screening tools effectively. This scholarly project sought to educate health care providers on the use of screening tools for mood disorders, specifically PHQ-9 and MDQ.
Six community healthcare providers participated in the project. The educational intervention included a pretest-posttest survey, qualitative questions, and program evaluation. A 30-minute educational session included a PowerPoint presentation and a question-and-answer segment. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results. The findings indicated the educational intervention improved healthcare provider knowledge of the use of both screening tools, PHQ-9 and MDQ. Improvements in MDQ scores were statistically significant. PHQ-9 scores showed positive gains, though results were not significant. The education program was well-received and provided important information to support professional practice. All participants rated the program's overall quality as excellent. By educating healthcare providers on the use of screening tools specifically MDQ and PHQ-9, the project supports ongoing initiatives to enhance early detection of mood disorders in clinical practice, ultimately improving patient outcomes and the quality of care.
Keywords: “Mood Disorder Questionnaires," "PHQ-9," "healthcare provider training," and "mood disorder screening.
ZOOM
Deanna Hoffman
dhoffman@umassd.edu