A company called M-3 Information has developed a free, online checklist that research shows can accurately indicate whether a patient may have depression, anxiety, PTSD or bipolar disorder. The study will be published in the March/April 2010 issue of the Annals of Family Medicine. The developers of theM-3state that the 27-question screening tool is private, easy to use, and does not require any personal information to be shared. Users can continue to monitor their progress by retaking the test at regular intervals. The study found:
“The M-3 is a valid, efficient and feasible tool for screening common psychiatric illnesses in primary care. Its diagnostic accuracy equals that of presently used single-disorder screens but with the additional benefit of being combined into a one-page tool. The M-3 potentially can reduce missed psychiatric diagnoses and facilitate proper treatment of identified cases.”
I just tested it out and it only took 1 minute to take. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
I don’t believe they’ve tested the M-3 specifically for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. It would be interesting to hear results on that specifically.
This thing is AWESOME!
Thanks so very much for your fine coverage of the release of the M3 Checklist.
We at M3 Information are very excited about its potential to help fight mood and anxiety disorders, both among primary care patients and for the at-home web browser. And, very soon, the M3 will also be made available as an iPhone app.
As you know, mood and anxiety disorders are very common, affecting nearly 60 million Americans a year. The post-partum is a particularly vulnerable period for many women, and this is further complicated by the expectations many new mothers have that this is "supposed" to be a period of ecstatic self-fulfillment.
To answer your question, although the M3 has not been specifically tested among post-partum patients, there is no reason to expect it to be less sensitive in picking up these conditions in this group than among other anxiety or mood disorder patients.
On the other hand, we are considering the development of a version of the M3 that is specifically tailored for the post-partum period. Such an adapted form of the M3 might actually outperform the current, more general form (and this is a rather strong claim, because the current version does work so nicely).
Naturally, such an hypothesis would require a new research study for proof. For now, however, the current form of the M3 will undoubtedly enhance the ability of doctors and patients to uncover these potentially disabling conditions.