The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has opened a public consultation on evidence relating to screening for depression in adults.
Depression is one of the topics the committee reviews regularly for evidence relating to population screening. At the committee's last review in 2020 it did not recommend screening for depression because:
it was unclear how well depression was identified and managed in the UK at that time the test would wrongly identify a large number of people as having depression it was uncertain if screening would reduce the negative impact of depression it was not known if treating milder depression reduces the development of more severe depression in the longer termEvidence maps are typically the first step in the UK NSC process of reviewing evidence. They are rapid evidence products that provide an evaluation of the volume and type of evidence on a given screening topic.
We are asking individuals and organisations to provide feedback on the findings and conclusions of a 2026 evidence map on depression in adults. The evidence map was commissioned to review literature on the topic published since the 2020 evidence review.
About depressionDepression is a mental health condition that can have a serious impact on a person’s wellbeing and ability to function. Symptoms can include persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, tiredness, sleep problems, and difficulty concentrating. Depression can have a significant impact on quality of life, relationships, and physical health.
Subthreshold depression involves having clinically significant symptoms of depression that do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder.
The latest evidenceThe 2026 evidence map identified a low volume of evidence published since the 2020 review.
There were no studies on whether treating mild or subthreshold depression detected through screening leads to better outcomes.
There were 3 studies reporting on whether screening reduces mortality and morbidity. One study in the general population found a slightly lower risk of psychiatric hospitalisation among those screened but no reduction in suicide. Two studies in specific patient groups found little to no difference between screened and unscreened groups in quality of life.
The 2026 evidence map concludes that the volume and type of new evidence related to screening for depression in adults is currently insufficient to justify more in-depth work in the form of an evidence summary. It also concludes that this topic should not be reviewed again until new evidence becomes available that is likely to have a significant impact on the UK NSC recommendation.
If the UK NSC accepts this conclusion, this means any future requests to review evidence relating to screening for depression in adults would need to be submitted through the UK NSC’s open call for topics.
How to respondTo take part in the consultation, download the consultation documents by clicking on the grey 'View documents' button on the UK NSC's Depression recommendation page. Then submit your response by clicking on the green 'Submit comments' button.
The deadline for responses is 11.59pm on 3 August 2026.
The UK NSC will review and consider the responses after the consultation closes. The committee then agrees a recommendation at a UK NSC meeting. It publishes meeting minutes including the recommendation around 6 weeks later.
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seen at 09:46, 11 May in UK National Screening Committee.