Why does Flow use MADRS instead of PHQ-9?

The questionnaire we use is called MADRS-s (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale - Self-rated). Flow Neuroscience did not create the MADRS-s questionnaire. This questionnaire is widely accepted and used globally by doctors as one of many tools to help diagnose depression and monitor changes in symptom severity.

It's important to note that the MADRS-s questionnaire alone is not a diagnostic tool. It is often used in conjunction with other clinical assessments to determine the severity of a person's depression and track changes in severity over time.

Our goal at Flow Neuroscience is to support those suffering from depression and help them feel better. By using the MADRS-s, our users can better understand if they are seeing improvements in their depressive symptoms week over week. Monitoring improvements allows users to determine if Flow is the right treatment for them.

We recognise that other commonly used tools, such as the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), are also employed by healthcare professionals to assess depression. We are actively exploring the possibility of including additional assessment tools like the PHQ-9 in the future to provide our users with a more comprehensive understanding of their progress and to align with the tools their clinicians may be using.