Link-me+ was designed on established clinical guidelines. The Link-me+ questionnaire is a prognostic tool comprised of the PHQ-9 (for depression), the GAD-7 (for anxiety) and other known socio-economic risk factors.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines recommend depression and anxiety screening tools are used in conjunction, in light of the significant comorbidity between depression and anxiety, and suggest the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 (1). The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care supports the use of the PHQ-9 as a patient reported outcome measure (2), and international guidelines likewise identify the PHQ-9 (3, 4) as appropriate.

Link-me+ is also a stepped care model. In Australia, PHN mental health planning and commissioning of services is founded on a stepped care approach (5). The General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration also supports the implementation of the stepped care model in the primary care setting (6).

If any of these links are broken or outdated, please inform the Link-me+ team by email at link-me@unimelb.edu.au