A client at the mental health center reports difficulty concentrating at work, feeling very tired during the day, and sleeping 4 to 5 hours at night. To further assess for depression, which question is most important for the nurse to ask?

A. "Do you often feel sad?": Persistent sadness is a core symptom of depression and is essential to assess when screening for this disorder. Directly asking about mood helps the nurse identify whether the client meets diagnostic criteria and guides further evaluation of associated symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, or concentration problems. B. "What foods do you like to eat?": While appetite changes can accompany depression, this question alone does not provide information about the client’s mood or overall depressive state. It is a secondary assessment that should follow after core symptoms are explored. C. "Have you experienced sleep changes?": Sleep disturbances are common in depression and provide important supportive information, but they are not sufficient on their own to establish the presence of depression. Assessing primary mood symptoms is a higher priority. D. "Have you experienced recent stresses?": Identifying stressors can help understand potential triggers or exacerbating factors, but it does not directly assess the core emotional symptoms required to diagnose depression.