BACKGROUND: A number of scales are used to estimate the severity of depression. However, differences between self-report and clinician rating, multi-dimensionality and different weighting of individual symptoms in summed scores may affect the validity of measurement. In this study we examined and integrated the psychometric properties of three commonly used rating scales. METHOD: The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to 660 adult patients with unipolar depression in a multi-centre pharmacogenetic study. Item response theory (IRT) and factor analysis were used to evaluate their psychometric properties and estimate true depression severity, as well as to group items and derive factor scores. RESULTS: The MADRS and the BDI provide internally consistent but mutually distinct estimates of depression severity. The HAMD-17 is not internally consistent and contains several items less suitable for out-patients. Factor analyses indicated a dominant depression factor. A model comprising three dimensions, namely 'observed mood and anxiety', 'cognitive' and 'neurovegetative', provided a more detailed description of depression severity. CONCLUSIONS: The MADRS and the BDI can be recommended as complementary measures of depression severity. The three factor scores are proposed for external validation.
BACKGROUND: A number of scales are used to estimate the severity of depression. However, differences between self-report and clinician rating, multi-dimensionality and different weighting of individual symptoms in summed scores may affect the validity of measurement. In this study we examined and integrated the psychometric properties of three commonly used rating scales. METHOD: The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to 660 adult patients with unipolar depression in a multi-centre pharmacogenetic study. Item response theory (IRT) and factor analysis were used to evaluate their psychometric properties and estimate true depression severity, as well as to group items and derive factor scores. RESULTS: The MADRS and the BDI provide internally consistent but mutually distinct estimates of depression severity. The HAMD-17 is not internally consistent and contains several items less suitable for out-patients. Factor analyses indicated a dominant depression factor. A model comprising three dimensions, namely 'observed mood and anxiety', 'cognitive' and 'neurovegetative', provided a more detailed description of depression severity. CONCLUSIONS: The MADRS and the BDI can be recommended as complementary measures of depression severity. The three factor scores are proposed for external validation.
Authors: Thomas G Schulze; Martin Alda; Mazda Adli; Nirmala Akula; Raffaella Ardau; Elise T Bui; Caterina Chillotti; Sven Cichon; Piotr Czerski; Maria Del Zompo; Sevilla D Detera-Wadleigh; Paul Grof; Oliver Gruber; Ryota Hashimoto; Joanna Hauser; Rebecca Hoban; Nakao Iwata; Layla Kassem; Tadafumi Kato; Sarah Kittel-Schneider; Sebastian Kliwicki; John R Kelsoe; Ichiro Kusumi; Gonzalo Laje; Susan G Leckband; Mirko Manchia; Glenda Macqueen; Takuya Masui; Norio Ozaki; Roy H Perlis; Andrea Pfennig; Paola Piccardi; Sara Richardson; Guy Rouleau; Andreas Reif; Janusz K Rybakowski; Johanna Sasse; Johannes Schumacher; Giovanni Severino; Jordan W Smoller; Alessio Squassina; Gustavo Turecki; L Trevor Young; Takeo Yoshikawa; Michael Bauer; Francis J McMahon Journal: Neuropsychobiology Date: 2010-05-08 Impact factor: 2.328
Authors: Boadie W Dunlop; Steven P Cole; Charles B Nemeroff; Helen S Mayberg; W Edward Craighead Journal: J Affect Disord Date: 2017-12-27 Impact factor: 4.839
Authors: Jindra M Bakker; Liesbet Goossens; Poornima Kumar; Iris M J Lange; Stijn Michielse; Koen Schruers; Jojanneke A Bastiaansen; Ritsaert Lieverse; Machteld Marcelis; Thérèse van Amelsvoort; Jim van Os; Inez Myin-Germeys; Diego A Pizzagalli; Marieke Wichers Journal: Psychol Med Date: 2018-11-29 Impact factor: 7.723
Authors: Mario Maj; Dan J Stein; Gordon Parker; Mark Zimmerman; Giovanni A Fava; Marc De Hert; Koen Demyttenaere; Roger S McIntyre; Thomas Widiger; Hans-Ulrich Wittchen Journal: World Psychiatry Date: 2020-10 Impact factor: 49.548
Authors: Emma E M Knowles; Jack W Kent; D Reese McKay; Emma Sprooten; Samuel R Mathias; Joanne E Curran; Melanie A Carless; Marcio A A de Almeida; H H Goring Harald; Tom D Dyer; Rene L Olvera; Peter T Fox; Ravi Duggirala; Laura Almasy; John Blangero; David C Glahn Journal: J Affect Disord Date: 2015-11-17 Impact factor: 4.839