Do self-report measures of affect agree? A longitudinal study.

As part of a study of the association between changes in mood and migraine attacks, daily self-report data on anxiety and depression were collected from 37 female patients attending a migraine clinic. A combination of the Irritability Depression Anxiety (IDA) Scale and two visual analogue scales (VAS) was used. The IDA and VAS measures of anxiety and depression were significantly associated in only 55 and 61 per cent of patients respectively.