Fwd: New Self-Rating Depression Scale Is Brief, Valid and Reliable ?

Q.The Brief Depression Scale is a valid and reliable screening and outcome measure for depression in primary and secondary care settings, researchers report.

A.Consisting of ten items, the Brief Depression Scale has been validated in 275 psychiatric in-patients and out-patients with depressive illness and anxiety disorders and a non-clinical sample of 50 subjects. The scale showed satisfactory convergence with the interview rated Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scales as well as with the depression subscale of the self-rated Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The Brief Depression Scale also had satisfactory internal consistency, with a Cronbach's a-value of 0.86. The construct validity of the scale was assessed by principal components analysis. A two-factor solution found in the clinical sample explained 54 percent of the variance in the Brief Depression Scale total score. The sensitivity of the scale to clinical change in patients treated over eight weeks was found to be satisfactory judged by the biserial correlation coefficient of change in Brief Depression Scale score with changes in other depression measures.

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