Sample records for depression screening tools

  1. Depression Screening

    MedlinePlus

    ... Depression Screening Substance Abuse Screening Alcohol Use Screening Depression Screening (PHQ-9) - Instructions The following questions are ... this tool, there is also text-only version . Depression Screening - Manual Instructions The following questions are a ...

  2. Developing and validating a perinatal depression screening tool in Kenya blending Western criteria with local idioms: A mixed methods study.

    PubMed

    Green, Eric P; Tuli, Hawa; Kwobah, Edith; Menya, D; Chesire, Irene; Schmidt, Christina

    2018-03-01

    Routine screening for perinatal depression is not common in most primary health care settings. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force only recently updated their recommendation on depression screening to specifically recommend screening during the pre- and postpartum periods. While practitioners in high-income countries can respond to this new recommendation by implementing one of several existing depression screening tools developed in Western contexts, such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) or the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), these tools lack strong evidence of cross-cultural equivalence, validity for case finding, and precision in measuring response to treatment in developing countries. Thus, there is a critical need to develop and validate new screening tools for perinatal depression that can be used by lay health workers, primary health care personnel, and patients. Working in rural Kenya, we used free listing, card sorting, and item analysis methods to develop a locally-relevant screening tool that blended Western psychiatric concepts with local idioms of distress. We conducted a validation study with a random sample of 193 pregnant women and new mothers to test the diagnostic accuracy of this scale along with the EPDS and PHQ-9. The sensitivity/specificity of the EPDS and PHQ-9 was estimated to be 0.70/0.72 and 0.70/0.73, respectively. This compared to sensitivity/specificity of 0.90/0.90 for a new 9-item locally-developed tool called the Perinatal Depression Screening (PDEPS). Across these three tools, internal consistency reliability ranged from 0.77 to 0.81 and test-retest reliability ranged from 0.57 to 0.67. The prevalence of depression ranges from 5.2% to 6.2% depending on the clinical reference standard. The EPDS and PHQ-9 are valid and reliable screening tools for perinatal depression in rural Western Kenya, the PDEPS may be a more useful alternative. At less than 10%, the prevalence of depression in this region appears to be lower than other published estimates for African and other low-income countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and a single screening question as screening tools for depressive disorder in Dutch advanced cancer patients.

    PubMed

    Warmenhoven, Franca; van Rijswijk, Eric; Engels, Yvonne; Kan, Cornelis; Prins, Judith; van Weel, Chris; Vissers, Kris

    2012-02-01

    Depression is highly prevalent in advanced cancer patients, but the diagnosis of depressive disorder in patients with advanced cancer is difficult. Screening instruments could facilitate diagnosing depressive disorder in patients with advanced cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and a single screening question as screening tools for depressive disorder in advanced cancer patients. Patients with advanced metastatic disease, visiting the outpatient palliative care department, were asked to fill out a self-questionnaire containing the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and a single screening question "Are you feeling depressed?" The mood section of the PRIME-MD was used as a gold standard. Sixty-one patients with advanced metastatic disease were eligible to be included in the study. Complete data were obtained from 46 patients. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristics analysis of the BDI-II was 0.82. The optimal cut-off point of the BDI-II was 16 with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 69%. The single screening question showed a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 94%. The BDI-II seems an adequate screening tool for a depressive disorder in advanced cancer patients. The sensitivity of a single screening question is poor.

  4. Symptoms of somatization as a rapid screening tool for mitochondrial dysfunction in depression

    PubMed Central

    Gardner, Ann; Boles, Richard G

    2008-01-01

    Aims Somatic symptomatology is common in depression, and is often attributed to the Freudian-inspired concept of "somatization". While the same somatic symptoms and depression are common in mitochondrial disease, in cases with concurrent mood symptoms the diagnosis of a mitochondrial disorder and related therapy are typically delayed for many years. A short screening tool that can identify patients with depression at high risk for having underlying mitochondrial dysfunction is presented. Methods Six items of the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP) were found to differentiate among 21 chronically-depressed Swedish subjects with low versus normal muscle ATP production rates. A screening tool consisting of the six KSP questions was validated in the relatives of American genetics clinic patients, including in 24 matrilineal relatives in families with maternally inherited mitochondrial disease and in 30 control relatives. Results Among the depressed Swedish patients, the screening tool was positive in 13/14 with low and 1/7 with normal mitochondrial function (P = 0.0003). Applied to the American relatives of patients, the screening tool was positive in 13/24 matrilineal relatives and in 1/30 control relatives (P = 2 × 10-5). Conclusion Our preliminary data suggest that a small number of specific somatic-related questions can be constructed into a valid screening tool for cases at high risk for having a component of energy metabolism in their pathogenesis. PMID:18294386

  5. The Sensitivity and Specificity of Depression Screening Tools among Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ailey, Sarah H.

    2009-01-01

    This study describes the validity and the sensitivity and specificity of depression screening tools among adults with intellectual and disabilities (ID). Subjects (N = 75) were interviewed with the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and the Glasgow Depression Scale for People with a Learning Disability (GDS-LD) and also completed a clinical…

  6. Reporting completeness and transparency of meta-analyses of depression screening tool accuracy: A comparison of meta-analyses published before and after the PRISMA statement.

    PubMed

    Rice, Danielle B; Kloda, Lorie A; Shrier, Ian; Thombs, Brett D

    2016-08-01

    Meta-analyses that are conducted rigorously and reported completely and transparently can provide accurate evidence to inform the best possible healthcare decisions. Guideline makers have raised concerns about the utility of existing evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of depression screening tools. The objective of our study was to evaluate the transparency and completeness of reporting in meta-analyses of the diagnostic accuracy of depression screening tools using the PRISMA tool adapted for diagnostic test accuracy meta-analyses. We searched MEDLINE and PsycINFO from January 1, 2005 through March 13, 2016 for recent meta-analyses in any language on the diagnostic accuracy of depression screening tools. Two reviewers independently assessed the transparency in reporting using the PRISMA tool with appropriate adaptations made for studies of diagnostic test accuracy. We identified 21 eligible meta-analyses. Twelve of 21 meta-analyses complied with at least 50% of adapted PRISMA items. Of 30 adapted PRISMA items, 11 were fulfilled by ≥80% of included meta-analyses, 3 by 50-79% of meta-analyses, 7 by 25-45% of meta-analyses, and 9 by <25%. On average, post-PRISMA meta-analyses complied with 17 of 30 items compared to 13 of 30 items pre-PRISMA. Deficiencies in the transparency of reporting in meta-analyses of the diagnostic test accuracy of depression screening tools of meta-analyses were identified. Authors, reviewers, and editors should adhere to the PRISMA statement to improve the reporting of meta-analyses of the diagnostic accuracy of depression screening tools. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. A literature review of the application of the Geriatric Depression Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist to community nursing cohorts.

    PubMed

    Allen, Jacqui; Annells, Merilyn

    2009-04-01

    To explore through literature review the appropriateness of three common tools for use by community nurses to screen war veteran and war widow(er) clients for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. War veterans and, to a lesser extent, war widow(er)s, are prone to mental health challenges, especially depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Community nurses do not accurately identify such people with depression and related disorders although they are well positioned to do so. The use of valid and reliable self-report tools is one method of improving nurses' identification of people with actual or potential mental health difficulties for referral to a general practitioner or mental health practitioner for diagnostic assessment and treatment. The Geriatric Depression Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist are frequently recommended for mental health screening but the appropriateness of using the tools for screening war veteran and war widow(er) community nursing clients who are often aged and have functional impairment, is unknown. Systematic review. Current literature informs that the Geriatric Depression Scale accurately predicts a diagnosis of depression in community nursing cohorts. The three Depression Anxiety Stress Scales subscales of depression, anxiety and stress are valid; however, no studies were identified that compared the performance of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales in predicting diagnoses of depression or anxiety. The Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist predicts post-traumatic stress disorder in community cohorts although no studies meeting the selection criteria included male participants. This review provides recommendations for the use of the Geriatric Depression Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales and The Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist based on examination of the published evidence for the application of these screening tools in samples approximated to community nursing cohorts. Findings and recommendations would guide community nurses, managers and health planners in the selection of mental health screening tools to promote holistic community nursing care.

  8. Development and validation of a Haitian Creole screening instrument for depression

    PubMed Central

    Rasmussen, Andrew; Eustache, Eddy; Raviola, Giuseppe; Kaiser, Bonnie; Grelotti, David; Belkin, Gary

    2014-01-01

    Developing mental health care capacity in post-earthquake Haiti is hampered by the lack of assessments that include culturally bound idioms Haitians use when discussing emotional distress. The current study describes a novel emic-etic approach to developing a depression screening for Partners In Health/Zanmi Lasante. In Study 1 Haitian key informants were asked to classify symptoms and describe categories within a pool of symptoms of common mental disorders. Study 2 tested the symptom set that best approximated depression in a sample of depressed and not depressed Haitians in order to select items for the screening tool. The resulting 13-item instrument produced scores with high internal reliability that were sensitive to culturally-informed diagnoses, and interpretations with construct and concurrent validity (vis-à-vis functional impairment). Discussion focuses on the appropriate use of this tool and integrating emic perspectives into developing psychological assessments globally. The screening tool is provided as an Appendix. PMID:25080426

  9. Accuracy of Brief Screening Tools for Identifying Postpartum Depression Among Adolescent Mothers

    PubMed Central

    Venkatesh, Kartik K.; Zlotnick, Caron; Triche, Elizabeth W.; Ware, Crystal

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and 3 subscales for identifying postpartum depression among primiparous adolescent mothers. METHODS: Mothers enrolled in a randomized controlled trial to prevent postpartum depression completed a psychiatric diagnostic interview and the 10-item EPDS at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum. Three subscales of the EPDS were assessed as brief screening tools: 3-item anxiety subscale (EPDS-3), 7-item depressive symptoms subscale (EPDS-7), and 2-item subscale (EPDS-2) that resemble the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Receiver operating characteristic curves and the areas under the curves for each tool were compared to assess accuracy. The sensitivities and specificities of each screening tool were calculated in comparison with diagnostic criteria for a major depressive disorder. Repeated-measures longitudinal analytical techniques were used. RESULTS: A total of 106 women contributed 289 postpartum visits; 18% of the women met criteria for incident postpartum depression by psychiatric diagnostic interview. When used as continuous measures, the full EPDS, EPDS-7, and EPDS-2 performed equally well (area under the curve >0.9). Optimal cutoff scores for a positive depression screen for the EPDS and EPDS-7 were lower (≥9 and ≥7, respectively) than currently recommended cutoff scores (≥10). At optimal cutoff scores, the EPDS and EPDS-7 both had sensitivities of 90% and specificities of >85%. CONCLUSIONS: The EPDS, EPDS-7, and EPDS-2 are highly accurate at identifying postpartum depression among adolescent mothers. In primary care pediatric settings, the EPDS and its shorter subscales have potential for use as effective depression screening tools. PMID:24344102

  10. Development of a brief validated geriatric depression screening tool: the SLU "AM SAD".

    PubMed

    Chakkamparambil, Binu; Chibnall, John T; Graypel, Ernest A; Manepalli, Jothika N; Bhutto, Asif; Grossberg, George T

    2015-08-01

    Combining five commonly observed symptoms of late-life depression to develop a short depression screening tool with similar sensitivity and specificity as the conventional, more time-consuming tools. We developed the St. Louis University AM SAD (Appetite, Mood, Sleep, Activity, and thoughts of Death) questionnaire. The frequency of each symptom in the prior 2 weeks is quantified as 0, 1, or 2. Patients 65 years or older from our clinics were administered the AM SAD, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and the St. Louis University Mental Status Exam (SLUMS). 100 patients were selected. AM SAD correlation with GDS was 0.72 and MADRS 0.80. AM SAD yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 79% and 62% against diagnosis of depression; of 88% and 62% with GDS-15; and 92% and 71% with MADRS. The AM SAD can be reliably used as a short depression screening tool in patients with a SLUMS score of 20 or higher. Copyright © 2015 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Screening of anxiety and quality of life in people with epilepsy.

    PubMed

    Gur-Ozmen, Selen; Leibetseder, Annette; Cock, Hannah R; Agrawal, Niruj; von Oertzen, Tim J

    2017-02-01

    Up to 60% of people with epilepsy (PwE) have psychiatric comorbidity including anxiety. Anxiety remains under recognized in PwE. This study investigates if screening tools validated for depression could be used to detect anxiety disorders in PWE. Additionally it analyses the effect of anxiety on QoL. 261 participants with a confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy were included. Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) and Emotional Thermometers (ET), both validated to screen for depression were used. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A) with a cut off for moderate and severe anxiety was used as the reference standard. QoL was measured with EQ5-D. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and ROC analysis as well as multivariate regression analysis were performed. Patients with depression (n=46) were excluded as multivariate regression analysis showed that depression was the only significant determinant of having anxiety in the group. Against HADS-A, NDDI-E and ET-7 showed highest level of accuracy in recognizing anxiety with ET7 being the most effective tool. QoL was significantly reduced in PwE and anxiety. Our study showed that reliable screening for moderate to severe anxiety in PwE without co-morbid depression is feasible with screening tools for depression. The cut off values for anxiety are different from those for depression in ET7 but very similar in NDDI-E. ET7 can be applied to screen simultaneously for depression and "pure" anxiety. Anxiety reduces significantly QoL. We recommend screening as an initial first step to rule out patients who are unlikely to have anxiety. Copyright © 2016 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Meta-analysis of screening and case finding tools for depression in cancer: evidence based recommendations for clinical practice on behalf of the Depression in Cancer Care consensus group.

    PubMed

    Mitchell, Alex J; Meader, Nick; Davies, Evan; Clover, Kerrie; Carter, Gregory L; Loscalzo, Matthew J; Linden, Wolfgang; Grassi, Luigi; Johansen, Christoffer; Carlson, Linda E; Zabora, James

    2012-10-01

    To examine the validity of screening and case-finding tools used in the identification of depression as defined by an ICD10/DSM-IV criterion standard. We identified 63 studies involving 19 tools (in 33 publications) designed to help clinicians identify depression in cancer settings. We used a standardized rating system. We excluded 11 tools without at least two independent studies, leaving 8 tools for comparison. Across all cancer stages there were 56 diagnostic validity studies (n=10,009). For case-finding, one stem question, two stem questions and the BDI-II all had level 2 evidence (2a, 2b and 2c respectively) and given their better acceptability we gave the stem questions a grade B recommendation. For screening, two stem questions had level 1b evidence (with high acceptability) and the BDI-II had level 2c evidence. For every 100 people screened in advanced cancer, the two questions would accurately detect 18 cases, while missing only 1 and correctly reassure 74 with 7 falsely identified. For every 100 people screened in non-palliative settings the BDI-II would accurately detect 17 cases, missing 2 and correctly re-assure 70, with 11 falsely identified as cases. The main cautions are the reliance on DSM-IV definitions of major depression, the large number of small studies and the paucity of data for many tools in specific settings. Although no single tool could be offered unqualified support, several tools are likely to improve upon unassisted clinical recognition. In clinical practice, all tools should form part of an integrated approach involving further follow-up, clinical assessment and evidence based therapy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Detecting depression in the aged: is there concordance between screening tools and the perceptions of nursing home staff and residents? A pilot study in a rural aged care facility.

    PubMed

    Johnston, Luke; Reid, Alexander; Wilson, Jessica; Levesque, Janelle; Driver, Brian

    2007-08-01

    Recognition of depression in the elderly is exacerbated in rural and remote regions by a lack of mental health specialists. In nursing homes, screening tools have been advocated to circumvent the variable reliability of both nursing staff and residents in recognising depression. Debate concerning the utility of screening tools abounds. Previous research has neglected concordance between screening tools, nursing staff and residents in recognising depression. The present study aimed to determine if there was a significant difference in the proportion of depressed residents identified by recognition sources, and assessed the level of chance corrected agreement between sources. One hundred and two residents of aged care facilities in Wagga Wagga, Australia, mean age of 85.19 +/- 7.09 years. Residents were interviewed within their residential aged care facility. Cross-sectional, between-subjects design. Residents, nursing staff, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-12R) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and nursing staff professional opinion were not significantly different; however, both measures were significantly different to the resident measures (GDS-12R and resident opinion). Kappa statistic analysis of outcome measures revealed, at best, no more than a moderate level of chance corrected agreement between said sources. It is tentatively argued that the different sources might correspond to qualitatively different 'depression' constructs, and that health professionals who are concerned with depression in the elderly be aware of the disparity between, and subsequently consider, a variety of recognition sources.

  14. Validation of screening tools for depression and anxiety disorders in a primary care population with high HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe.

    PubMed

    Chibanda, Dixon; Verhey, Ruth; Gibson, Lorna J; Munetsi, Epiphania; Machando, Debra; Rusakaniko, Simbarashe; Munjoma, Ronald; Araya, Ricardo; Weiss, Helen A; Abas, Melanie

    2016-07-01

    In low income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa there are few validated tools to screen for common disabling mental disorders such as depression and general anxiety disorder (GAD). We validated three screening tools: the Shona Symptom Questionnaire for common mental disorders (SSQ-14), the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire (GAD-7). The study participants were attendees at a primary health care clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe. Consecutive adults aged 18 and above attending the clinic were enrolled over a two-week period in September 2013. Trained research assistants administered the screening tools to eligible participants after obtaining written consent. Participants were then interviewed by one of four psychiatrists using the Structured Clinical Interview of the DSM-IV (SCID). Performance characteristics were calculated for each tool, against the SCID as the gold standard. A total of 264 participants were enrolled, of whom 52 (20%) met the SCID criteria for depression alone, 97 (37%) for mixed depression and anxiety and 9 (3%) for anxiety alone. Of the 237 where HIV status was known, 165 (70%) were HIV positive. With the optimal cutoff of ≥9, the sensitivity and specificity for the SSQ-14 against a diagnosis of either depression and/or general anxiety were 84% (95%CI:78-89%) and 73% (95%CI:63-81%) respectively. Internal reliability was high (Cronbach α=0.74). The optimal cutoff for PHQ-9 was ≥11, which provided a sensitivity of 85% (95%CI:78-90%) and specificity of 69% (95%CI:59-77%) against a SCID diagnosis of depression (Cronbach α=0.86). The GAD-7 (optimal cutoff ≥10) had sensitivity and specificity of 89% (95%CI:81-94%) and 73% (95%CI:65-80%) respectively against a SCID diagnosis of GAD (Cronbach α=0.87). Screening tools for depression and GAD had good performance characteristics in a primary health care population in Zimbabwe with a high prevalence of HIV. These can be used for research and also in clinical care to screen patients who may benefit from treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Using patient engagement in the design and rationale of a trial for women with depression in obstetrics and gynecology practices.

    PubMed

    Poleshuck, Ellen; Wittink, Marsha; Crean, Hugh; Gellasch, Tara; Sandler, Mardy; Bell, Elaine; Juskiewicz, Iwona; Cerulli, Catherine

    2015-07-01

    Significant health disparities exist among socioeconomically disadvantaged women, who experience elevated rates of depression and increased risk for poor depression treatment engagement and outcomes. We aimed to use stakeholder input to develop innovative methods for a comparative effectiveness trial to address the needs of socioeconomically disadvantaged women with depression in women's health practices. Using a community advisory board, focus groups, and individual patient input, we determined the feasibility and acceptability of an electronic psychosocial screening and referral tool; developed and finalized a prioritization tool for women with depression; and piloted the prioritization tool. Two intervention approaches, enhanced screening and referral using an electronic psychosocial screening, and mentoring using the prioritization tool, were developed as intervention options for socioeconomically disadvantaged women attending women's health practices. We describe the developmental steps and the final design for the comparative effectiveness trial evaluating both intervention approaches. Stakeholder input allowed us to develop an acceptable clinical trial of two patient-centered interventions with patient-driven outcomes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Is it useful to ask "Está deprimido?" ("Are you depressed?") to terminally-ill Portuguese patients? Results from outpatient research.

    PubMed

    Julião, Miguel; Nunes, Baltazar; Sobral, Maria Ana; Dias, Daniela; Inocêncio, Inês; Barbosa, António

    2016-04-01

    Depression is a serious psychological problem in the palliative care setting. Brief screening tools for depression are lacking and need to be brief and acceptable. This study aimed to identify the properties of the single Portuguese question "Está deprimido?" ("Are you depressed?") to screen for depression. Retrospective study from 100 patient's medical records identifying the answers on the single Portuguese question for depression "Está deprimido?" ("Are you depressed?") and the HADS depression sub-scale, using a score ≥11 on the latter as the gold standard for clinically significant depressive symptoms. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative values were calculated. Response rate for the single Portuguese question for depression was 100%. Prevalence of depression symptoms (HADS-d ≥ 11) was 43%. To the question "Está deprimido?" 60 patients responded "yes." Sixteen patients who replied "no" to the single question had clinically significant depressive symptoms based on the HADS depression sub-scale. The single tool had 65.2% sensitivity, 49.2% specificity and 50.0% and 64.4% of positive predictive and negative values, respectively. In this first preliminary retrospective Portuguese study, the single question for depression has shown poor screening properties. Future research in larger and mixed patientś samples of Portuguese terminally ill is necessary to find more accurate and robust properties of this brief tool.

  17. Specialist palliative care nurses' management of the needs of patients with depression.

    PubMed

    Hayes, Jessica Elizabeth; Hart, Bethne; Phillips, Jane

    2017-06-02

    Depression is an important condition to consider if we are to optimise the care outcomes for patients with palliative care needs. Depression has a high incidence in palliative patients, with up to 15% diagnosed with major depression and 37% expressing some form of depressive symptoms ( O'Connor et al, 2010 ). The challenge is to ensure that palliative care patients with depression are identified in a timely manner and that their depression is effectively managed. To examine how Australian specialist inpatient palliative care nurses perceive, assess and respond to depression in a patient case study. This descriptive pilot study is a replication of a United States study by Little et al (2005) , exploring contemporary Australian specialist palliative care nurses' screening, assessment and management of depression in people with a progressive life-limiting illness. A survey titled 'Specialist palliative care nurses managing patients with complex care needs' questioned the nursing assessment, knowledge and clinical care priorities related to a case vignette of a patient demonstrating signs of depression. A total of 33 nurses completed this survey. Less than half (39.4%) of the participants identified depression as a major issue arising from the case vignette. Depression screening tools were not widely known. Functionality assessments measuring activities of daily living were the most recognised and widely used tools by participants. This small sample pilot study demonstrated that specialist palliative care nurses are still not confident in their screening and responding to a patient with depression. The available evidenced based depression screening tools were unfamiliar to these nurses and not widely used which can result in depression remaining undetected and undermanaged. The connections between physical health and mental health need stronger recognition and response within nursing care of palliative patients.

  18. Depression screening optimization in an academic rural setting.

    PubMed

    Aleem, Sohaib; Torrey, William C; Duncan, Mathew S; Hort, Shoshana J; Mecchella, John N

    2015-01-01

    Primary care plays a critical role in screening and management of depression. The purpose of this paper is to focus on leveraging the electronic health record (EHR) as well as work flow redesign to improve the efficiency and reliability of the process of depression screening in two adult primary care clinics of a rural academic institution in USA. The authors utilized various process improvement tools from lean six sigma methodology including project charter, swim lane process maps, critical to quality tree, process control charts, fishbone diagrams, frequency impact matrix, mistake proofing and monitoring plan in Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control format. Interventions included change in depression screening tool, optimization of data entry in EHR. EHR data entry optimization; follow up of positive screen, staff training and EHR redesign. Depression screening rate for office-based primary care visits improved from 17.0 percent at baseline to 75.9 percent in the post-intervention control phase (p<0.001). Follow up of positive depression screen with Patient History Questionnaire-9 data collection remained above 90 percent. Duplication of depression screening increased from 0.6 percent initially to 11.7 percent and then decreased to 4.7 percent after optimization of data entry by patients and flow staff. Impact of interventions on clinical outcomes could not be evaluated. Successful implementation, sustainability and revision of a process improvement initiative to facilitate screening, follow up and management of depression in primary care requires accounting for voice of the process (performance metrics), system limitations and voice of the customer (staff and patients) to overcome various system, customer and human resource constraints.

  19. Combined use of the postpartum depression screening scale (PDSS) and Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) to identify antenatal depression among Chinese pregnant women with obstetric complications.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Ying; Kane, Irene; Wang, Jing; Shen, Beibei; Luo, Jianfeng; Shi, Shenxun

    2015-03-30

    The purpose of the present study was to evaluate antenatal depression screening employing two scales: the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for the population of Chinese pregnant women with obstetric complications. A convenience sample of 842 Chinese pregnant women with complications participated in this study. The PDSS total score correlated strongly with the EPDS total score (r=0.652, p=0.000). Each tool performed extremely well for detecting major and major/minor depressions with PDSS resulting in a better psychometric performance than EPDS (p<0.01). If combined use, the recommended EPDS cut-off score was 8/9 for major depression, at which the sensitivity (71.6%) and specificity (87.6%) were the best, and the recommended PDSS cut-off score was 79/80 for major depression, along with its best sensitivity (86.4%) and specificity (100%). The study concluded that EPDS and PDSS appear to be reliable assessments for major and minor depression among the Chinese pregnant women with obstetric complications. Combined use of these tools should consider lower cutoff scores to reduce the misdiagnosis and improve the screening validity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Development of a prenatal psychosocial screening tool for post-partum depression and anxiety.

    PubMed

    McDonald, Sheila; Wall, Jennifer; Forbes, Kaitlin; Kingston, Dawn; Kehler, Heather; Vekved, Monica; Tough, Suzanne

    2012-07-01

    Post-partum depression (PPD) is the most common complication of pregnancy in developed countries, affecting 10-15% of new mothers. There has been a shift in thinking less in terms of PPD per se to a broader consideration of poor mental health, including anxiety after giving birth. Some risk factors for poor mental health in the post-partum period can be identified prenatally; however prenatal screening tools developed to date have had poor sensitivity and specificity. The objective of this study was to develop a screening tool that identifies women at risk of distress, operationalized by elevated symptoms of depression and anxiety in the post-partum period using information collected in the prenatal period. Using data from the All Our Babies Study, a prospective cohort study of pregnant women living in Calgary, Alberta (N = 1578), we developed an integer score-based prediction rule for the prevalence of PPD, as defined as scoring 10 or higher on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 4-months postpartum. The best fit model included known risk factors for PPD: depression and stress in late pregnancy, history of abuse, and poor relationship quality with partner. Comparison of the screening tool with the EPDS in late pregnancy showed that our tool had significantly better performance for sensitivity. Further validation of our tool was seen in its utility for identifying elevated symptoms of postpartum anxiety. This research heeds the call for further development and validation work using psychosocial factors identified prenatally for identifying poor mental health in the post-partum period. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  1. The Psychometric Properties of PHQ-4 Depression and Anxiety Screening Scale Among College Students.

    PubMed

    Khubchandani, Jagdish; Brey, Rebecca; Kotecki, Jerome; Kleinfelder, JoAnn; Anderson, Jason

    2016-08-01

    Depression and anxiety are some of the most common causes of morbidity, social dysfunction, and reduced academic performance in college students. The combination of improved surveillance and access to care would result in better outreach. Brief screening tools can help reach larger populations of college students efficiently. However, reliability and validity of brief screeners for anxiety and depression have not been assessed in college students. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess in a sample of college students the psychometric properties of PHQ-4, a brief screening tool for depression and anxiety. Undergraduate students were recruited from general education classes at a Midwestern university. Students were given a questionnaire that asked them whether they had been diagnosed by a doctor or health professional with anxiety or depression. Next, they were asked to respond to the items on the PHQ-4 scale. A total of 934 students responded to the survey (response rate=72%). Majority of the participants were females (63%) and Whites (80%). The internal reliability of PHQ-4 was found to be high (α=0.81). Those who were diagnosed with depression or anxiety had statistically significantly higher scores on PHQ-4 (p<0.01). Corrected item total correlations for PHQ-4 were between r=0.66 and r=0.80. PHQ-4 operating characteristics were estimated and area under the curve (AUC) values were 0.835 and 0.787, respectively for anxiety and depression. The PHQ-4 is a reliable and valid tool that can serve as a mass screener for depression and anxiety in young adults. Widespread implementation of this screening tool should be explored across college campuses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of early mood screening to diagnose persisting clinical depression/anxiety disorder after stroke.

    PubMed

    Lees, Rosalind; Stott, David J; Quinn, Terence J; Broomfield, Niall M

    2014-01-01

    Depression/anxiety disorders are common after stroke and have a negative impact on outcomes. Guidelines recommend that all stroke survivors are screened for these problems. However, there is no consensus on timing or method of assessment. We investigated the feasibility and accuracy of a very early screening strategy and the diagnostic accuracy this has for depression/anxiety disorders at 1 month. Screening tools were Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Depression Intensity Scale Circles (DISCs); we also assessed cognition using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Screening was offered to sequential stroke admissions. At 1 month we assessed for clinical depression/anxiety disorder using Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and retested screening tools. We described test accuracy of acute depression/anxiety screening for clinical diagnosis of depression/anxiety disorder at 1 month and described temporal change in screening test scores. We assessed feasibility by describing proportions that were able, agreed to and completed the screening tests. Over 4 months, 102/146 admissions were suitable for screening following initial medical assessment, 69 (68%) agreed to screening, of whom 33 (48%) required researcher assistance to complete the screening test battery. Median time to assessment was 2 days (IQR: 1-4). Early HADS suggested n = 9 (13%) with depression; DISCs n = 25 (37%). Median acute MoCA was 21/30. At 1 month, n = 61 (88%) provided data. Repeat scores showed improvement over time; HADS (anxiety) mean difference: 2.5 (95% CI: 1.2-3.7), HADS (depression) mean difference: 1.6 (95% CI: 0.3-2.9). MINI defined n = 12 (20%) with depression and n = 6 (10%) with anxiety disorder. Comparing baseline screening to 1-month clinical diagnosis, HADS sensitivity was 0.25 (95% CI: 0.09-0.53) and specificity 0.94 (95% CI: 0.84-0.98); DISCs sensitivity was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.65-0.99) and specificity 0.78 (95% CI: 0.64-0.87). Even amongst 'medically stable' stroke patients, depression/anxiety screening at the acute stage may not be feasible or accurate. Half of participants required assistance from the researcher to complete assessments. The poor predictive accuracy of HADS for depression/anxiety disorder at 1 month may be due in part to the high prevalence of cognitive impairment in our sample. Screening in the first few days after stroke does not appear useful for detecting clinically important and sustained depression/anxiety problems. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  3. Feasibility and utility of screening for depression and anxiety disorders in patients with cardiovascular disease.

    PubMed

    Celano, Christopher M; Suarez, Laura; Mastromauro, Carol; Januzzi, James L; Huffman, Jeff C

    2013-07-01

    Depression and anxiety in patients with cardiac disease are common and independently associated with morbidity and mortality. We aimed to explore the use of a 3-step approach to identify inpatients with cardiac disease with depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or panic disorder; understand the predictive value of individual screening items in identifying these disorders; and assess the relative prevalence of these disorders in this cohort. To identify depression and anxiety disorders in inpatients with cardiac disease as part of a care management trial, an iterative 3-step screening procedure was used. This included an existing 4-item (Coping Screen) tool in nursing data sets, a 5-item screen for positive Coping Screen patients (Patient Health Questionnaire-2 [PHQ-2], GAD-2, and an item about panic attacks), and a diagnostic evaluation using PHQ-9 and the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders anxiety disorder modules. Overall, 6210 inpatients received the Coping Screen, 581 completed portions of all 3 evaluation steps, and 210 received a diagnosis (143 depression, 129 GAD, 30 panic disorder). Controlling for age, sex, and the other screening items, PHQ-2 items independently predicted depression (little interest/pleasure: odds ratio [OR]=6.65, P<0.001; depression: OR=5.24, P=0.001), GAD-2 items predicted GAD (anxious: OR=4.09, P=0.003; unable to control worrying: OR=10.46, P<0.001), and the panic item predicted panic disorder (OR=49.61, P<0.001). GAD was nearly as prevalent as depression in this cohort, and GAD-2 was an effective screening tool; however, panic disorder was rare. These results support the use of 2-step screening for depression and GAD beginning with a 4-item scale (GAD-2 plus PHQ-2). Unique Identifier: NCT01201967. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01201967.

  4. The computerized adaptive diagnostic test for major depressive disorder (CAD-MDD): a screening tool for depression.

    PubMed

    Gibbons, Robert D; Hooker, Giles; Finkelman, Matthew D; Weiss, David J; Pilkonis, Paul A; Frank, Ellen; Moore, Tara; Kupfer, David J

    2013-07-01

    To develop a computerized adaptive diagnostic screening tool for depression that decreases patient and clinician burden and increases sensitivity and specificity for clinician-based DSM-IV diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD). 656 individuals with and without minor and major depression were recruited from a psychiatric clinic and a community mental health center and through public announcements (controls without depression). The focus of the study was the development of the Computerized Adaptive Diagnostic Test for Major Depressive Disorder (CAD-MDD) diagnostic screening tool based on a decision-theoretical approach (random forests and decision trees). The item bank consisted of 88 depression scale items drawn from 73 depression measures. Sensitivity and specificity for predicting clinician-based Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders diagnoses of MDD were the primary outcomes. Diagnostic screening accuracy was then compared to that of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). An average of 4 items per participant was required (maximum of 6 items). Overall sensitivity and specificity were 0.95 and 0.87, respectively. For the PHQ-9, sensitivity was 0.70 and specificity was 0.91. High sensitivity and reasonable specificity for a clinician-based DSM-IV diagnosis of depression can be obtained using an average of 4 adaptively administered self-report items in less than 1 minute. Relative to the currently used PHQ-9, the CAD-MDD dramatically increased sensitivity while maintaining similar specificity. As such, the CAD-MDD will identify more true positives (lower false-negative rate) than the PHQ-9 using half the number of items. Inexpensive (relative to clinical assessment), efficient, and accurate screening of depression in the settings of primary care, psychiatric epidemiology, molecular genetics, and global health are all direct applications of the current system. © Copyright 2013 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

  5. Sensitivity and specificity of the Distress Thermometer and a two-item depression screen (Patient Health Questionnaire-2) with a 'help' question for psychological distress and psychiatric morbidity in patients with advanced cancer.

    PubMed

    Ryan, Dermot Anthony; Gallagher, Pamela; Wright, Shelagh; Cassidy, Eugene M

    2012-12-01

    Brief screening tools may help clinicians in busy settings detect patients who are experiencing severe psychological distress. This study examined the performance of the Distress Thermometer (DT) and a two-item depression screen [the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2)] with a 'help' question in screening for distress and psychiatric morbidity among patients with advanced cancer. Two hundred and five patients with advanced cancer completed the DT, the PHQ-2 and 'help' question and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). The performance of the screening tools was examined against the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the SCID. Overall, discrimination levels were comparable for the DT [area under the curve (AUC) 0.80-0.81] and the PHQ-2 (AUC 0.73-0.85). The DT performed best in detecting cases of distress and mood, anxiety or adjustment disorders (sensitivity 100%), but it had poor specificity (49-60%). The best performance in terms of combined sensitivity and specificity was the PHQ depression item versus the SCID (sensitivity 88%, specificity 73%). The inclusion of the 'help' question with the PHQ-2 resulted in high levels of specificity (≥89%), but there was a significant drop in sensitivity (≤54%). Ultra-brief screening tools offer an efficient means of identifying patients with advanced cancer with severe distress or psychiatric morbidity but are less effective at identifying non-distressed individuals. Used in conjunction with a 'help' question, these tools can help clinicians identify patients who are both distressed and likely to accept professional support. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. Sensitivity and specificity of a two-question screening tool for depression in a specialist palliative care unit.

    PubMed

    Payne, Ann; Barry, Sandra; Creedon, Brian; Stone, Carol; Sweeney, Catherine; O' Brien, Tony; O' Sullivan, Kathleen

    2007-04-01

    The primary objective in this study is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of a two-item screening interview for depression versus the formal psychiatric interview, in the setting of a specialist palliative in-patient unit so that we may identify those individuals suffering from depressive disorder and therefore optimise their management in this often-complex population. A prospective sample of consecutive admissions (n = 167) consented to partake in the study, and the screening interview was asked separately to the formal psychiatric interview. The two-item questionnaire, achieved a sensitivity of 90.7% (95% CI 76.9-97.0) but a lower specificity of 67.7% (95% CI 58.7-75.7). The false positive rate was 32.3% (95% CI 24.3-41.3), but the false negative rate was found to be a low 9.3% (95% CI 3.0-23.1). A subgroup analysis of individuals with a past experience of depressive illness, (n = 95), revealed that a significant number screened positive for depression by the screening test, 55.2% (16/29) compared to those with no background history of depression, 33.3% (22/66) (P = 0.045). The high sensitivity and low false negative rate of the two-question screening tool will aid health professionals in identifying depression in the in-patient specialist palliative care unit. Individuals, who admit to a previous experience of depressive illness, are more likely to respond positively to the two-item questionnaire than those who report no prior history of depressive illness (P = 0.045).

  7. Accuracy of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) in a community-dwelling oldest-old sample: the Pietà Study.

    PubMed

    Dias, Filipi Leles da Costa; Teixeira, Antônio Lúcio; Guimarães, Henrique Cerqueira; Barbosa, Maira Tonidandel; Resende, Elisa de Paula França; Beato, Rogério Gomes; Carmona, Karoline Carvalho; Caramelli, Paulo

    2017-01-01

    Late-life depression (LLD) is common, but remains underdiagnosed. Validated screening tools for use with the oldest-old in clinical practice are still lacking, particularly in developing countries. To evaluate the accuracy of a screening tool for LLD in a community-dwelling oldest-old sample. We evaluated 457 community-dwelling elderly subjects, aged ≥75 years and without dementia, with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Depression diagnosis was established according to DSM-IV criteria following a structured psychiatric interview with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Fifty-two individuals (11.4%) were diagnosed with major depression. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.908 (p<0.001). Using a cut-off score of 5/6 (not depressed/depressed), 84 (18.4%) subjects were considered depressed by the GDS-15 (kappa coefficient = 53.8%, p<0.001). The 4/5 cut-off point achieved the best combination of sensitivity (86.5%) and specificity (82.7%) (Youden's index = 0.692), with robust negative (0.9802) and reasonable positive predictive values (0.3819). GDS-15 showed good accuracy as a screening tool for major depression in this community-based sample of low-educated oldest-old individuals. Our findings support the use of the 4/5 cut-off score, which showed the best diagnostic capacity.

  8. Increased risk for abnormal depression scores in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Dokras, Anuja; Clifton, Shari; Futterweit, Walter; Wild, Robert

    2011-01-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and depression both have a high prevalence in reproductive-aged women. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of abnormal depression scores in women who meet currently recognized definitions of PCOS compared with women in a well-defined control group. The search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE Classic plus EMBASE, PsycINFO, Current Contents-Clinical Medicine and Current Contents-Life Sciences and Web of Science. Cochrane software Review Manager 5.0.24 was used to construct forest plots comparing risk of abnormal depression scores in those in the PCOS and control groups. Studies with well-defined criteria of women with PCOS and control groups of women without PCOS, with demographic information including age and body mass index (BMI), were included. Of 752 screened articles, 17 met the selection criteria for systematic review and 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Data were abstracted independently by three reviewers. All studies were cross-sectional and most used the Rotterdam criteria for the diagnosis of PCOS (n=10). The odds ratio (OR) for abnormal depression scores was 4.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.96-5.5, P<.01) in women with PCOS (n=522) compared with those in the control groups (n=475). A subanalysis showed that the odds for abnormal depression scores was independent of BMI (OR 4.09, 95% CI 2.62-6.41). Several validated tools were used to screen for depression; the common tool used was the Beck Depression Inventory. The results of our study suggest the need to screen all women with PCOS for depression using validated screening tools. Women with PCOS are at an increased risk for abnormal depression scores independent of BMI.

  9. Sensitivity and Specificity Analysis: Use of Emoticon for Screening of Depression in Elderly in Singapore.

    PubMed

    Tan, Laurence; Toh, Hui Jin; Sim, Lai Kiow; Low, James Alvin

    2018-03-01

    The current screening tools for depression can be tedious to administer, especially in the elderly population with hearing impairment and/or limited proficiency in English language. To look at the feasibility of using emoticon as a screening and assessment tool for depression in the elderly. Cross-sectional study. A total of 77 elderly patients completed the study from June 2014 to August 2015 in a general geriatric outpatient clinic of an acute care hospital in Singapore. Patients rated their mood using an emoticon scale, which ranges from 1 ( most happy face) to 7 ( most sad face). Depression was assessed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) criteria as the gold standard. Sensitivity and specificity for depression were calculated for the cutoff scores from 1 to 7 on the emoticon scale. The sensitivity percentages were low across all cutoff scores. The specificity was more than 90% for the cutoff score of 5 and above on the emoticon scale. However, all the patients who had depression diagnosed using the DSM-IV criteria did not have emoticon scores of 5 and above. The emoticon scale was easy to use, but its effectiveness in the screening of depression in the elderly needs to be explored further. The inability to use the emoticon scale as a tool may be the lack of measurements in the other domains of the DSM-IV criteria (sleep, energy, appetite, etc.), rather than failure of the emoticon scale to assess mood.

  10. Validity of an interviewer-administered patient health questionnaire-9 to screen for depression in HIV-infected patients in Cameroon.

    PubMed

    Pence, Brian W; Gaynes, Bradley N; Atashili, Julius; O'Donnell, Julie K; Tayong, Gladys; Kats, Dmitry; Whetten, Rachel; Whetten, Kathryn; Njamnshi, Alfred K; Ndumbe, Peter M

    2012-12-20

    In high-income countries, depression is prevalent in HIV patients and is associated with lower medication adherence and clinical outcomes. Emerging evidence from low-income countries supports similar relationships. Yet little research has validated rapid depression screening tools integrated into routine HIV clinical care. Using qualitative methods, we adapted the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) depression screening instrument for use with Cameroonian patients. We then conducted a cross-sectional validity study comparing an interviewer-administered PHQ-9 to the reference standard Composite International Diagnostic Interview in 400 patients on antiretroviral therapy attending a regional HIV treatment center in Bamenda, Cameroon. The prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in the past month was 3% (n=11 cases). Using a standard cutoff score of ≥10 as a positive depression screen, the PHQ-9 had estimated sensitivity of 27% (95% confidence interval: 6-61%) and specificity of 94% (91-96%), corresponding to positive and negative likelihood ratios of 4.5 and 0.8. There was little evidence of variation in specificity by gender, number of HIV symptoms, or result of a dementia screen. The low prevalence of MDD yielded very imprecise sensitivity estimates. Although the PHQ-9 was developed as a self-administered tool, we assessed an interviewer-administered version due to the literacy level of the target population. The PHQ-9 demonstrated high specificity but apparently low sensitivity for detecting MDD in this sample of HIV patients in Cameroon. Formative work to define the performance of proven screening tools in new settings remains important as research on mental health expands in low-income countries. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Validation of the Arab Youth Mental Health scale as a screening tool for depression/anxiety in Lebanese children

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Early detection of common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, among children and adolescents requires the use of validated, culturally sensitive, and developmentally appropriate screening instruments. The Arab region has a high proportion of youth, yet Arabic-language screening instruments for mental disorders among this age group are virtually absent. Methods We carried out construct and clinical validation on the recently-developed Arab Youth Mental Health (AYMH) scale as a screening tool for depression/anxiety. The scale was administered with 10-14 year old children attending a social service center in Beirut, Lebanon (N = 153). The clinical assessment was conducted by a child and adolescent clinical psychiatrist employing the DSM IV criteria. We tested the scale's sensitivity, specificity, and internal consistency. Results Scale scores were generally significantly associated with how participants responded to standard questions on health, mental health, and happiness, indicating good construct validity. The results revealed that the scale exhibited good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86) and specificity (79%). However, it exhibited moderate sensitivity for girls (71%) and poor sensitivity for boys (50%). Conclusions The AYMH scale is useful as a screening tool for general mental health states and a valid screening instrument for common mental disorders among girls. It is not a valid instrument for detecting depression and anxiety among boys in an Arab culture. PMID:21435213

  12. Evidence-Based Practice Guideline: Depression Detection in Older Adults With Dementia.

    PubMed

    Brown, Ellen Leslie; Raue, Patrick J; Halpert, Karen

    2015-11-01

    Depression and dementia are the two most common psychiatric syndromes in the older adult population. Depression in older adults with and without dementia often goes unrecognized and untreated. The current guideline recommends a three-step procedure that can be used across health care settings to screen for the presence of depressive symptoms. Implementation of the evidence-based guideline requires administration of the Mini-Mental State Examination and either the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form or Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, depending on level of cognitive functioning. The algorithm provided is designed to be used by nurses, physicians, and social workers for the purpose of depression screening in older adults with dementia. Detection of depression in individuals with dementia is hindered by a lack of a validated, brief screening tool. More research is needed on the use of such screenings among older adults with cognitive impairment. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

  13. Screening for anxiety and depression in dialysis patients: comparison of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory.

    PubMed

    Preljevic, Valjbona T; Østhus, Tone Brit Hortemo; Sandvik, Leiv; Opjordsmoen, Stein; Nordhus, Inger Hilde; Os, Ingrid; Dammen, Toril

    2012-08-01

    Although anxiety and depression are frequent comorbid disorders in dialysis patients, they remain underrecognized and often untreated. The aim of the study was to evaluate the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and a truncated version of the BDI, the Cognitive Depression Index (CDI), as screening tools for anxiety and depression in dialysis patients. A total of 109 participants (69.7% males), from four dialysis centers, completed the self-report symptom scales HADS and BDI. Depression and anxiety disorders were diagnosed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders (SCID-I). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, overall agreement, kappa and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were assessed. Depressive disorders were found in 22% of the patients based on the SCID-I, while anxiety disorders occurred in 17%. The optimal screening cut-off score for depression was ≥ 7 for the HADS depression subscale (HADS-D), ≥ 14 for the HADS-total, ≥ 11 for the CDI and ≥ 17 for the BDI. The optimal screening cut-off for anxiety was ≥ 6 for the HADS anxiety subscale (HADS-A) and ≥ 14 for the HADS-total. At cut-offs commonly used in clinical practice for depression screening (HADS-D: 8; BDI: 16), the BDI performed slightly better than HADS-D. The BDI, CDI and HADS demonstrated acceptable performance as screening tools for depression, as did the HADS-A for anxiety, in our sample of dialysis patients. The recommended cut-off scores for each instrument were: ≥ 17 for BDI, ≥ 11 for CDI, ≥ 7 for HADS depression subscale, ≥ 6 for HADS anxiety subscale and ≥ 14 for HADS total. The CDI did not perform better than the BDI in our study. Lower cut-off for the HADS-A than recommended in medically ill patients may be considered when screening for anxiety in dialysis patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Screening for adolescents' internalizing symptoms in primary care: item response theory analysis of the behavior health screen depression, anxiety, and suicidal risk scales.

    PubMed

    Bevans, Katherine B; Diamond, Guy; Levy, Suzanne

    2012-05-01

    To apply a modern psychometric approach to validate the Behavioral Health Screen (BHS) Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Risk Scales among adolescents in primary care. Psychometric analyses were conducted using data collected from 426 adolescents aged 12 to 21 years (mean = 15.8, SD = 2.2). Rasch-Masters partial credit models were fit to the data to determine whether items supported the comprehensive measurement of internalizing symptoms with minimal gaps and redundancies. Scales were reduced to ensure that they measured singular dimensions of generalized anxiety, depressed affect, and suicidal risk both comprehensively and efficiently. Although gender bias was observed for some depression and anxiety items, differential item functioning did not impact overall subscale scores. Future revisions to the BHS should include additional items that assess low-level internalizing symptoms. The BHS is an accurate and efficient tool for identifying adolescents with internalizing symptoms in primary care settings. Access to psychometrically sound and cost-effective behavioral health screening tools is essential for meeting the increasing demands for adolescent behavioral health screening in primary/ambulatory care.

  15. The prevalence of depression and the accuracy of depression screening tools in migraine patients.

    PubMed

    Amoozegar, Farnaz; Patten, Scott B; Becker, Werner J; Bulloch, Andrew G M; Fiest, Kirsten M; Davenport, W Jeptha; Carroll, Christopher R; Jette, Nathalie

    2017-09-01

    Migraine and depression are common comorbid conditions. The purpose of this study was to assess how well the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) perform as depression screening tools in patients with migraine. Three hundred consecutive migraine patients were recruited from a large headache center. The PHQ-9 and HADS were self-administered and validated against the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV, a gold standard for the diagnosis of depression. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and receiver-operator characteristic curves were calculated for the PHQ-9 and HADS. At the traditional cut-point of 10, the PHQ-9 demonstrated 82.0% sensitivity and 79.9% specificity. At a cut-point of 8, the HADS demonstrated 86.5% sensitivity and specificity. The PHQ-9 algorithm performed poorly (53.8% sensitivity, 94.9% specificity). The point prevalence of depression in this study was 25.0% (95% CI 19.0-31.0), and 17.0% of patients had untreated depression. In this study, the PHQ-9 and HADS performed well in migraine patients attending a headache clinic, but optimal cut-points to screen for depression vary depending on the goals of the assessment. Also, migraine patients attending a headache clinic have a high prevalence of depression and many are inadequately treated. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings and to evaluate the impact of depression screening. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. The use of the edinburgh postpartum depression scale in a population of teenager pregnant women in Mexico: a validation study.

    PubMed

    Alvarado-Esquivel, Cosme; Sifuentes-Alvarez, Antonio; Salas-Martinez, Carlos

    2014-01-01

    :Depression may occur in teenager pregnant women. The use of a validated tool for screening depression is highly recommended. The Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) is a screening tool for depression used in women during the postnatal period and pregnancy. However, the EPDS has not been validated in teenager pregnant women. Therefore, we sought to validate a Spanish translated Mexican version of the EPDS in a population of teenager pregnant women. One hundred and twenty teenager pregnant women attending routine prenatal consultations in a public hospital in Durango City, Mexico participated in the study. All participants submitted a revised Spanish translated Mexican version of the EPDS and were examined by a psychiatrist to evaluate the presence of depression by using DSM-IV criteria. Of the 120 teenager pregnant women studied, 2 had major depression and 25 had minor depression according to the DSM-IV criteria. The optimal EPDS cut-off for screening combined major and minor depression in teenager pregnant women was 8/9. At this threshold, we found a sensitivity of 70.4%, a specificity of 84.9%, a positive predictive value of 47.6%, a negative predictive value of 91.0%, and an area under the curve of 0.81 (95% confidence interval: 0.56-1.07). The EPDS can be used for screening depression in Mexican teenager pregnant women whenever a cut-off score of 8/9 is used.

  17. The Use of the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale in a Population of Teenager Pregnant Women in Mexico: A Validation Study

    PubMed Central

    Alvarado-Esquivel, Cosme; Sifuentes-Alvarez, Antonio; Salas-Martinez, Carlos

    2014-01-01

    Background :Depression may occur in teenager pregnant women. The use of a validated tool for screening depression is highly recommended. The Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) is a screening tool for depression used in women during the postnatal period and pregnancy. However, the EPDS has not been validated in teenager pregnant women. Therefore, we sought to validate a Spanish translated Mexican version of the EPDS in a population of teenager pregnant women. Methods: One hundred and twenty teenager pregnant women attending routine prenatal consultations in a public hospital in Durango City, Mexico participated in the study. All participants submitted a revised Spanish translated Mexican version of the EPDS and were examined by a psychiatrist to evaluate the presence of depression by using DSM-IV criteria. Results: Of the 120 teenager pregnant women studied, 2 had major depression and 25 had minor depression according to the DSM-IV criteria. The optimal EPDS cut-off for screening combined major and minor depression in teenager pregnant women was 8/9. At this threshold, we found a sensitivity of 70.4%, a specificity of 84.9%, a positive predictive value of 47.6%, a negative predictive value of 91.0%, and an area under the curve of 0.81 (95% confidence interval: 0.56-1.07). Conclusion: The EPDS can be used for screening depression in Mexican teenager pregnant women whenever a cut-off score of 8/9 is used. PMID:25493092

  18. Single-item measures for depression and anxiety: Validation of the Screening Tool for Psychological Distress in an inpatient cardiology setting.

    PubMed

    Young, Quincy-Robyn; Nguyen, Michelle; Roth, Susan; Broadberry, Ann; Mackay, Martha H

    2015-12-01

    Depression and anxiety are common among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and confer significant cardiac risk, contributing to CVD morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, due to the lack of screening tools that address the specific needs of hospitalized patients, few cardiac inpatient programs offer routine screening for these forms of psychological distress, despite recommendations to do so. The purpose of this study was to validate single-item measures for depression and anxiety among cardiac inpatients. Consecutive inpatients were recruited from the cardiology and cardiac surgery step-down units at a university-affiliated, quaternary-care hospital. Subjects completed a questionnaire that included: (a) demographics, (b) single-item-measures for depression and anxiety (from the Screening Tool for Psychological Distress (STOP-D)), and (c) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). One hundred and five participants were recruited with a wide variety of cardiac diagnoses, having a mean age of 66 years, and 28% were women. Both STOP-D items were highly correlated with their corresponding validated measures and demonstrated robust receiver-operator characteristic curves. Severity scores on both items correlated well with established severity cut-off scores on the corresponding subscales of the HADS. The STOP-D is a self-administered, self-report measure using two independent items that provide severity scores for depression and anxiety. The tool performs very well compared with other previously validated measures. Requiring no additional scoring and being free, STOP-D offers a simple and valid method for identifying hospitalized cardiac patients who are experiencing psychological distress. This crucial first step triggers initiation of appropriate monitoring and intervention, thus reducing the likelihood of the adverse cardiac outcomes associated with psychological distress. © The European Society of Cardiology 2014.

  19. Screening for depression in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy: Feasibility and identification of effective tools in the NRG Oncology RTOG 0841 trial.

    PubMed

    Wagner, Lynne I; Pugh, Stephanie L; Small, William; Kirshner, Jeffrey; Sidhu, Kulbir; Bury, Martin J; DeNittis, Albert S; Alpert, Tracy E; Tran, Binh; Bloom, Beatrice F; Mai, Julie; Yeh, Alexander; Sarma, Kalika; Becker, Mark; James, Jennifer; Bruner, Deborah Watkins

    2017-02-01

    Brief tools are needed to screen oncology outpatients for depressive symptoms. Patients starting radiotherapy for the first diagnosis of any tumor completed distress screening tools, including the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer (NCCN-DT), and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) (25-item version). Patients exceeding validated cutoff scores and a systematic sample of patients whose screening was negative completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) mood disorder modules via telephone. Four hundred sixty-three patients from 35 community-based radiation oncology sites and 2 academic radiation oncology sites were recruited. Sixty-six percent of the 455 eligible patients (n = 299) were women, and the eligible patients had breast (45%), gastrointestinal (11%), lung (10%), gynecologic (6%), or other cancers (27%). Seventy-five (16.5%) exceeded screening cutoffs for depressive symptoms. Forty-two of these patients completed the SCID. Another 37 patients whose screening was negative completed the SCID. Among the 79 patients completing the SCID, 8 (10.1%) met the criteria for major depression, 2 (2.5%) met the criteria for dysthymia, and 6 (7.6%) met the criteria for an adjustment disorder. The PHQ-2 demonstrated good psychometric properties for screening for mood disorders with a cutoff score of ≥3 (receiver operating characteristic area under the curve [AUC], 0.83) and was comparable to the PHQ-9 ( > 9; AUC = 0.85). The NCCN-DT did not detect depression (AUC = 0.59). The PHQ-2 demonstrated good psychometric properties for screening for mood disorders, which were equivalent to the PHQ-9 and superior to the NCCN-DT. These findings support using the PHQ-2 to identify patients in need of further assessment for depression, which has a low prevalence but is a clinically significant comorbidity. These findings could inform the implementation of distress screening accreditation standards. Cancer 2017;123:485-493. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

  20. Discordance Between Physician Assessment and Patient-Reported Depressive Symptoms in Parkinson Disease.

    PubMed

    Lachner, Christian; Armstrong, Melissa J; Gruber-Baldini, Ann L; Rezvani, Zahra; Reich, Stephen G; Fishman, Paul S; Salazar, Richard; Shulman, Lisa M

    2017-07-01

    To assess concordance between physician assessment and patient-reported symptoms when screening for depression in Parkinson disease (dPD). Depression in Parkinson disease is highly prevalent (∼40%) and has a significant impact on quality of life and disability, yet physician recognition and treatment remain inadequate. One thousand seventy-six patients with PD completed the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), a screening questionnaire for psychiatric symptoms, which was compared to item #3 (depression) on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The mean BSI-18 depression score was 51.4 (9.7). Of the 170 (16%) patients screening positive for dPD on the BSI-18, 104 (61%) were not recognized as depressed by neurologists on the UPDRS. Factors associated with lower neurologist recognition included male gender, better mental health quality of life, and lack of antidepressant use. More than 60% of patients screening positive for depression on self-report were not recognized by neurologists on the UPDRS. A patient-reported screening tool for depression may improve recognition and management of dPD.

  1. Screening of depression in cardiology: A study on 617 cardiovascular patients.

    PubMed

    Tesio, Valentina; Marra, Sebastiano; Molinaro, Stefania; Torta, Riccardo; Gaita, Fiorenzo; Castelli, Lorys

    2017-10-15

    Depression screening in the cardiovascular disease (CVD) care setting is under-performed, also because the issue of the optimal screening tools cut-off is still open. We analysed which HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) total score cut-off value shows the best properties in two groups of 357 Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and 260 Chronic Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) hospitalized patients. A Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve was plotted for both groups using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) as the criterion. Accuracy, positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values were computed for different cut-off scores. The ROC curves confirmed the excellent/very good accuracy of the HADS in both groups, with an area under the curve of 0.911 for the ACS and 0.893 for the CAD patients. The cut-off of 14 showed the best compromise between high sensitivity and good specificity in both groups, with high negative predicted values (95.5% and 92.4%, respectively). Using a cut-off value of 14, the HADS could be considered a good screening tool to identify hospitalized CAD and ACS patients requiring a more accurate depression assessment, in order to promptly plan the most appropriate treatment strategies and prevent the negative effects of depression in CVD patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Depression Screening Using Daily Mental-Health Ratings from a Smartphone Application for Breast Cancer Patients.

    PubMed

    Kim, Junetae; Lim, Sanghee; Min, Yul Ha; Shin, Yong-Wook; Lee, Byungtae; Sohn, Guiyun; Jung, Kyung Hae; Lee, Jae-Ho; Son, Byung Ho; Ahn, Sei Hyun; Shin, Soo-Yong; Lee, Jong Won

    2016-08-04

    Mobile mental-health trackers are mobile phone apps that gather self-reported mental-health ratings from users. They have received great attention from clinicians as tools to screen for depression in individual patients. While several apps that ask simple questions using face emoticons have been developed, there has been no study examining the validity of their screening performance. In this study, we (1) evaluate the potential of a mobile mental-health tracker that uses three daily mental-health ratings (sleep satisfaction, mood, and anxiety) as indicators for depression, (2) discuss three approaches to data processing (ratio, average, and frequency) for generating indicator variables, and (3) examine the impact of adherence on reporting using a mobile mental-health tracker and accuracy in depression screening. We analyzed 5792 sets of daily mental-health ratings collected from 78 breast cancer patients over a 48-week period. Using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) as the measure of true depression status, we conducted a random-effect logistic panel regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to evaluate the screening performance of the mobile mental-health tracker. In addition, we classified patients into two subgroups based on their adherence level (higher adherence and lower adherence) using a k-means clustering algorithm and compared the screening accuracy between the two groups. With the ratio approach, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) is 0.8012, indicating that the performance of depression screening using daily mental-health ratings gathered via mobile mental-health trackers is comparable to the results of PHQ-9 tests. Also, the AUC is significantly higher (P=.002) for the higher adherence group (AUC=0.8524) than for the lower adherence group (AUC=0.7234). This result shows that adherence to self-reporting is associated with a higher accuracy of depression screening. Our results support the potential of a mobile mental-health tracker as a tool for screening for depression in practice. Also, this study provides clinicians with a guideline for generating indicator variables from daily mental-health ratings. Furthermore, our results provide empirical evidence for the critical role of adherence to self-reporting, which represents crucial information for both doctors and patients.

  3. Screening for depression in a primary care setting in Vietnam.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Nguyen-Lan D; Hunt, D Daniel; Scott, Craig S

    2005-02-01

    A Vietnamese Depression Scale (VDS) was developed in 1982 in the United States and has been used as a screening tool for depression and as the basis for a standardized interview to assess depression in the Vietnamese refugee populations. In this current study, the VDS was used in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to assess depression in patients who were already diagnosed with depression by Vietnamese psychiatrists and in patients presenting at a local primary care clinic. Of the 177 primary care clinic patients, 8.4% met the criteria for clinical depression based on the VDS. Results indicate a higher risk for depression among married and/or less than high school educated individuals. Discrepancies were found between the depression diagnosis by Vietnamese psychiatrists and VDS screening results. Among the participants interviewed who met the VDS criteria for depression, culture-specific phrases such as "desperate," "going crazy," and "low spirited and bored" were highly associated with symptoms of depression.

  4. Evidence-based guideline: Assessment and management of psychiatric disorders in individuals with MS

    PubMed Central

    Minden, Sarah L.; Feinstein, Anthony; Kalb, Rosalind C.; Miller, Deborah; Mohr, David C.; Patten, Scott B.; Bever, Christopher; Schiffer, Randolph B.; Gronseth, Gary S.; Narayanaswami, Pushpa

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To make evidence-based recommendations for screening, diagnosing, and treating psychiatric disorders in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: We reviewed the literature (1950 to August 2011) and evaluated the available evidence. Results and recommendations: Clinicians may consider using the Center for Neurologic Study Emotional Lability Scale to screen for pseudobulbar affect (Level C). Clinicians may consider the Beck Depression Inventory and a 2-question tool to screen for depressive disorders and the General Health Questionnaire to screen for broadly defined emotional disturbances (Level C). Evidence is insufficient to support/refute the use of other screening tools, the possibility that somatic/neurovegetative symptoms affect these tools' accuracy, or the use of diagnostic instruments or clinical evaluation procedures for identifying psychiatric disorders in MS (Level U). Clinicians may consider a telephone-administered cognitive behavioral therapy program for treating depressive symptoms (Level C). Although pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies are widely used to treat depressive and anxiety disorders in individuals with MS, evidence is insufficient to support/refute the use of the antidepressants and individual and group therapies reviewed herein (Level U). For pseudobulbar affect, a combination of dextromethorphan and quinidine may be considered (Level C). Evidence is insufficient to determine the psychiatric effects in individuals with MS of disease-modifying and symptomatic therapies and corticosteroids; risk factors for suicide; and treatment of psychotic disorders (Level U). Research is needed on the effectiveness in individuals with MS of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments frequently used in the non-MS population. PMID:24376275

  5. Management of Depression in Older Adults: A Review.

    PubMed

    Kok, Rob M; Reynolds, Charles F

    2017-05-23

    Depression in older adults is a common psychiatric disorder affecting their health-related quality of life. Major depression occurs in 2% of adults aged 55 years or older, and its prevalence rises with increasing age. In addition, 10% to 15% of older adults have clinically significant depressive symptoms, even in the absence of major depression. Depression presents with the same symptoms in older adults as it does in younger populations. In contrast to younger patients, older adults with depression more commonly have several concurrent medical disorders and cognitive impairment. Depression occurring in older patients is often undetected or inadequately treated. Antidepressants are the best-studied treatment option, but psychotherapy, exercise therapy, and electroconvulsive therapy may also be effective. Psychotherapy is recommended for patients with mild to moderate severity depression. Many older patients need the same doses of antidepressant medication that are used for younger adult patients. Although antidepressants may effectively treat depression in older adults, they tend to pose greater risk for adverse events because of multiple medical comorbidities and drug-drug interactions in case of polypharmacy. High-quality evidence does not support the use of pharmacologic treatment of depression in patients with dementia. Polypharmacy in older patients can be minimized by using the Screening Tool of Older Persons Prescriptions and Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment (STOPP/START) criteria, a valid and reliable screening tool that enables physicians to avoid potentially inappropriate medications, undertreatment, or errors of omissions in older people. Antidepressants can be gradually tapered over a period of several weeks, but discontinuation of antidepressants may be associated with relapse or recurrence of depression, so the patient should be closely observed. Major depression in older adults is common and can be effectively treated with antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy. Psychological therapies and exercise may also be effective for mild-moderate depression, for patients who prefer nonpharmacological treatment, or for patients who are too frail for drug treatments.

  6. Comparing depression screening tools in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).

    PubMed

    Hanna, Joshua; Santo, Jonathan B; Blair, Mervin; Smolewska, Kathy; Warriner, Erin; Morrow, Sarah A

    2017-02-01

    Depression is more common among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) than the general population. Depression in MS is associated with reduced quality of life, transition to unemployment, and cognitive impairment. Two proposed screening measures for depression in MS populations are the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS). Our objective was to compared the associations of the BDI-FS and the HADS-D scores with history of depressive symptoms, fatigue, and functional outcomes to determine the differential clinical utility of these screening measures among persons with MS. We reviewed charts of 133 persons with MS for demographic information; scores on the HADS, BDI-FS, a fatigue measure, and a processing speed measure; and employment status. Structural equation modeling results indicated the HADS-D predicted employment status, disability status, and processing speed more effectively than did the BDI-FS, whereas both measures predicted fatigue. This study suggests the HADS-D is more effective than the BDI-FS in predicting functional outcomes known to be associated with depression among persons with MS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  7. [PHQ-2 as First Screening Instrument of Prenatal Depression in Primary Health Care, Spain].

    PubMed

    Rodríguez-Muñoz, María de la Fe; Castelao Legazpi, Pilar Carolina; Olivares Crespo, María Eugenia; Soto Balbuena, Cristina; Izquierdo Méndez, Nuria; Ferrer Barrientos, Francisco Javier; Huynh-Nhu, Le

    2017-01-30

    Prenatal depression is a major public health problem that is barely treated. Based on existing literature, depression during this period is associated with negative consequences for the mother and the baby. Therefore it is important to make an adequate screening in this population. The aim of this study was to determine the discriminant validity and cut-off of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) as a screening tool to identify the depression in pregnant women living in Spain. The sample included 1,019 female participants, aged between 19 and 45 years, who participated voluntarily, and received prenatal care during the first trimester. Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, PHQ-2 andPHQ-9. The research has been developed within the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at two public hospitals in two different Spanish Regions. The research was conducted between 2014 and 2016 performing a ROC curve analysis to determine the discriminative capacity and cut-off for PHQ-2. 11,1 % out of 1019 participants were diagnosed with depression. The area under the curve of PHQ-2 was 0,84 p smaller than 0,001. With the cutoff 2 the sensitivity and specificity of 85,4 % and 79,5% respectively. A score Equal or greater than 2 is an appropriate cut-off in PHQ-2 to detect depression during pregnancy. The use of PHQ-2 could precede PHQ-9 as a brief screening tool for antenatal depression in obstetric settings.

  8. Depression and work performance: an ecological study using web-based screening.

    PubMed

    Harvey, S B; Glozier, N; Henderson, M; Allaway, S; Litchfield, P; Holland-Elliott, K; Hotopf, M

    2011-05-01

    Depression is reported to be a major cause of illness-related sub-optimal work performance (presenteeism). However, the majority of studies examining presenteeism have relied on self-report measures of work performance. Furthermore, employers currently face a number of practical challenges in attempting to facilitate early identification of depression. To test whether a web-based screening tool for depression could be used successfully in the workplace and whether it was possible to detect an association between rates of depression and objective measures of impaired workgroup performance. All permanent employees of a telecommunications company with UK-based call centres were encouraged to complete a web-based psychological assessment using the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-9). In addition to confidential individual level results, the tool was able to provide anonymized summary statistics for each workgroup. Four objective measures of work performance were collected for each workgroup. During the study period, 1161 web-based PHQ-9 questionnaires were completed. There was a negative linear relationship between rates of depressive symptoms and the overall performance of a workgroup (P < 0.001). The linear relationship between depression and workgroup performance remained after controlling for gender balance, percent of temporary staff, employees' perceived level of engagement and satisfaction with their line manager (P < 0.01). Workgroups with high levels of depressive symptoms tend to perform poorly. Computer-aided web-based screening for symptoms of depression is feasible in a work setting.

  9. Screening for depression in epilepsy clinics. A comparison of conventional and visual-analog methods.

    PubMed

    Rampling, Jeremy; Mitchell, Alex J; Von Oertzen, Tim; Docker, James; Jackson, Jemima; Cock, Hannah; Agrawal, Niruj

    2012-10-01

    Depression is an important but underdiagnosed complication of epilepsy. This study compares potentially suitable screening tools head-to-head. We enrolled 266 attendees with a confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy at a specialized neurologic epilepsy service in London and compared verbal self-report and visual analog (VAS) screening methods for depression. These included two generic depression scales (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS], Beck Depression Inventory II [BDI-II]), one epilepsy specific scale (Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy [NDDI-E]) and one new visual-analog scale (Emotional Thermometers [ET]). We used Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for major depression and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) criteria for depressive episode as the reference standard. Against ICD-10-defined depression the most accurate scales by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve area were HADS Total (HADS-T, 0.924), BDI-II (0.898) and NDDI-E (0.897). New visual-analog methods had similar accuracy measured either in combination or individually. Although no test performed well in a case-finding role, several performed well as a rule-out initial step, owing to high negative predictive value and specificity. In this role, the optimal performing conventional tools were the HADS depression subsscale (HADS-D) and the NDDI-E and the optimal single VAS were the depression thermometer (DepT) and the distress thermometer (DT). Against DSM-IV- defined major depression, results were similar with optimal performance by the HADS-T, BDI-II, and NDDI-E, but here the anxiety thermometer (AnxT) as well as DepT and DT also offered good performance. Given that no test performed well in a case-finding role, we suggest that these tests are used as an initial first step to rule out patients who are unlikely to have depression. We suggest that the six-item NDDI-E or seven-item HADS-D should be considered if a conventional scale is preferred and that the revised ET4 be considered if a visual-analog method is required. Follow-up examination and intervention, where indicated, are necessary in all those who screen positive on any measure as these are not intended as diagnostic tools. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2012 International League Against Epilepsy.

  10. The mental health characteristics of pregnant women with depressive symptoms identified by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

    PubMed

    Lydsdottir, Linda B; Howard, Louise M; Olafsdottir, Halldora; Thome, Marga; Tyrfingsson, Petur; Sigurdsson, Jon F

    2014-04-01

    Few studies are available on the effectiveness of screening tools such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in pregnancy or the extent to which such tools may identify women with mental disorders other than depression. We therefore aimed to investigate the mental health characteristics of pregnant women who screen positive on the EPDS. Consecutive women receiving antenatal care in primary care clinics (from November 2006 to July 2011) were invited to complete the EPDS in week 16 of pregnancy. All women who scored above 11 (screen positive) on the EPDS and randomly selected women who scored below 12 (screen negative) were invited to participate in a psychiatric diagnostic interview. 2,411 women completed the EPDS. Two hundred thirty-three women (9.7%) were screened positive in week 16, of whom 153 (66%) agreed to a psychiatric diagnostic interview. Forty-eight women (31.4%) were diagnosed with major depressive disorder according to DSM-IV criteria, 20 (13.1%) with bipolar disorder, 93 (60.8%) with anxiety disorders (including 27 [17.6%] with obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD]), 8 (5.2%) with dysthymia, 18 (11.8%) with somatoform disorder, 3 (2%) with an eating disorder, and 7 (4.6%) with current substance abuse. Women who screened positive were significantly more likely to have psychosocial risk factors, including being unemployed (χ(2)(1) = 23.37, P ≤.001), lower educational status (χ(2)(1)= 31.68, P ≤ .001), and a history of partner violence (χ(2)(1) = 10.30, P ≤ 001), compared with the women who screened negative. Use of the EPDS early in the second trimester of pregnancy identifies a substantial number of women with potentially serious mental disorders other than depression, including bipolar disorder, OCD, and eating disorders. A comprehensive clinical assessment is therefore necessary following use of the EPDS during pregnancy to ensure that women who screen positive receive appropriate mental health management. © Copyright 2014 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

  11. The utility of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System in screening for anxiety and depression.

    PubMed

    Bagha, S M; Macedo, A; Jacks, L M; Lo, C; Zimmermann, C; Rodin, G; Li, M

    2013-01-01

    The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) is a common screening tool in cancer, although its validity for distress screening is unproven. Here, screening performance of the ESAS anxiety (ESAS-A) and depression (ESAS-D) items were validated against the anxiety [Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)] and depression [Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)] subscales of the PHQ. A total of 1215 cancer patients completed the Distress Assessment and Response Tool (DART), a computerised distress screening instrument. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to evaluate the ability of ESAS-A and ESAS-D to identify moderate distress (GAD-7/PHQ-9 ≥ 10). Spearman's rank correlation coefficients comparing ESAS-A and ESAS-D with GAD-7 and PHQ-9 were 0.74 and 0.72 respectively. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.89 and 0.88 for anxiety and depression respectively. A cut-off of ≥3 on ESAS-A demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.91, specificity of 0.68, positive predictive value of 0.34 and negative predictive value of 0.97. A cut-off of ≥2 on the ESAS-D demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.86, specificity of 0.72, positive predictive value of 0.46 and negative predictive value of 0.95. High sensitivities of ESAS-A and ESAS-D at certain cut-offs suggest they have use in ruling-out distress. However, their low specificities indicate secondary screening is needed to rule-in anxiety or depression for case-finding. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  12. Improving discrimination in antepartum depression screening using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

    PubMed

    Venkatesh, Kartik K; Kaimal, Anjali J; Castro, Victor M; Perlis, Roy H

    2017-05-01

    Universal screening of pregnant women for postpartum depression has recently been recommended; however, optimal application of depression screening tools in stratifying risk has not been defined. The current study examines new approaches to improve the ability of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to stratify risk for postpartum depression, including alternate cut points, use of a continuous measure, and incorporation of other putative risk factors. An observational cohort study of 4939 women screened both antepartum and postpartum with a negative EPDS screen antepartum(i.e. EPDS<10). The primary outcome was a probable postpartum major depressive episode(EPDS cut-off ≥10). Area under the receiver operating characteristics curve(AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated. 287 women(5.8%) screened positive for postpartum depression. An antepartum EPDS cut-off<5 optimally identified women with a low risk of postpartum depression with a negative predictive value of 97.6%; however, overall discrimination was modest(AUC 0.66, 95%CI: 0.64-0.69); sensitivity was 78.7%, and specificity was 53.8%, and the positive predictive value was low at 9.5%. The negative predictive values were similar(>95%) at all antepartum EPDS cut-off values from 4 to 8. Discrimination was improved(AUC ranging from 0.70 to 0.73) when the antepartum EPDS was combined with a prior history of major depressive disorder before pregnancy. An inability to assess EPDS subscales and a relatively low prevalence of depression in this cohort. Though an antepartum EPDS cut-off score <5 yielded the greatest discrimination identifying women at low risk for postpartum depression, the negative predictive value was insufficient to substitute for postpartum screening. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  13. Evidence-based guideline: assessment and management of psychiatric disorders in individuals with MS: report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology.

    PubMed

    Minden, Sarah L; Feinstein, Anthony; Kalb, Rosalind C; Miller, Deborah; Mohr, David C; Patten, Scott B; Bever, Christopher; Schiffer, Randolph B; Gronseth, Gary S; Narayanaswami, Pushpa

    2014-01-14

    To make evidence-based recommendations for screening, diagnosing, and treating psychiatric disorders in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). We reviewed the literature (1950 to August 2011) and evaluated the available evidence. Clinicians may consider using the Center for Neurologic Study Emotional Lability Scale to screen for pseudobulbar affect (Level C). Clinicians may consider the Beck Depression Inventory and a 2-question tool to screen for depressive disorders and the General Health Questionnaire to screen for broadly defined emotional disturbances (Level C). Evidence is insufficient to support/refute the use of other screening tools, the possibility that somatic/neurovegetative symptoms affect these tools' accuracy, or the use of diagnostic instruments or clinical evaluation procedures for identifying psychiatric disorders in MS (Level U). Clinicians may consider a telephone-administered cognitive behavioral therapy program for treating depressive symptoms (Level C). Although pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies are widely used to treat depressive and anxiety disorders in individuals with MS, evidence is insufficient to support/refute the use of the antidepressants and individual and group therapies reviewed herein (Level U). For pseudobulbar affect, a combination of dextromethorphan and quinidine may be considered (Level C). Evidence is insufficient to determine the psychiatric effects in individuals with MS of disease-modifying and symptomatic therapies and corticosteroids; risk factors for suicide; and treatment of psychotic disorders (Level U). Research is needed on the effectiveness in individuals with MS of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments frequently used in the non-MS population.

  14. Psychometric Properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Segal, Daniel L.; Coolidge, Frederick L.; Cahill, Brian S.; O'Riley, Alisa A.

    2008-01-01

    The psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) as a self-administered screening tool for depressive symptoms were examined in a sample of community-dwelling older and younger adults. Participants completed the BDI-II, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Coolidge Axis II Inventory, the Perceived…

  15. Primary care, depression, and anxiety: exploring somatic and emotional predictors of mental health status in adolescents.

    PubMed

    Dumont, Ian P; Olson, Ardis L

    2012-01-01

    A growing body of research points to regular, comprehensive mental health screening in primary care practices as an effective tool, but a thorough and efficient approach is not yet widely used. The purpose of this report is to describe the pattern of mental health-related concerns, protective and social risk factors reported by adolescents during routine well-child visits in primary care settings, and their occurrence among teens that screen positive for either depression or anxiety with brief validated measures. A personal digital assistant-based questionnaire was administered as part of clinical care to adolescents 11 to 18 years old (N = 2184) attending preventive well-child visits in 13 pediatric and family medicine primary care practices in a northern New England practice-based research network over 18 months (2008 to 2009). Depressive and anxiety-related symptoms were assessed using the 2-question versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, respectively. Analyses determined the role that the protective and social risk factors played in determining who screens positive for depression and anxiety. In the fully adjusted model, risk factors that were significant (P < .05) predictors for a positive screen of depression included substance use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.05); stress (AOR, 3.59); anger (AOR, 1.94); and worries about family alcohol and drug use (AOR, 2.69). Among protective factors, that is, those that reduce the risk of depression, age (AOR, 0.87 for younger patients); having parents who listen (AOR, 0.34); and having more assets (AOR, 0.65) were significant. Significant predictors of screening positive for anxiety included substance use (AOR, 1.97); stress (AOR, 6.10); anger (AOR, 2.31); trouble sleeping (AOR, 1.75), and the sex of the adolescent (AOR, 1.87 for girls). Although having parents who listen was still a significant protective factor for anxiety (AOR, 2.26), other assets were not significant. Comprehensive primary care mental health screening that considers both anxiety and depression while including strength-based and psychosocial support questions is a helpful adjunct to clinical practices and has been done routinely by using an electronic tool at the point of care. Because certain common somatic and emotional concerns can precede depression and anxiety, routine screening for these issues along with depression and anxiety screening is suggested.

  16. Assessing Latina/o Undergraduates' Depressive Symptomatology: Comparisons of the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, and the Self-Report Depression Scale

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gloria, Alberta M.; Castellanos, Jeanett; Kanagui-Munoz, Marlen; Rico, Melissa A.

    2012-01-01

    The use of depression scales as screening tools at university and college centers is increasing and thus, the question of whether scales are culturally valid for different student groups is increasingly more relevant with increased severity of depression for students and changing student demographics. As such, this study examined the reliability…

  17. Two-Step Screening for Depressive Symptoms and Prediction of Mortality in Patients With Heart Failure.

    PubMed

    Lee, Kyoung Suk; Moser, Debra K; Pelter, Michele; Biddle, Martha J; Dracup, Kathleen

    2017-05-01

    Comorbid depression in patients with heart failure is associated with increased risk for death. In order to effectively identify depressed patients with cardiac disease, the American Heart Association suggests a 2-step screening method: administering the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire first and then the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. However, whether the 2-step method is better for predicting poor prognosis in heart failure than is either the 2-item or the 9-item tool alone is not known. To determine whether the 2-step method is better than either the 2-item or the 9-item questionnaire alone for predicting all-cause mortality in heart failure. During a 2-year period, 562 patients with heart failure were assessed for depression by using the 2-step method. With the 2-step method, results are considered positive if patients endorse either depressed mood or anhedonia on the 2-item screen and have scores of 10 or higher on the 9-item screen. Screening results with the 2-step method were not associated with all-cause mortality. Patients with scores positive for depression on either the 2-item or 9-item screen alone had 53% and 60% greater risk, respectively, for all-cause death than did patients with scores negative for depression after adjustments for covariates (hazard ratio, 1.530; 95% CI, 1.029-2.274 for the 2-item screen; hazard ratio, 1.603; 95% CI, 1.079-2.383 for the 9-item screen). The 2-step method has no clear advantages compared with the 2-item screen alone or the 9-item screen alone for predicting adverse prognostic effects of depressive symptoms in heart failure. ©2017 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

  18. Depression Screening Using Daily Mental-Health Ratings from a Smartphone Application for Breast Cancer Patients

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Junetae; Lim, Sanghee; Min, Yul Ha; Shin, Yong-Wook; Lee, Byungtae; Sohn, Guiyun; Jung, Kyung Hae; Lee, Jae-Ho; Son, Byung Ho; Ahn, Sei Hyun; Shin, Soo-Yong

    2016-01-01

    Background Mobile mental-health trackers are mobile phone apps that gather self-reported mental-health ratings from users. They have received great attention from clinicians as tools to screen for depression in individual patients. While several apps that ask simple questions using face emoticons have been developed, there has been no study examining the validity of their screening performance. Objective In this study, we (1) evaluate the potential of a mobile mental-health tracker that uses three daily mental-health ratings (sleep satisfaction, mood, and anxiety) as indicators for depression, (2) discuss three approaches to data processing (ratio, average, and frequency) for generating indicator variables, and (3) examine the impact of adherence on reporting using a mobile mental-health tracker and accuracy in depression screening. Methods We analyzed 5792 sets of daily mental-health ratings collected from 78 breast cancer patients over a 48-week period. Using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) as the measure of true depression status, we conducted a random-effect logistic panel regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to evaluate the screening performance of the mobile mental-health tracker. In addition, we classified patients into two subgroups based on their adherence level (higher adherence and lower adherence) using a k-means clustering algorithm and compared the screening accuracy between the two groups. Results With the ratio approach, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) is 0.8012, indicating that the performance of depression screening using daily mental-health ratings gathered via mobile mental-health trackers is comparable to the results of PHQ-9 tests. Also, the AUC is significantly higher (P=.002) for the higher adherence group (AUC=0.8524) than for the lower adherence group (AUC=0.7234). This result shows that adherence to self-reporting is associated with a higher accuracy of depression screening. Conclusions Our results support the potential of a mobile mental-health tracker as a tool for screening for depression in practice. Also, this study provides clinicians with a guideline for generating indicator variables from daily mental-health ratings. Furthermore, our results provide empirical evidence for the critical role of adherence to self-reporting, which represents crucial information for both doctors and patients. PMID:27492880

  19. The Bipolar II Depression Questionnaire: A Self-Report Tool for Detecting Bipolar II Depression

    PubMed Central

    Leung, Chi Ming; Yim, Chi Lap; Yan, Connie T. Y.; Chan, Cheuk Chi; Xiang, Yu-Tao; Mak, Arthur D. P.; Fok, Marcella Lei-Yee; Ungvari, Gabor S.

    2016-01-01

    Bipolar II (BP-II) depression is often misdiagnosed as unipolar (UP) depression, resulting in suboptimal treatment. Tools for differentiating between these two types of depression are lacking. This study aimed to develop a simple, self-report screening instrument to help distinguish BP-II depression from UP depressive disorder. A prototype BP-II depression questionnaire (BPIIDQ-P) was constructed following a literature review, panel discussions and a field trial. Consecutively assessed patients with a diagnosis of depressive disorder or BP with depressive episodes completed the BPIIDQ-P at a psychiatric outpatient clinic in Hong Kong between October and December 2013. Data were analyzed using discriminant analysis and logistic regression. Of the 298 subjects recruited, 65 (21.8%) were males and 233 (78.2%) females. There were 112 (37.6%) subjects with BP depression [BP-I = 42 (14.1%), BP-II = 70 (23.5%)] and 182 (62.4%) with UP depression. Based on family history, age at onset, postpartum depression, episodic course, attacks of anxiety, hypersomnia, social phobia and agoraphobia, the 8-item BPIIDQ-8 was constructed. The BPIIDQ-8 differentiated subjects with BP-II from those with UP depression with a sensitivity/specificity of 0.75/0.63 for the whole sample and 0.77/0.72 for a female subgroup with a history of childbirth. The BPIIDQ-8 can differentiate BP-II from UP depression at the secondary care level with satisfactory to good reliability and validity. It has good potential as a screening tool for BP-II depression in primary care settings. Recall bias, the relatively small sample size, and the high proportion of females in the BP-II sample limit the generalization of the results. PMID:26963908

  20. Early detection and treatment of postnatal depression in primary care.

    PubMed

    Davies, Bronwen R; Howells, Sarah; Jenkins, Meryl

    2003-11-01

    Postnatal depression has a relatively high incidence and gives rise to considerable morbidity. There is sound evidence supporting the use of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale as a screening tool for possible postnatal depression. This paper reports on a project developed by two health visitors and a community mental health nurse working in the United Kingdom. The aim of the project was to improve the early detection and treatment of postnatal depression in the population of the general practice to which they were attached. The health visitors screened for postnatal depression in the course of routine visits on four occasions during the first postpartum year. Women identified as likely to be suffering from postnatal depression were offered 'listening visits' as a first-line intervention, with referral on to the general practitioner and/or community mental health nurse if indicated. Data collected over 3 years showed that the project succeeded in its aim of enhancing early detection and treatment of postnatal depression. These findings replicate those of other studies. The data also showed that a substantial number of women were identified for the first time as likely to be suffering from postnatal depression at 12 months postpartum. Women screened for the first time at 12 months were at greater risk than those who had been screened earlier than this. Health visitors should screen for postnatal depression throughout the period of their contact with mothers, not solely in the immediate postnatal period. It is particularly important to screen women who, for whatever reason, were not screened when their child was younger. The knowledge and skills needed to use the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and provide first-line intervention and onward referral can be developed at practitioner level through close collaborative working.

  1. Depression and Cardiac Disease: Epidemiology, Mechanisms, and Diagnosis

    PubMed Central

    Huffman, Jeff C.; Celano, Christopher M.; Beach, Scott R.; Motiwala, Shweta R.; Januzzi, James L.

    2013-01-01

    In patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), depression is common, persistent, and associated with worse health-related quality of life, recurrent cardiac events, and mortality. Both physiological and behavioral factors—including endothelial dysfunction, platelet abnormalities, inflammation, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, and reduced engagement in health-promoting activities—may link depression with adverse cardiac outcomes. Because of the potential impact of depression on quality of life and cardiac outcomes, the American Heart Association has recommended routine depression screening of all cardiac patients with the 2- and 9-item Patient Health Questionnaires. However, despite the availability of these easy-to-use screening tools and effective treatments, depression is underrecognized and undertreated in patients with CVD. In this paper, we review the literature on epidemiology, phenomenology, comorbid conditions, and risk factors for depression in cardiac disease. We outline the associations between depression and cardiac outcomes, as well as the mechanisms that may mediate these links. Finally, we discuss the evidence for and against routine depression screening in patients with CVD and make specific recommendations for when and how to assess for depression in this high-risk population. PMID:23653854

  2. A correlational study of suicidal ideation with psychological distress, depression, and demoralization in patients with cancer.

    PubMed

    Fang, Chun-Kai; Chang, Ming-Chih; Chen, Pei-Jan; Lin, Ching-Chi; Chen, Gon-Shen; Lin, Johnson; Hsieh, Ruey-Kuen; Chang, Yi-Fang; Chen, Hong-Wen; Wu, Chien-Liang; Lin, Kuan-Chia; Chiu, Yu-Jing; Li, Yu-Chan

    2014-12-01

    This study aims to study the effects of depression and demoralization on suicidal ideation and to determine the feasibility of the Distress Thermometer as a screening tool for patients with cancer who experience depression and demoralization, and thus to establish a model screening process for suicide prevention. Purposive sampling was used to invite inpatients and outpatients with lung cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma. Two hundred participants completed the questionnaire, which included the Distress Thermometer (DT), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Demoralization Scale-Mandarin Version (DS-MV), and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. All data obtained were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and SAS 9.3. Tobit regression analysis showed that demoralization influenced suicidal ideation more than depression did (t = 2.84, p < 0.01). When PHQ-9 ≥ 10 and DS-MV ≥42 were used as criteria for the DT, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the AUC values were 0.77-0.79, with optimal cutoff points for both of DT ≥5; sensitivity 76.9 and 80.6 %, respectively; and specificity of 73.9 and 72.2 %, respectively. Demoralization had more influence on suicidal ideation than depression did. Therefore, attention should be paid to highly demoralized patients with cancer or high demoralization comorbid with depression for the purposes of suicide evaluation and prevention. The DT scale (with a cutoff of ≥5 points) has discriminative ability as a screening tool for demoralization or depression and can also be used in clinical settings for the preliminary screening of patients with cancer and high suicide risk.

  3. Cultural expressions of depression and the development of the Indonesian Depression Checklist.

    PubMed

    Widiana, Herlina Siwi; Simpson, Katrina; Manderson, Lenore

    2018-06-01

    Depression may manifest differently across cultural settings, suggesting the value of an assessment tool that is sensitive enough to capture these variations. The study reported in this article aimed to develop a depression screening tool for Indonesians derived from ethnographic interviews with 20 people who had been diagnosed as having depression by clinical psychologists at primary health centers. The tool, which we have termed the Indonesian Depression Checklist (IDC), consists of 40 items. The tool was administered to 125 people assessed to have depression by 40 clinical psychologists in primary health centers. The data were analyzed with Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) (IBM SPSS AMOS Software). CFA identified a five-factor hierarchical model ( χ 2  = 168.157, p = .091; CFI = .963; TLI = .957; RMSEA = .036). A 19-item inventory of the IDC, with five factors - Physical Symptoms, Affect, Cognition, Social Engagement and Religiosity - was identified. There was a strong correlation between the total score of the IDC and total score of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (revised version CES-D), a standard tool for assessing symptoms of depression. The IDC accommodates culturally distinctive aspects of depression among Indonesians that are not included in the CES-D.

  4. Identifying symptoms of depression and anxiety in students in the school setting.

    PubMed

    Allison, Virginia L; Nativio, Donna G; Mitchell, Ann M; Ren, Dianxu; Yuhasz, Janet

    2014-06-01

    Early detection of mental health problems in school-age children offers the opportunity for prompt referral to treatment which is critical to their success in school. School nurses are in a key position to screen for mental health issues in the school setting. This article discusses how school nurses began a new initiative to use two validated screening tools, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item for detecting depression and the 5-item Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders for detecting anxiety in middle school/high school-aged children in selected urban schools. Students having positive screens were referred to the multidisciplinary school-based Student Assistance Program team for further evaluation and referral. These screens improved the identification and referral for treatment of children suffering from anxiety and/or depression by expediting the connection to services.

  5. Comparative efficacy of the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item scale and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale as screening tools for generalized anxiety disorder in pregnancy and the postpartum period.

    PubMed

    Simpson, William; Glazer, Melanie; Michalski, Natalie; Steiner, Meir; Frey, Benicio N

    2014-08-01

    About 24.1% of pregnant women suffer from at least 1 anxiety disorder, 8.5% of whom suffer specifically from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). GAD is often associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). During the perinatal period, the presence of physical and somatic symptoms often makes differentiation between depression and anxiety more challenging. To date, no screening tools have been developed to detect GAD in the perinatal population. We investigated the psychometric properties of the GAD 7-item Scale (GAD-7) as a screening tool for GAD in pregnant and postpartum women. Two hundred and forty perinatal women (n = 155 pregnant and n = 85 postpartum) referred for psychiatric consultation were enrolled. On the day of initial assessment, all women completed the GAD-7 and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition-based diagnoses were made by experienced psychiatrists. Scores from the GAD-7 and EPDS were compared with the clinical diagnoses to evaluate the psychometric properties of the GAD-7 and EPDS when used as a screening tool for GAD. The GAD-7 yielded a sensitivity of 61.3% and specificity of 72.7% at an optimal cut-off score of 13. Compared with the EPDS and the EPDS-3A subscale, the GAD-7 displayed greater accuracy and specificity over a greater range of cut-off scores and more accurately identified GAD in patients with comorbid MDD. Our findings suggest that the GAD-7 represents a clinically useful scale for the detection of GAD in perinatal women.

  6. Screening for depression and anxiety among older Chinese immigrants living in Western countries: The use of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI).

    PubMed

    Lin, Xiaoping; Haralambous, Betty; Pachana, Nancy A; Bryant, Christina; LoGiudice, Dina; Goh, Anita; Dow, Briony

    2016-03-01

    Depression and anxiety are two common mental health problems among older people. There is evidence that using well-validated screening tools can improve detection of depression and anxiety among this group. The review explored the use of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) for screening depression and anxiety among older Chinese immigrants, one of the largest and fastest growing groups of older immigrants in Western society. It focused on the GDS and GAI because both are designed specifically for older people. Online literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. A narrative approach was used to review included papers. A total of 21 articles were included. There were limited data on anxiety among older Chinese immigrants, with only one unpublished report identified. There were 13 studies (20 articles) using the GDS with this group. Results of these studies indicated that the GDS is a reliable tool in this population; however, there was limited validity data. Two versions of the GDS-15 have been used with older Chinese immigrants, including the standard GDS-15 and Mui's GDS-15. Prevalence of depression ranged between 20% and 30% in most reviewed studies. Results of this review have practical implications for clinicians in their use of these tools with older Chinese immigrants in Western countries, such as the different GDS versions. It also suggests a number of directions for future research, such as the inclusion of clinical samples and consideration of the diversity within this group. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  7. Prevalence and predictors of positive screening for postpartum depression in minority parturients in the South Bronx.

    PubMed

    Doe, Samfee; LoBue, Stephen; Hamaoui, Abraham; Rezai, Shadi; Henderson, Cassandra E; Mercado, Ray

    2017-04-01

    It is reported that the rates of perinatal depressive disorders are high in ethnic minority groups from non-English speaking countries. However, very few studies have compared the prevalence of positive screening for postpartum depression (PPD) in minority communities living in an inner city. The goal of this study is to determine the prevalence and the predictors of positive screening for postpartum depression in minority parturients in the South Bronx. The study is a chart review of 314 minority parturients, Black or Hispanic, screened for postpartum depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) tool. The overall prevalence of a positive EPDS screen among Black and Hispanic women was similar, 24.04 and 18.75%, respectively. The Black immigrant cohort had comparable positive screens with 23.81 as African Americans. Hispanic women born in the USA had the least prevalence of positive screens, 7.14%, and those who moved from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico had a prevalence of 17.24% of positive screens. The women who immigrated from Mexico, Central America, or South America had the highest prevalence of positive screens for PPD, 32.26%. As to the socioeconomic status (SES), there was a significant increase of 27.04 vs. 13.95% (P < 0.019) in positive screens for PPD for the unemployed mothers. Overall, Black and Hispanic parturients had similar rates of positive screens for PPD. Among the Hispanic women, immigrants had higher rates of positive screens, with those from Mexico, Central, and South America as the highest. The hospital experience did not affect the rates of positive screens. Neither did the SES with one exception; those unemployed had the higher rates of positive screens.

  8. Screening for depression in clinical practice: reliability and validity of a five-item subset of the CES-Depression.

    PubMed

    Bohannon, Richard W; Maljanian, Rose; Goethe, John

    2003-12-01

    Individuals with chronic disease are not screened routinely for depression. Availability of an abbreviated test with demonstrated reliability and validity might encourage screening so we explored the reliability and validity of a 5-item subset of the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale among inner-city outpatients with chronic asthma or diabetes. Most patients were female (73.1%) and Hispanic (61.8%). Acceptable reliability was shown by Cronbach alpha (.76) for the subset of 5 items. Validity was supported by the high correlation of .91 between patients' scores on the 5-item subset and the full 20 items. The 5 items reflected a single factor (eigenvalue = 2.66). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified cut-points for the 5 items that were sensitive (> .84) and specific (> or = .80) in identifying patients classified as depressed by full 20 items. The reduced patient and clinician burden of the subset of 5 items, as well as its desirable psychometric properties, support broader application of this subset as a screening tool for depression.

  9. The lived experience of depression among culturally Deaf adults.

    PubMed

    Sheppard, K; Badger, T

    2010-11-01

    Culturally Deaf adults lost hearing at early ages, communicate primarily in American Sign Language (ASL), and self-identify as culturally Deaf. Communication barriers lead to isolation, low self-esteem, abuse, and inadequate health care. Screening Deaf patients for depressive symptoms poses challenge. Nurses are rarely familiar with ASL, and depression screening tools aren't easily translated from English to ASL. Consequently, Deaf adults are not adequately screened for depression. Qualitative interviews were conducted with culturally Deaf adults, and certified interpreters helped to enhance understanding. Text was generated from interview transcriptions and researcher observations. No novel depressive symptoms were described. Various ASL signs were used to represent depression; two participants used a unique gesture that had no meaning to others. Childhood experiences leading to depression included sexual or physical abuse, feeling ostracized from family and like a burden. Suicidal gestures communicated severity of depression. Adults felt interpreters were unwelcome during mental health encounters. No participants were asked about depressive symptoms despite frank manifestations of depression. Study describes antecedents and consequences of depressive symptoms among Deaf adults. Understanding symptom manifestations and challenges experienced by Deaf patients helps identify those at risk for depression, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing.

  10. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale: Screening Tool for Postpartum Anxiety as Well? Findings from a Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Hebrew Version.

    PubMed

    Bina, Rena; Harrington, Donna

    2016-04-01

    The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was originally created as a uni-dimensional scale to screen for postpartum depression (PPD); however, evidence from various studies suggests that it is a multi-dimensional scale measuring mainly anxiety in addition to depression. The factor structure of the EPDS seems to differ across various language translations, raising questions regarding its stability. This study examined the factor structure of the Hebrew version of the EPDS to assess whether it is uni- or multi-dimensional. Seven hundred and fifteen (n = 715) women were screened at 6 weeks postpartum using the Hebrew version of the EPDS. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test four models derived from the literature. Of the four CFA models tested, a 9-item two factor model fit the data best, with one factor representing an underlying depression construct and the other representing an underlying anxiety construct. for Practice The Hebrew version of the EPDS appears to consist of depression and anxiety sub-scales. Given the widespread PPD screening initiatives, anxiety symptoms should be addressed in addition to depressive symptoms, and a short scale, such as the EPDS, assessing both may be efficient.

  11. Validity of Arabic version of the two-question Quick Inventory of Depression (QID-2-Ar): Screening for multiple sclerosis in an Arab environment and during the Syrian war.

    PubMed

    Kubitary, A; Alsaleh, M A

    2018-03-01

    This study aimed to validate the Arabic version of the two-question Quick Inventory of Depression (QID-2-Ar) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients living in Syria during the war. A total of 100 Syrian MS patients, aged 18-60 years, were recruited at Damascus Hospital and Ibn Al-Nafees Hospital to validate the QID-2-Ar, including analyses of its screening test parameters and its construct validity. The QID-2-Ar screening parameters for depression tested very positively, and its construct validity was also favorable (P<0.01). The QID-2-Ar is a good screening test for detecting depression. Using a threshold score of ≥1 rather than 2 resulted in more depressed patients being correctly identified. The Arabic version of the QID-2-Ar also has highly favorable psychometric properties. It is valid for assessing depression, especially the two main depressive symptoms (depressive mood and anhedonia) listed in DSM-V. This is a useful tool for researchers and practitioners, and a threshold score of 2 on the QID-2-Ar is recommended to be more certain that all those with depression are detected without having to use a complete depression questionnaire such as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. Measurement Equivalence across Racial/Ethnic Groups of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire for Childhood Depression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Banh, My K.; Crane, Paul K.; Rhew, Isaac; Gudmundsen, Gretchen; Stoep, Ann Vander; Lyon, Aaron; McCauley, Elizabeth

    2012-01-01

    As research continues to document differences in the prevalence of mental health problems such as depression across racial/ethnic groups, the issue of measurement equivalence becomes increasingly important to address. The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) is a widely used screening tool for child and adolescent depression. This study applied a…

  13. Validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to screen for depression in a high-HIV burden primary healthcare clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    PubMed

    Cholera, R; Gaynes, B N; Pence, B W; Bassett, J; Qangule, N; Macphail, C; Bernhardt, S; Pettifor, A; Miller, W C

    2014-01-01

    Integration of depression screening into primary care may increase access to mental health services in sub-Saharan Africa, but this approach requires validated screening instruments. We sought to validate the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) as a depression screening tool at a high HIV-burden primary care clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa. We conducted a validation study of an interviewer-administered PHQ-9 among 397 patients. Sensitivity and specificity of the PHQ-9 were calculated with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) as the reference standard; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed. The prevalence of depression was 11.8%. One-third of participants tested positive for HIV. HIV-infected patients were more likely to be depressed (15%) than uninfected patients (9%; p=0.08). Using the standard cutoff score of ≥10, the PHQ-9 had a sensitivity of 78.7% (95% CI: 64.3-89.3) and specificity of 83.4% (95% CI: 79.1-87.2). The area under the ROC curve was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.83-0.92). Test performance did not vary by HIV status or language. In sensitivity analyses, reference test bias associated with the MINI appeared unlikely. We were unable to conduct qualitative work to adapt the PHQ-9 to this cultural context. This is the first validation study of the PHQ-9 in a primary care clinic in sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights the potential for using primary care as an access point for identifying depressive symptoms during routine HIV testing. The PHQ-9 showed reasonable accuracy in classifying cases of depression, was easily implemented by lay health workers, and is a useful screening tool in this setting. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. The Complex Interplay Between Depression/Anxiety and Executive Functioning: Insights From the ECAS in a Large ALS Population

    PubMed Central

    Solca, Federica; Faini, Andrea; Madotto, Fabiana; Lafronza, Annalisa; Monti, Alessia; Zago, Stefano; Doretti, Alberto; Ciammola, Andrea; Ticozzi, Nicola; Silani, Vincenzo; Poletti, Barbara

    2018-01-01

    Introduction: The observed association between depressive symptoms and cognitive performances has not been previously clarified in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (pALS). In fact, the use of cognitive measures often not accommodating for motor disability has led to heterogeneous and not conclusive findings about this issue. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between cognitive and depressive/anxiety symptoms by means of the recently developed Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS), a brief assessment specifically designed for pALS. Methods: Sample included 168 pALS (114 males, 54 females); they were administered two standard cognitive screening tools (FAB; MoCA) and the ECAS, assessing different cognitive domains, including ALS-specific (executive functions, verbal fluency, and language tests) and ALS non-specific subtests (memory and visuospatial tests). Two psychological questionnaires for depression and anxiety (BDI; STAI/Y) were also administered to patients. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to assess the degree of association between cognitive and psychological measures. Results: Depression assessment negatively correlated with the ECAS, more significantly with regard to the executive functions subdomain. In particular, Sentence Completion and Social Cognition subscores were negatively associated with depression levels measured by BDI total score and Somatic-Performance symptoms subscore. Conversely, no significant correlations were observed between depression level and cognitive functions as measured by traditional screening tools for frontal abilities (FAB) and global cognition (MoCA) assessment. Finally, no significant correlations were observed between state/trait anxiety and the ECAS. Discussion and conclusion: This represents the first study focusing on the relationship between cognitive and psychological components in pALS by means of the ECAS, the current gold standard for ALS cognitive-behavioral assessment. If confirmed by further investigations, the observed association between depression and executive functions suggests the need for a careful screening and treatment of depression, to avoid overestimation of cognitive involvement and possibly improve cognitive performances in ALS. PMID:29674987

  15. Validation of the 10-item Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10) in Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans populations in South Africa.

    PubMed

    Baron, Emily Claire; Davies, Thandi; Lund, Crick

    2017-01-09

    The 10-item Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10) is a depression screening tool that has been used in the South African National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), a national household panel study. This screening tool has not yet been validated in South Africa. This study aimed to establish the reliability and validity of the CES-D-10 in Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans. The CES-D-10's psychometric properties were also compared to the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a depression screening tool already validated in South Africa. Stratified random samples of Xhosa, Afrikaans and Zulu-speaking participants aged 15 years or older (N = 944) were recruited from Cape Town Metro and Ethekwini districts. Face-to-face interviews included socio-demographic questions, the CES-D-10, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS). Major depression was determined using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. All instruments were translated and back-translated to English. Construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curves were used to investigate the CES-D-10 and PHQ-9's criterion validity, and compared using the DeLong method. Overall, 6.6, 18.0 and 6.9% of the Zulu, Afrikaans and Xhosa samples were diagnosed with depression, respectively. The CES-D-10 had acceptable internal consistency across samples (α = 0.69-0.89), and adequate concurrent validity, when compared to the PHQ-9 and WHODAS. The CES-D-10 area under the Receiver Operator Characteristic curve was good to excellent: 0.81 (95% CI 0.71-0.90) for Zulu, 0.93 (95% CI 0.90-0.96) for Afrikaans, and 0.94 (95% CI 0.89-0.99) for Xhosa. A cut-off of 12, 11 and 13 for Zulu, Afrikaans and Xhosa, respectively, generated the most balanced sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value (Zulu: 71.4, 72.6% and 16.1%; Afrikaans: 84.6%, 84.0%, 53.7%; Xhosa: 81.0%, 95.0%, 54.8%). These were slightly higher than those generated for the PHQ-9. The CES-D-10 and PHQ-9 otherwise performed similarly across samples. The CES-D-10 is a valid, reliable screening tool for depression in Zulu, Xhosa and coloured Afrikaans populations.

  16. Depression and anxiety in patients with coronary artery disease, measured by means of self-report measures and clinician-rated instrument.

    PubMed

    Moryś, Joanna M; Bellwon, Jerzy; Adamczyk, Katarzyna; Gruchała, Marcin

    2016-01-01

    The presence of depression symptomatology significantly deteriorates the prognosis for the patient. There are many instruments developed to measure depression and anxiety in clinical trials; however, the suitability of the specific scale for screening these disorders in cardiovascular patients is debatable. The aim of current study is to verify which of the major assessment instruments is the most relevant for the screening evaluation of depression and anxiety in patients with cardiovascular system diseases. The sample studied consisted of 120 patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). They did not display serious psychiatric or somatic disorders. To assess depressive and anxiety symptoms we used self-reporting measures (BDI-II, HADS, SSAI/STAI, and PHQ), the results of which were compared to results obtained on the basis of a clinician-rating instrument (HRSD). We found that depressive symptoms assessed on the basis of HRSD, BDI-II, and PHQ-9 were equivalent in results, while the results obtained in HADS-D were significantly lower. Anxiety symptoms were found at approximate levels in HADS, SSAI, and GAD-7. The assessment of somatic symptoms in patients with CAD indicates that 87.5% of the subjects reported somatic symptoms of various intensity. Screening assessment of depression in patients with CAD gives different results depending on the tool used. We found that HADS significantly underestimates the percentage of patients with symptoms of depression in patients with CAD. Assessing anxiety symptoms with the aid of HADS gave outcomes close to the results gained by use of other tools.

  17. Improving early detection of childhood depression in mental health care: the Children׳s Depression Screener (ChilD-S).

    PubMed

    Allgaier, Antje-Kathrin; Krick, Kathrin; Opitz, Ansgar; Saravo, Barbara; Romanos, Marcel; Schulte-Körne, Gerd

    2014-07-30

    Diagnosing childhood depression can pose a challenge, even for mental health specialists. Screening tools can aid clinicians within the initial step of the diagnostic process. For the first time, the Children׳s Depression Screener (ChilD-S) is validated in a mental health setting as a novel field of application beyond the previously examined pediatric setting. Based on a structured interview, DSM-IV-TR diagnoses of depression were made for 79 psychiatric patients aged 9-12, serving as the gold standard for validation. For assessing criterion validity, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated. Point prevalence of major depression and dysthymia was 28%. Diagnostic accuracy in terms of the area under the ROC curve was high (0.97). At the optimal cut-off point ≥12 according to the Youden׳s index, sensitivity was 0.91 and specificity was 0.81. The findings suggest that the ChilD-S is not only a valid screening instrument for childhood depression in pediatric care but also in mental health settings. As a brief tool it can easily be implemented into daily clinical practice of mental health professionals facilitating the diagnostic process, especially in case of comorbid depression. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Does presence of metabolic syndrome impact anxiety and depressive disorder screening results in middle aged and elderly individuals? A population based study.

    PubMed

    Butnoriene, Jurate; Steibliene, Vesta; Saudargiene, Ausra; Bunevicius, Adomas

    2018-01-08

    Depressive and anxiety disorders are common in primary care setting but often remain undiagnosed. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is also prevalent in the general population and can impair recognition of common mental disorders due to significant co-morbidity and overlap with psychiatric symptoms included in self-reported depression/anxiety screening tools. We investigated if MetS has an impact on the accuracy of current major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) screening results using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS). A total of 1115 (562 men; mean age 62.0 ± 9.6 years) individuals of 45+ years of age were randomly selected from the general population and evaluated for current MetS; depressive and anxiety symptoms (HADS); and current MDD and GAD (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview [MINI]). The MetS was diagnosed in 34.4% of the study participants. Current MDD and GAD were more common in individuals with MetS relative to individuals without MetS (25.3% vs 14.2%, respectively, p < 0.001; and 30.2% vs 20.9%, respectively, p < 0.001). The ROC analyses demonstrated that optimal thresholds of the HADS-Depression subscale for current MDE were ≥9 in individuals with MetS (sensitivity = 87%, specificity = 73% and PPV = 52%) and ≥8 in individuals without MetS (sensitivity = 81%, specificity = 78% and PPV = 38%). At threshold of ≥9 the HADS-Anxiety subscale demonstrated optimal psychometric properties for current GAD screening in individuals with MetS (sensitivity = 91%, specificity = 85% and PPV = 72%) and without MetS (sensitivity = 84%, specificity = 83% and PPV = 56%). The HADS is a reliable screening tool for current MDE and GAD in middle aged and elderly population with and without MetS. Optimal thresholds of the HADS-Depression subscale for current MDD is ≥9 for individuals with MetS and ≥8 - without MetS. Optimal threshold of the HADS-Anxiety subscale is ≥9 for current GAD in individuals with and without MetS. The presence of MetS should be considered when interpreting depression screening results.

  19. PHIT for Duty, a Personal Health Intervention Tool for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-04-01

    Findings Post deployment health problems. The top three post deployment health problems mentioned were depression, anxiety and sleep issues... anxiety ) are immediately available to the iVA, which is able to determine how to proceed with the user. The iVA may choose to schedule a screening... anxiety , sleep quality, depression, and alcohol use). For each domain, the screening data are analyzed by the iVA and a subsequent detailed assessment

  20. Screening for Depression and Thoughts of Suicide: A Tool for Use in Alaska's Village Clinics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Niven, Julie A.

    2007-01-01

    Depression occurs at a significant rate in the U.S. population. Untreated depressive symptoms are a primary risk factor for suicide. Studies show that a significant percentage of individuals who commit suicide had visited their health care providers in the months before their deaths. Alaska ranks number one in the nation for suicide. Routine…

  1. Beside the Geriatric Depression Scale: the WHO-Five Well-being Index as a valid screening tool for depression in nursing homes.

    PubMed

    Allgaier, Antje-Kathrin; Kramer, Dietmar; Saravo, Barbara; Mergl, Roland; Fejtkova, Sabina; Hegerl, Ulrich

    2013-11-01

    The aim of the study was to compare criterion validities of the WHO-Five Well-being Index (WHO-5) and the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item version (GDS-15) and 4-item version (GDS-4) as screening instruments for depression in nursing home residents. Data from 92 residents aged 65-97 years without severe cognitive impairment (Mini Mental State Examination ≥15) were analysed. Criterion validities of the WHO-5, the GDS-15 and the GDS-4 were assessed against diagnoses of major and minor depression provided by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Subanalyses were performed for major and minor depression. Areas under the receiver operating curve (AUCs) as well as sensitivities and specificities at optimal cut-off points were computed. Prevalence of depressive disorder was 28.3%. The AUC value of the WHO-5 (0.90) was similar to that of the GDS-15 (0.82). Sensitivity of the WHO-5 (0.92) at its optimal cut-off of ≤12 was significantly higher than that of the GDS-15 (0.69) at its optimal cut-off of ≥7. The WHO-5 was equally sensitive for the subgroups of major and minor depression (0.92), whereas the GDS-15 was sensitive only for major depression (0.85), but not for minor depression (0.54). For specificity, there was no significant difference between WHO-5 (0.79) and GDS-15 (0.88), but both instruments outperformed the GDS-4 (0.53). The WHO-5 demonstrated high sensitivity for major and minor depression. Being shorter than the GDS-15 and superior to the GDS-4, the WHO-5 is a promising screening tool that could help physicians improve low recognition rates of depression in nursing home residents. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Introducing depression and developmental screenings into the national programme on immunization (NPI) in southeast Nigeria: an experimental cross-sectional assessment.

    PubMed

    Bakare, Muideen O; Okoye, Jane O; Obindo, James T

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates the possibility of introducing depression and developmental screening tools into the National Programme on Immunization (NPI) in southeast Nigeria. The specific objectives were to determine the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) among mothers attending immunization clinics and to assess the association of maternal PPD and infant growth in relation to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Four hundred and eight (408) mothers completed the sociodemographic questionnaire and the self-report Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The weights, lengths and head circumferences of their infants were recorded, while the WHO recommended equivalents at 50th percentiles were also recorded for each child. The mothers were then interviewed with the major depressive episode module of Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) to make diagnosis of depression. About 24.8% and 15.2% of the mothers were found to be depressed using EPDS and major depressive episode module of M.I.N.I., respectively. It was found that maternal PPD is significantly associated with the growth parameters of weights and lengths of the infants studied but not their head circumference. NPI may provide appropriate forum for early screening of mothers for PPD and interventions in Nigeria. The NPI would also serve a useful avenue of screening for developmental concerns in Nigerian children. © 2014.

  3. Screening for Major Depressive Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

    PubMed

    Forman-Hoffman, Valerie; McClure, Emily; McKeeman, Joni; Wood, Charles T; Middleton, Jennifer Cook; Skinner, Asheley C; Perrin, Eliana M; Viswanathan, Meera

    2016-03-01

    Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common among children and adolescents and is associated with functional impairment and suicide. To update the 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) systematic review on screening for and treatment of MDD in children and adolescents in primary care settings. Several electronic searches (May 2007 to February 2015) and searches of reference lists of published literature. Trials and recent systematic reviews of treatment, test-retest studies of screening, and trials and large cohort studies for harms. Data were abstracted by 1 investigator and checked by another; 2 investigators independently assessed study quality. Limited evidence from 5 studies showed that such tools as the Beck Depression Inventory and Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents had reasonable accuracy for identifying MDD among adolescents in primary care settings. Six trials evaluated treatment. Several individual fair- and good-quality studies of fluoxetine, combined fluoxetine and cognitive behavioral therapy, escitalopram, and collaborative care demonstrated benefits of treatment among adolescents, with no associated harms. The review included only English-language studies, narrow inclusion criteria focused only on MDD, high thresholds for quality, potential publication bias, limited data on harms, and sparse evidence on long-term outcomes of screening and treatment among children younger than 12 years. No evidence was found of a direct link between screening children and adolescents for MDD in primary care or similar settings and depression or other health-related outcomes. Evidence showed that some screening tools are accurate and some treatments are beneficial among adolescents (but not younger children), with no evidence of associated harms. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

  4. Universal depression screening, diagnosis, management, and outcomes at a student-run free clinic.

    PubMed

    Soltani, Maryam; Smith, Sunny; Beck, Ellen; Johnson, Michelle

    2015-06-01

    Student-run free clinics (SRFCs) are now present at most medical schools. Reports regarding SRFCs have focused on the infrastructure of established clinics, characteristics of the patient populations served, and their contribution to patient care. Few studies discuss their role in preventive medicine and even fewer discuss mental health care. This study examined the outcomes of a medical student-run universal depression screening, diagnosis, and management program at two SRFC sites. Medical students implemented a universal depression screening, diagnosis, and management program within the electronic health record during routine adult primary care visits utilizing the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) as an initial screening tool, with a protocol to administer the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) if the PHQ-2 score was ≥3. This is a retrospective medical record review of visits from August 13, 2013, through February 13, 2014, to assess this program. Overall, 95.8 % (206/215) of the patients received either the PHQ-2 or the PHQ-9. Among the 174 patients without a previous diagnosis of depression, 166 were screened (95.4 %), of which 33 (19.9 %) had a positive PHQ-2 score of ≥3; 30 (of 33; 90.9 %) appropriately received a PHQ-9. Nineteen (of 166 screened; 11.4 %) previously undiagnosed patients were confirmed to have depression. Fourteen patients had two or more PHQ-9 tests at least 4 weeks apart and eight (57.1 %) had a clinically significant improvement, defined as PHQ-9 score decrease of ≥5. The prevalence of depression diagnosed prior to the implementation of this program in this cohort was 19.1 % (41/215) and after was 27.9 % (60/215). This study demonstrated that medical students with faculty supervision can successfully implement a universal depression screening, diagnosis, and management program at multiple SRFC sites, identify previously undiagnosed depression, and work with interdisciplinary support services to provide treatment options, leading to a clinically significant improvement in depression severity.

  5. Acculturation and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms among Hispanic Women in the United States: Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Alhasanat, Dalia; Giurgescu, Carmen

    The purpose of this review was to evaluate studies that examined the relationship between acculturation and postpartum depression (PPD) among immigrant and/or refugee women in the United States. A systematic, computer-assisted search of quantitative, English-language, peer-reviewed, published research articles was conducted in the Scopus, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Maternity and Infant Care databases using the keyword terms of "postpartum depression" and "perinatal depression" in combination with "acculturation." Studies were included if they were conducted in the United States. Seven studies met inclusion criteria. Three studies used longitudinal designs and four used cross-sectional designs. All were conducted with Hispanic women. Only one study used a diagnostic tool to measure PPD; the remaining studies used screening tools to measure postpartum depressive symptoms. Most studies used country of birth, country of residence, and language preferences to measure acculturation. Five studies reported acculturation was positively related to risk of postpartum depressive symptoms, and two studies reported no relationship. Higher levels of acculturation were related to higher risk of postpartum depressive symptoms in Hispanic women living in the United States. Nurses should have an understanding of stressors of immigrant women to guide their assessment and screening for postpartum depressive symptoms and make appropriate referrals. More research is needed to confirm the relationship between acculturation and PPD among immigrant women from different cultural backgrounds.

  6. Risk factors for depression and anxiety among pregnant women in Hospital Tuanku Bainun, Ipoh, Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Fadzil, Ariff; Balakrishnan, Kartini; Razali, Rosdinom; Sidi, Hatta; Malapan, Thinakaran; Japaraj, Robert Peter; Midin, Marhani; Nik Jaafar, Nik Ruzyanei; Das, Srijit; Manaf, Mohd Rizal Abdul

    2013-04-01

    Anxiety and depression are prevalent during pregnancy. Estimates of the prevalence of anxiety and depression during pregnancy vary according to the criteria used, variable methodologies and population characteristics. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A total of 175 antenatal mothers participated. Their socio-demographic and obstetric histories were recorded. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) were used. The prevalence of anxiety and depression disorders among antenatal mothers using diagnostic clinical interview were 9.1% and 8.6%, respectively. Factors associated with antenatal anxiety were marital status (being unmarried), positive history of mental illness, gestational age (<20 weeks), unplanned pregnancy and depressive comorbidity. However, only gestational age of less than 20 weeks and depressive disorder remained significant factors in the multivariate analysis. The prevalence rate of antenatal depression detected by HADS screening was comparable to the rate from diagnostic interview, but there was a slight overestimation for antenatal anxiety. Nonetheless, HADS as a screening tool offers a practical solution for detecting these two conditions in a busy antenatal clinic or a large epidemiological survey. In view of the deleterious effects of antenatal anxiety and depression on mothers and children, these two conditions should be screened and managed appropriately. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  7. Listen to them draw: screening children in primary care through the use of human figure drawings.

    PubMed

    Tielsch, Anna H; Allen, Patricia Jackson

    2005-01-01

    This literature review focuses on the Human Figure Drawing (HFD) methods put forth by Elizabeth Koppitz as a screening instrument. Children's drawings have potential as a mental health screening aide for health care practitioners in the primary care setting. This paper focuses on self-portrait drawings as a screening technique for emotional well-being, anxiety, and depression in school-aged children (6-12 years old). Using Koppitz's emotional indicators checklist for mental health, practitioners can use the child's HFD as a quick screening tool. Although the HFD is not diagnostic and can not be used as the sole indicator for anxiety or depression, two or more emotional indicators may signal to the clinician that further psychiatric assessment and referral is needed.

  8. Adaptation and initial validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 Questionnaire (GAD-7) in an Arabic speaking Lebanese psychiatric outpatient sample.

    PubMed

    Sawaya, Helen; Atoui, Mia; Hamadeh, Aya; Zeinoun, Pia; Nahas, Ziad

    2016-05-30

    The Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 (GAD-7) are short screening measures used in medical and community settings to assess depression and anxiety severity. The aim of this study is to translate the screening tools into Arabic and evaluate their psychometric properties in an Arabic-speaking Lebanese psychiatric outpatient sample. The patients completed the questionnaires, among others, prior to being evaluated by a clinical psychiatrist or psychologist. The scales' internal consistency and factor structure were measured and convergent and discriminant validity were established by comparing the scores with clinical diagnoses and the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire - MDD subset (PDSQ - MDD). Results showed that the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 are reliable screening tools for depression and anxiety and their factor structures replicated those reported in the literature. Sensitivity and specificity analyses showed that the PHQ-9 is sensitive but not specific at capturing depressive symptoms when compared to clinician diagnoses whereas the GAD-7 was neither sensitive nor specific at capturing anxiety symptoms. The implications of these findings are discussed in reference to the scales themselves and the cultural specificity of the Lebanese population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Psychosocial Screening and Assessment Practice within Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Survey of Cardiac Rehabilitation Coordinators in Australia.

    PubMed

    Jackson, Alun C; Le Grande, Michael R; Higgins, Rosemary O; Rogerson, Michelle; Murphy, Barbara M

    2017-01-01

    Many cardiac rehabilitation (CR) guidelines and position statements recommend screening for psychosocial risk factors, although there is wide variation in the recommended factors and recommended screening tools. Little is known about screening in CR in Australia. Cardiac rehabilitation coordinators at the 314 CR programs operating across Australia, drawn from the 2014 Australian Directory of Cardiac Rehabilitation Services were invited to participate in an online survey. Of 165 complete responses, 157 (95%) CR coordinators indicated that they screened at entry with 132 (80%) screening on exit. At CR entry, programs screened for - depression (83%), anxiety (75%), stress (75%), and sleep disturbance (57%). The use of standardised instruments by those screening at entry varied from 89% for depression to only 9% for sleep disturbance. Organisational, resource and personal barriers inhibited the routine screening for many psychosocial factors. Surveys such as this are useful for monitoring the rate of adoption of guideline recommendations and identifying barriers to implementation. Findings can also inform discussions about what should be included in minimum data sets for CR programs, and the identification of brief screening tools that have been validated not just in the general population but in cardiac patients. Copyright © 2016 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Sensitivity and specificity of clinician administered screening instruments in detecting depression among HIV-positive individuals in Uganda.

    PubMed

    Akena, Dickens; Joska, John; Obuku, Ekwaro A; Stein, Dan J

    2013-01-01

    Depressive disorders are highly prevalent in Africa where diseases such as HIV/AIDS are common. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of commonly used depression screening instruments in a setting characterized by low literacy, where patients may not be able to self-administer depression scales. We explored the validity of the Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9), Centre for Epidemiological Surveys for Depression (CES-D), and the Kessler-10 (K-10), using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Instrument (MINI) as a gold standard in 368 persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Uganda. The shorter versions of the K-10 and PHQ-9 were extracted to assess their performance in comparison to the longer versions. We used STATA 11.2 to analyze the data. The prevalence of a MINI defined depression in this patient sample was 17.4%. The three instruments all performed well, with areas under the curve (AUC) ranging from 0.82 to 0.96. The PHQ-9 showed the best performance characteristics with an AUC of 0.96, a sensitivity of 91.6%, and specificity 81.2%. The extracted versions performed more modestly. All three instruments showed good properties as screening tools; the PHQ-9 has particularly high sensitivity and specificity, and so can be considered useful for screening HIV-positive patients for depression.

  11. Assessment of the structure of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in musculoskeletal patients

    PubMed Central

    Pallant, Julie F; Bailey, Catherine M

    2005-01-01

    Background Research suggests there is a high prevalence of anxiety and depression amongst patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, which can influence the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs. It is therefore important for clinicians involved in musculoskeletal rehabilitation programs to consider screening patients for elevated levels of anxiety and depression and to provide appropriate counselling or treatment where necessary. The HADS has been used as a screening tool for assessment of anxiety and depression in a wide variety of clinical groups. Recent research however has questioned its suitability for use with some patient groups due to problems with dimensionality and the behaviour of individual items. The aim of this study is to assess the underlying structure and psychometric properties of the HADS among patients attending musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Methods Data was obtained from 296 patients attending an outpatient musculoskeletal pain clinic. The total sample was used to identify the proportion of patients with elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Half the sample (n = 142) was used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA), with the holdout sample (n = 154) used for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to explore the underlying structure of the scale. Results A substantial proportion of patients were classified as probable cases on the HADS Anxiety subscale (38.2%) and HADS Depression subscale (30.1%), with the sample recording higher mean HADS subscales scores than many other patient groups (breast cancer, end-stage renal disease, heart disease) reported in the literature. EFA supported a two factor structure (representing anxiety and depression) as proposed by the scale's authors, however item 7 (an anxiety item) failed to load appropriately. Removing Item 7 resulted in a clear two factor solution in both EFA and CFA. Conclusion The high levels of anxiety and depression detected in this sample suggests that screening for psychological comorbidity is important in musculoskeletal rehabilitation settings. It is necessary for clinicians who are considering using the HADS as a screening tool to first assess its suitability with their particular patient group. Although EFA and CFA supported the presence of two subscales representing anxiety and depression, the results with this musculoskeletal sample suggest that item 7 should be removed from the anxiety subscale. PMID:16364179

  12. Survey of the prevalence of burnout, stress, depression, and the use of supports by medical students at one school.

    PubMed

    Chang, Elaine; Eddins-Folensbee, Florence; Coverdale, John

    2012-05-01

    The authors determined the prevalence of stress, depression, and burnout in medical students and the resources used by students in one school to alleviate psychological distress. A survey was administered to 526 students in the first 3 years of medical school (336 responders; response rate: 70%) at one institution, using a modified Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), the two-question PRIME-MD depression screening survey, the Perceived Medical School Stress Scale, along with questions on demographics and helpful programs to cope with stress. The percentage of respondents scoring in the High Burnout range was approximately 55% for all three subscales. Depressive symptoms were reported by 60% of respondents. The most helpful coping mechanisms reported were social support from peers and faculty, counseling services, and extracurricular activities. The prevalences of burnout, depression, and stress were higher in this sample of first- through third-year medical students when compared with other medical student groups previously studied. Important limitations of this research included the fact that it was cross-sectional in design and that the PRIME-MD tool is simply a screening tool and does not diagnose major depression. Medical educators, deans, and administrators should appreciate the possibility of higher levels of psychological distress among their own students than those previously reported.

  13. The accuracy of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 in detecting depression and measuring depression severity in high-risk groups in primary care.

    PubMed

    Wittkampf, Karin; van Ravesteijn, Hiske; Baas, Kim; van de Hoogen, Henk; Schene, Aart; Bindels, Patrick; Lucassen, Peter; van de Lisdonk, Eloy; van Weert, Henk

    2009-01-01

    Only half of patients with depressive disorder are diagnosed by their family physicians. Screening in high-risk groups might reduce this hidden morbidity. This study aims to determine the accuracy of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in (a) screening for depressive disorder, (b) diagnosing depressive disorder and (c) measuring the severity of depressive disorder in groups that are at high risk for depressive disorder. We compared the performance of the PHQ-9 as a screening instrument and as a diagnostic instrument to that of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) interview, which we used as reference standard. Three high-risk groups of patients were selected: (a) frequent attenders, (b) patients with mental health problems and (c) patients with unexplained complaints. Patients completed the PHQ-9. Next, patients who were at risk for depression (based on PHQ scores) and a random sample of 20% of patients who were not at risk were selected for a second PHQ-9 and the reference standard (SCID-I). We assessed the adequacy of the PHQ-9 as a tool for severity measurement by comparing PHQ-9 scores with scores on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) in patients diagnosed with a depressive disorder. Among 440 patients, both PHQ-9 and SCID-I were analyzed. The test characteristics for screening were sensitivity=0.93 and specificity=0.85; those for diagnosing were sensitivity=0.68 and specificity=0.95. The positive likelihood ratio for diagnosing was 14.2. The HDRS-17 was administered in 49 patients with depressive disorder. The Pearson correlation coefficient of the PHQ-9 to the HDRS-17 was r=.52 (P<.01). The PHQ-9 performs well as a screening instrument, but in diagnosing depressive disorder, a formal diagnostic process following the PHQ-9 remains imperative. The PHQ-9 does not seem adequate for measuring severity.

  14. [Reliability and validity of depression scales of Chinese version: a systematic review].

    PubMed

    Sun, X Y; Li, Y X; Yu, C Q; Li, L M

    2017-01-10

    Objective: Through systematically reviewing the reliability and validity of depression scales of Chinese version in adults in China to evaluate the psychometric properties of depression scales for different groups. Methods: Eligible studies published before 6 May 2016 were retrieved from the following database: CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed and Embase. The HSROC model of the diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) for Meta-analysis was used to calculate the pooled sensitivity and specificity of the PHQ-9. Results: A total of 44 papers evaluating the performance of depression scales were included. Results showed that the reliability and validity of the common depression scales were eligible, including the Beck depression inventory (BDI), the Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), the center epidemiological studies depression scale (CES-D), the patient health questionnaire (PHQ) and the Geriatric depression scale (GDS). The Cronbach' s coefficient of most tools were larger than 0.8, while the test-retest reliability and split-half reliability were larger than 0.7, indicating good internal consistency and stability. The criterion validity, convergent validity, discrimination validity and screening validity were acceptable though different cut-off points were recommended by different studies. The pooled sensitivity of the 11 studies evaluating PHQ-9 was 0.88 (95 %CI : 0.85-0.91) while the pooled specificity was 0.89 (95 %CI : 0.82-0.94), which demonstrated the applicability of PHQ-9 in screening depression. Conclusion: The reliability and validity of different depression scales of Chinese version are acceptable. The characteristics of different tools and study population should be taken into consideration when choosing a specific scale.

  15. The validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire for screening depression in chronic care patients in primary health care in South Africa.

    PubMed

    Bhana, Arvin; Rathod, Sujit D; Selohilwe, One; Kathree, Tasneem; Petersen, Inge

    2015-05-23

    People with chronic health conditions are known to have a higher prevalence of depressive disorder. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a widely-used screening tool for depression which has not yet been validated for use on chronic care patients in South Africa. A sample of 676 chronic care patients attending two primary health facilities in North West Province, South Africa were administered the PHQ-9 by field workers and a diagnostic interview (the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV) (SCID) by clinical psychologists. The PHQ-9 and the PHQ-2 were evaluated against the SCID, as well as for sub-samples of patients who were being treated for HIV infection and for hypertension. Using the SCID, 11.4 % of patients had major depressive disorder. The internal consistency estimate for the PHQ-9 was 0.76, with an area under the receiver operator curve (AUROC) of 0.85 (95 % CI 0.82-0.88), which was higher than the AURUC for the PHQ-2 (0.76, 95 % CI 0.73-0.79). Using a cut-point of 9, the PHQ-9 has sensitivity of 51 % and specificity of 94 %. The PHQ-9 AUROC for the sub-samples of patients with HIV and with hypertension were comparable (0.85 and 0.86, respectively). The PHQ-9 is useful as a screening tool for depression among patients receiving treatment for chronic care in a public health facility.

  16. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as screening instruments for depression in patients with cancer.

    PubMed

    Hartung, Tim J; Friedrich, Michael; Johansen, Christoffer; Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich; Faller, Herman; Koch, Uwe; Brähler, Elmar; Härter, Martin; Keller, Monika; Schulz, Holger; Wegscheider, Karl; Weis, Joachim; Mehnert, Anja

    2017-11-01

    Depression screening in patients with cancer is recommended by major clinical guidelines, although the evidence on individual screening tools is limited for this population. Here, the authors assess and compare the diagnostic accuracy of 2 established screening instruments: the depression modules of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), in a representative sample of patients with cancer. This multicenter study was conducted with a proportional, stratified, random sample of 2141 patients with cancer across all major tumor sites and treatment settings. The PHQ-9 and HADS-D were assessed and compared in terms of diagnostic accuracy and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition diagnosis of major depressive disorder using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview for Oncology as the criterion standard. The diagnostic accuracy of the PHQ-9 and HADS-D was fair for diagnosing major depressive disorder, with areas under the ROC curves of 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.79) and 0.75 (95% confidence interval, 0.74-0.77), respectively. The 2 questionnaires did not differ significantly in their areas under the ROC curves (P = .15). The PHQ-9 with a cutoff score ≥7 had the best screening performance, with a sensitivity of 83% (95% confidence interval, 78%-89%) and a specificity of 61% (95% confidence interval, 59%-63%). The American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline screening algorithm had a sensitivity of 44% (95% confidence interval, 36%-51%) and a specificity of 84% (95% confidence interval, 83%-85%). In patients with cancer, the screening performance of both the PHQ-9 and the HADS-D was limited compared with a standardized diagnostic interview. Costs and benefits of routinely screening all patients with cancer should be weighed carefully. Cancer 2017;123:4236-4243. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

  17. Screening instruments for a population of older adults: The 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7).

    PubMed

    Vasiliadis, Helen-Maria; Chudzinski, Veronica; Gontijo-Guerra, Samantha; Préville, Michel

    2015-07-30

    Screening tools that appropriately detect older adults' mental disorders are of great public health importance. The present study aimed to establish cutoff scores for the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress (K10) and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scales when screening for depression and anxiety. We used data from participants (n = 1811) in the Enquête sur la Santé des Aînés-Service study. Depression and anxiety were measured using DSM-V and DSM-IV criteria. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis provided an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.767 and 0.833 for minor and for major depression when using K10. A cutoff of 19 was found to balance sensitivity (0.794) and specificity (0.664) for minor depression, whereas a cutoff of 23 was found to balance sensitivity (0.692) and specificity (0.811) for major depression. When screening for an anxiety with GAD-7, ROC analysis yielded an AUC of 0.695; a cutoff of 5 was found to balance sensitivity (0.709) and specificity (0.568). No significant differences were found between subgroups of age and gender. Both K10 and GAD-7 were able to discriminate between cases and non-cases when screening for depression and anxiety in an older adult population of primary care service users. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Depression screening via a smartphone app: cross-country user characteristics and feasibility.

    PubMed

    BinDhim, Nasser F; Shaman, Ahmed M; Trevena, Lyndal; Basyouni, Mada H; Pont, Lisa G; Alhawassi, Tariq M

    2015-01-01

    Smartphone applications (apps) have the potential to be valuable self-help interventions for depression screening. However, information about their feasibility and effectiveness and the characteristics of app users is limited. The aim of this study is to explore the uptake, utilization, and characteristics of voluntary users of an app for depression screening. This was a cross-sectional study of a free depression screening smartphone app that contains the demographics, patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), brief anxiety test, personalized recommendation based on the participant's results, and links to depression-relevant websites. The free app was released globally via Apple's App Store. Participants aged 18 and older downloaded the study app and were recruited passively between September 2012 and January 2013. 8241 participants from 66 countries had downloaded the app, with a response rate of 73.9%. While one quarter of the participants had a previous diagnosis of depression, the prevalence of participants with a higher risk of depression was 82.5% and 66.8% at PHQ-9 cut-off 11 and cut-off 15, respectively. Many of the participants had one or more physical comorbid conditions and suicidal ideation. The cut-off 11 (OR: 1.4; 95% CI 1.2 to 1.6), previous depression diagnosis (OR: 1.3; 95% CI1.2 to 1.5), and postgraduate educational level (OR: 1.2; 95% CI 1.0 to 1.5) were associated with completing the PHQ-9 questionnaire more than once. Smartphone apps can be used to deliver a screening tool for depression across a large number of countries. Apps have the potential to play a significant role in disease screening, self-management, monitoring, and health education, particularly among younger adults. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.comFor numbered affiliations see end of article.

  19. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in a white European and South Asian population with impaired glucose regulation and screen-detected Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a comparison of two screening tools.

    PubMed

    Aujla, N; Skinner, T C; Khunti, K; Davies, M J

    2010-08-01

    To compare the identification of prevalent depressive symptoms by the World Health Organization-5 Wellbeing Index (WHO-5) and Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) for South Asian and white European people, male and female, attending a diabetes screening programme, and to explore the adequacy of the screening tools for this population. An additional aim was to further explore associations of depressive symptoms with impaired glucose regulation (IGR) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type2 DM). Eight hundred and sixty-four white European (40-75 years old) and 290 South Asian people (25-75 years old) underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), detailed history and anthropometric measurements and completed the WHO-5 and CES-D. Depressive symptoms were defined by a WHO-5 score or= 16. Unadjusted prevalence of depressive symptoms with the WHO-5, for people with Type2 DM was 42.3% (47.4% in white European; 28.6% in South Asian) and for IGR 30.7% (26% in white European; 45.8% in South Asian). With the CES-D, the prevalence in Type2 DM was 27.2% (25.4% in white European; 31.8% in South Asian) and for IGR 30.7% (27.8% in white European; 40.7% in South Asian). Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of depressive symptoms for sex or ethnicity were not identified. Odds ratios adjusted for age, sex and ethnicity showed no significant association of depression with Type2 DM or IGR, with either WHO-5 or CES-D. Agreement was moderate (kappa = 0.48, 95% confidence intervals 0.42-0.54), and reduced when identifying depressive symptoms in people with Type2 DM. For this group, a WHO-5 cut-point of

  20. Depression screening: utility of the patient health questionnaire in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

    PubMed

    McGuire, Anthony W; Eastwood, Jo-Ann; Macabasco-O'Connell, Aurelia; Hays, Ron D; Doering, Lynn V

    2013-01-01

    Depression screening in cardiac patients has been recommended by the American Heart Association, but the best approach remains unclear. To evaluate nurse-administered versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression screening in patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome. Staff nurses in an urban cardiac care unit administered versions 2, 9, and 10 of the questionnaire to 100 patients with acute coronary syndrome. The Depression Interview and Structured Hamilton was administered by advanced practice nurses blinded to the results of the Patient Health Questionnaire. With the results of the Depression Interview and Structured Hamilton as a criterion, receiver operating characteristic analyses were done for each version of the Patient Health Questionnaire. The Delong method was used for pairwise comparisons. Cutoff scores balancing false-negatives and false-positives were determined by using the Youden Index. Each version of the questionnaire had excellent area-under- the-curve statistics: 91.2%, 92.6%, and 93.4% for versions 2, 9, and 10, respectively. Differences among the 3 versions were not significant. Each version yielded higher symptom scores in depressed patients than in nondepressed patients: version 2 scores, 3.4 vs 0.6, P = .001; version 9 scores, 13 vs 3.4, P < .001; and version 10 scores, 14.5 vs 3.6, P < .001. For depression screening in hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndrome, the Patient Health Questionnaire 2 is as accurate as longer versions when administered by nurses. Further study is needed to determine if screening with this tool changes clinical decision making or improves outcomes in these patients.

  1. Diagnostic utility of a one-item question to screen for depressive disorders: results from the KORA F3 study.

    PubMed

    Blozik, Eva; Scherer, Martin; Lacruz, Maria E; Ladwig, Karl-Heinz

    2013-12-23

    Screening for depressive disorders in the general adult population is recommended, however, it is unclear which instruments combine user friendliness and diagnostic utility. We evaluated the test performance of a yes/no single item screener for depressive disorders ("Have you felt depressed or sad much of the time in the past year?") in comparison to the depressive disorder module of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Data from 3184 participants of the population-based KORA F3 survey in Augsburg/ Germany were used to analyse sensitivity, specificity, ROC area, positive likelihood ratio (LR+), negative likelihood ratio (LR-), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the single item screener in comparison with "depressive mood" and "major depressive disorder" defined according to PHQ-9 (both interviewer-administered versions). In comparison to PHQ-9 "depressive mood", sensitivity was low (46%) with an excellent specificity (94%), (PPV 76%; NPV 82%; LR + 8.04; LR- .572, ROC area .702). When using the more conservative definition for "major depressive disorder", sensitivity increased to 83% with a specificity of 88%. The PPV under the conservative definition was low (32%), but NPV was 99% (LR + 6.65; LR- .196; ROC area .852). Results varied across age groups and between males and females. The single item screener is able to moderately decrease post-test probability of major depressive disorders and to identify populations that should undergo additional, more detailed evaluation for depression. It may have limited utility in combination with additional screening tests or for selection of at-risk populations, but cannot be recommended for routine use as a screening tool in clinical practice.

  2. Diagnostic utility of a one-item question to screen for depressive disorders: results from the KORA F3 study

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Screening for depressive disorders in the general adult population is recommended, however, it is unclear which instruments combine user friendliness and diagnostic utility. We evaluated the test performance of a yes/no single item screener for depressive disorders (“Have you felt depressed or sad much of the time in the past year?”) in comparison to the depressive disorder module of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Methods Data from 3184 participants of the population-based KORA F3 survey in Augsburg/ Germany were used to analyse sensitivity, specificity, ROC area, positive likelihood ratio (LR+), negative likelihood ratio (LR-), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the single item screener in comparison with “depressive mood” and “major depressive disorder” defined according to PHQ-9 (both interviewer-administered versions). Results In comparison to PHQ-9 “depressive mood”, sensitivity was low (46%) with an excellent specificity (94%), (PPV 76%; NPV 82%; LR + 8.04; LR- .572, ROC area .702). When using the more conservative definition for “major depressive disorder”, sensitivity increased to 83% with a specificity of 88%. The PPV under the conservative definition was low (32%), but NPV was 99% (LR + 6.65; LR- .196; ROC area .852). Results varied across age groups and between males and females. Conclusions The single item screener is able to moderately decrease post-test probability of major depressive disorders and to identify populations that should undergo additional, more detailed evaluation for depression. It may have limited utility in combination with additional screening tests or for selection of at-risk populations, but cannot be recommended for routine use as a screening tool in clinical practice. PMID:24359193

  3. Affective and behavioral dysfunction under antiepileptic drugs in epilepsy: Development of a new drug-sensitive screening tool.

    PubMed

    Mertens, Lea Julia; Witt, Juri-Alexander; Helmstaedter, Christoph

    2018-06-01

    Behavioral problems and psychiatric symptoms are common in patients with epilepsy and have a multifactorial origin, including adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). In order to develop a screening tool for behavioral AED effects, the aim of this study was to identify behavioral problems and symptoms particularly sensitive to AED drug load and the presence/absence of AEDs with known negative psychotropic profiles. Four hundred ninety-four patients with epilepsy were evaluated who had been assessed with three self-report questionnaires on mood, personality, and behavior (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI; Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy extended, NDDI-E; and Fragebogen zur Persönlichkeit bei zerebralen Erkrankungen, FPZ). Drug-sensitive items were determined via correlation analyses and entered into an exploratory factor analysis for scale construction. The resulting scales were then analyzed as a function of drug treatment. Analyses revealed 30 items, which could be allocated to six behavioral domains: Emotional Lability, Depression, Aggression/Irritability, Psychosis & Suicidality, Risk- & Sensation-seeking, and Somatization. Subsequent analysis showed significant effects of the number of AEDs on behavior, as in Emotional Lability (F=2.54, p=.029), Aggression/Irritability (F=2.29, p=.046), Psychosis & Suicidality (F=2.98, p=.012), and Somatization (F=2.39, p=.038). Affective and behavioral difficulties were more prominent in those patients taking AEDs with supposedly negative psychotropic profiles. These effects were largely domain-unspecific and primarily manifested in polytherapy. Drug-sensitive behavioral domains and items were identified which qualify for a self-report screening tool. The tool indicates impairments with a higher drug load and when administering AEDs with negative psychotropic profiles. The next steps require normalization in healthy subjects and the clinical validation of the newly developed screening tool PsyTrack along with antiepileptic drug treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Validity and Utility of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)‐2 and PHQ‐9 for Screening and Diagnosis of Depression in Rural Chiapas, Mexico: A Cross‐Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Aguerrebere, Mercedes; Raviola, Giuseppe; Flores, Hugo; Elliott, Patrick; Espinosa, Azucena; Reyes, Andrea; Ortiz‐Panozo, Eduardo; Rodriguez‐Gutierrez, Elena G.; Mukherjee, Joia; Palazuelos, Daniel; Franke, Molly F.

    2017-01-01

    Background Depressive disorders are frequently under diagnosed in resource‐limited settings because of lack of access to mental health care or the inability of healthcare providers to recognize them. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)‐2 and the PHQ‐9 have been widely used for screening and diagnosis of depression in primary care settings; however, the validity of their use in rural, Spanish‐speaking populations is unknown. Method We used a cross‐sectional design to assess the psychometric properties of the PHQ‐9 for depression diagnosis and estimated the sensitivity and specificity of the PHQ‐2 for depression screening. Data were collected from 223 adults in a rural community of Chiapas, Mexico, using the PHQ‐2, the PHQ‐9, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF Scale (WHOQOL‐ BREF). Results Confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the 1‐factor structure fit reasonably well. The internal consistency of the PHQ‐9 was good (Cronbach's alpha > = 0.8) overall and for subgroups defined by gender, literacy, and age. The PHQ‐9 demonstrated good predictive validity: Participants with a PHQ‐9 diagnosis of depression had lower quality of life scores on the overall WHOQOL‐BREF Scale and each of its domains. Using the PHQ‐9 results as a gold standard, the optimal PHQ‐2 cutoff score for screening of depression was 3 (sensitivity 80.00%, specificity 86.88%, area under receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.89; 95% confidence interval [0.84, 0.94]). Conclusion The PHQ‐2 and PHQ‐9 demonstrated good psychometric properties, suggesting their potential benefit as tools for depression screening and diagnosis in rural, Spanish‐speaking populations. PMID:28195649

  5. The impact of education, country, race and ethnicity on the self-report of postpartum depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

    PubMed

    Di Florio, A; Putnam, K; Altemus, M; Apter, G; Bergink, V; Bilszta, J; Brock, R; Buist, A; Deligiannidis, K M; Devouche, E; Epperson, C N; Guille, C; Kim, D; Lichtenstein, P; Magnusson, P K E; Martinez, P; Munk-Olsen, T; Newport, J; Payne, J; Penninx, B W; O'Hara, M; Robertson-Blackmore, E; Roza, S J; Sharkey, K M; Stuart, S; Tiemeier, H; Viktorin, A; Schmidt, P J; Sullivan, P F; Stowe, Z N; Wisner, K L; Jones, I; Rubinow, D R; Meltzer-Brody, S

    2017-04-01

    Universal screening for postpartum depression is recommended in many countries. Knowledge of whether the disclosure of depressive symptoms in the postpartum period differs across cultures could improve detection and provide new insights into the pathogenesis. Moreover, it is a necessary step to evaluate the universal use of screening instruments in research and clinical practice. In the current study we sought to assess whether the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the most widely used screening tool for postpartum depression, measures the same underlying construct across cultural groups in a large international dataset. Ordinal regression and measurement invariance were used to explore the association between culture, operationalized as education, ethnicity/race and continent, and endorsement of depressive symptoms using the EPDS on 8209 new mothers from Europe and the USA. Education, but not ethnicity/race, influenced the reporting of postpartum depression [difference between robust comparative fit indexes (∆*CFI) 0.01), but not between European countries (∆*CFI < 0.01). Investigators and clinicians should be aware of the potential differences in expression of phenotype of postpartum depression that women of different educational backgrounds may manifest. The increasing cultural heterogeneity of societies together with the tendency towards globalization requires a culturally sensitive approach to patients, research and policies, that takes into account, beyond rhetoric, the context of a person's experiences and the context in which the research is conducted.

  6. Comparison of mental health screening tools for detecting antenatal depression and anxiety disorders in South African women

    PubMed Central

    Honikman, Simone; Tomlinson, Mark; Field, Sally; Myer, Landon

    2018-01-01

    Background Antenatal depression and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent in low and middle-income countries. Screening of pregnant women in primary care antenatal settings provides an opportunity for entry to care, but data are needed on the performance of different screening tools. We compared five widely-used questionnaires in a sample of pregnant women in urban South Africa. Method Pregnant women attending a primary care antenatal clinic were administered five tools by trained research assistants: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Kessler Psychological Distress scale (K10) and a shortened 6-item version (K6), the Whooley questions and the two-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-2). Following this, a registered mental health counsellor administered the MINI Plus, a structured clinical diagnostic interview. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) from Receiver Operator Characteristic curve analysis was used to summarise screening test performance and Cronbach’s α used to assess internal consistency. Results Of 376 participants, 32% were diagnosed with either MDE and/or anxiety disorders. All five questionnaires demonstrated moderate to high performance (AUC = 0.78–0.85). The EPDS was the best performing instrument for detecting MDE and the K10 and K6 for anxiety disorder. For MDE and/or anxiety disorders, the EPDS had the highest AUC (0.83). Of the short instruments, the K10 (AUC = 0.85) and the K6 (AUC = 0.85) performed the best, with the K6 showing good balance between sensitivity (74%) and specificity (85%) and a good positive predictive value (70%). The Whooley questions (AUC = 0.81) were the best performing ultra-short instrument. Internal consistency ranged from good to acceptable (α = 0.89–0.71). However, the PPV of the questionnaires compared with the diagnostic interview, ranged from 54% to 71% at the optimal cut-off scores. Conclusions Universal screening for case identification of antenatal depression and anxiety disorders in low-resource settings can be conducted with a number of commonly used screening instruments. Short and ultra-short screening instruments such as the K6 and the Whooley questions may be feasible and acceptable for use in these settings. PMID:29668725

  7. Application of Assessment Tools to Examine Mental Health in Workplaces: Job Stress and Depression.

    PubMed

    Jeon, Sang Won; Kim, Yong-Ku

    2018-06-01

    Despite the fact that the lifetime and yearly prevalence rates of mental illness continue rising, such diseases have only been acknowledged as involved in workplace health issue since the 2000s. Additionally, while the number of recognized cases of mental illnesses is rather low compared to their prevalence, they have a high likelihood of causing significant problems, including fatalities. Many workers are terrified of losing their jobs due to mental illness and therefore attempt to hide their mental health problems. For this reason, clinicians involved in occupational and environmental medicine should focus on interviews or screenings to identify such hidden mental health problems. More specifically, it would be helpful to evaluate job stress and depression in workplaces to ensure appropriate preventive actions and thereby reduce the prevalence of mental illness. Job stress not only causes mental illness and dissatisfaction with work, but also can increase the prevalence and morbidity of medical diseases, as well as other physical health problems. Depression is a major contributor to work loss and absence with effects surpassing almost all of the chronic medical disorder. These facts show why measure of job stress and depression should be highlighted in the occupational settings. This article introduces a variety of assessment tools to examine mental health, particularly stress and depression, in workplaces. These tools can be used by clinicians or professionals involved in the mental health, occupational safety, or health service fields for running diagnostics or screening tests.

  8. Rapid detection of generalized anxiety disorder and major depression in epilepsy: Validation of the GAD-7 as a complementary tool to the NDDI-E in a French sample.

    PubMed

    Micoulaud-Franchi, Jean-Arthur; Lagarde, Stanislas; Barkate, Gérald; Dufournet, Boris; Besancon, Cyril; Trébuchon-Da Fonseca, Agnès; Gavaret, Martine; Bartolomei, Fabrice; Bonini, Francesca; McGonigal, Aileen

    2016-04-01

    Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in people with epilepsy (PWE) is underdiagnosed and undertreated. The GAD-7 is a screening questionnaire to detect GAD. However, the usefulness of the GAD-7 as a screening tool in PWE remains to be validated. Thus, we aimed to: (1) validate the GAD-7 in French PWE and (2) assess its complementarity with regard to the previously validated screening tool for depression, the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E). This study was performed under the auspices of the ILAE Commission on Neuropsychiatry. People with epilepsy >18 years of age were recruited from the specialist epilepsy unit in Marseille, France. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was performed as gold standard, and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) and the NDDI-E were performed for external validity. Data were compared between PWE with/without GAD using Chi(2) test and Student's t-test. Internal structural validity, external validity, and receiver operator characteristics were analyzed. A principal component factor analysis with Varimax rotation was performed on the 13 items of the GAD-7 (7 items) plus the NDDI-E (6 items). Testing was performed on 145 PWE: mean age = 39.38 years old (SD=14.01, range: 18-75); 63.4% (92) women; 75.9% with focal epilepsy. Using the MINI, 49 (33.8%) patients had current GAD. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.898, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. Correlation between GAD-7 and the PSQW scores was high (r (145)=.549, P<.0001), indicating good external validity. Factor analysis shows that the anxiety investigated with the GAD-7 and depression investigated with the NDDI-E reflect distinct factors. Receiver operator characteristic analysis showed area under the curve of 0.899 (95% CI 0.838-0.943, P < 0.0001) indicating good capacity of the GAD-7 to detect GAD (defined by MINI). Cutoff for maximal sensitivity and specificity was 7. Mean GAD-7 score in PWE with GAD was 13.22 (SD = 3.99), and that without GAD was 5.17 (SD = 4.66). This study validates the French language version of the GAD-7 screening tool for generalized anxiety in PWE, with a cutoff score of 7/21 for GAD, and also confirms that the GAD-7 is a short and easily administered test. Factor analysis shows that the GAD-7 (screening for generalized anxiety disorder) and the NDDI-E (screening for major depression) provide complementary information. The routine use of both GAD-7 and NDDI-E should be considered in clinical evaluation of patients with epilepsy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Screening for psychological late effects in childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Michel, Gisela; Vetsch, Janine

    2015-07-01

    In the past years, increasing evidence showed that many childhood cancer survivors suffer from psychological distress long after treatment ended. However, psychosocial issues are often neglected during follow-up care. Including screening for psychological distress before follow-up appointments might help addressing the topic in survivors who need support. Our aim was to systematically review the available evidence on screening for psychological distress in childhood cancer survivors. We found eight studies that investigated different screening tools for their utility in detecting psychological distress in childhood cancer survivors. The Brief Symptom Inventory-18 with an adapted cutoff score for childhood cancer survivors, and the newly developed short form of the Beck Depression Index were both shown to be of a potential benefit as brief screening tools in follow-up care. We identified promising screening tools to be used to detect psychological distress in childhood cancer survivors. However, there is still a lack of studies addressing applicability and effectiveness when screening is routinely implemented into follow-up care. To improve quality of follow-up care, and identify and treat survivors with psychological distress, screening tools should now be implemented and their adequacy further tested in day-to-day clinic life.

  10. Screening for depression: integrating training into the professional development programme for low vision rehabilitation staff.

    PubMed

    Rees, Gwyneth; Holloway, Edith E; Craig, Graeme; Hepi, Niky; Coad, Samantha; Keeffe, Jill E; Lamoureux, Ecosse L

    2012-12-01

    To describe the integration of depression screening training into the professional development programme for low vision rehabilitation staff and report on staff evaluation of this training. Pre-post intervention study, in a single population of low vision rehabilitation staff. Three hundred and thirty-six staff from Australia's largest low vision rehabilitation organization, Vision Australia. Staff completed the depression screening and referral training as part of a wider professional development programme. A pre-post-training questionnaire was administered to all staff. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics were used to determine differences in self-reported knowledge, confidence, barriers to recognition and management of depression between baseline and post training. One hundred and seventy-two participants completed both questionnaires. Following training, participants reported an increased knowledge of depression, were more likely to respond to depression in their clients and reported to be more confident in managing depression (P < 0.05). A range of barriers were identified including issues related to the client (e.g. acceptance of referrals); practitioners (e.g. skill, role); availability and accessibility of psychological services; time and contact constraints; and environmental barriers (e.g. lack of privacy). Additional training incorporating more active and 'hands-on' sessions are likely to be required. This training is a promising first step in integrating a depression screening tool into low vision rehabilitation practice. Further work is needed to determine the barriers and facilitators to implementation in practice and to assess clients' acceptability and outcomes. © 2012 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology © 2012 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

  11. Androgen Excess- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society: position statement on depression, anxiety, quality of life, and eating disorders in polycystic ovary syndrome.

    PubMed

    Dokras, Anuja; Stener-Victorin, Elisabeth; Yildiz, Bulent O; Li, Rong; Ottey, Sasha; Shah, Duru; Epperson, Neill; Teede, Helena

    2018-05-01

    To formulate clinical consensus recommendations for screening depression, anxiety, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and disordered eating symptoms in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and review prevalence based on phenotypes and ethnicity, changes over time, etiology, and impact of treatment. Systematic reviews and preparation of position statement. Not applicable. Women with PCOS and controls screened using validated tools. None. Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, disordered eating, and HRQoL scores. Several studies demonstrate that women with PCOS have an increased prevalence of higher depression and anxiety scores and higher odds of moderate and severe depressive and anxiety symptoms compared with controls. Obesity, hyperandrogenism, and fertility have a weak association with these symptoms. HRQoL scores are consistently reduced in PCOS, with infertility and weight concerns having the most significant impact. Some studies suggest an increased prevalence of disordered eating in women with PCOS compared with controls. The few studies that have evaluated the impact of PCOS-related treatments (lifestyle interventions and pharmacotherapy) show no detrimental effect or some improvement in depressive and anxiety symptoms and HRQoL scores. In women with PCOS, screening for depressive and anxiety symptoms should be offered at the time of diagnosis and screening for disordered eating should be considered. Further research is required across PCOS phenotypes, in longitudinal cohorts and on impact of therapy on depressive and anxiety syptoms, HRQOL, and disordered eating. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Validation of screening tools for antenatal depression in Malawi--a comparison of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Self Reporting Questionnaire.

    PubMed

    Stewart, Robert C; Umar, Eric; Tomenson, Barbara; Creed, Francis

    2013-09-25

    The detection of antenatal depression in resource-limited settings such as Malawi, Africa, is important and requires an accurate and practical screening tool. It is not known which questionnaire would be most suitable for this purpose. A rigorously translated and modified Chichewa version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was developed. The Chichewa EPDS and an existing Chichewa version of the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) were validated in women attending an antenatal clinic in rural Malawi, using DSM-IV major and major-or-minor depressive episode as the gold standard diagnoses, determined with Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). Weighted test characteristics for each possible cut-off were calculated and Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curves derived. The participants were 224 pregnant women, 92 of whom were interviewed using the SCID. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for detection of current major depressive disorder for the EPDS was 0.811 (95% CI 0.734-0.889) and for the SRQ was 0.833 (95% CI 0.770-0.897). AUC for major-or-minor depressive disorder for the EPDS was 0.767 (95% CI 0.695-0.839) and for the SRQ was 0.883 (95% CI 0.839-0.927). These were not significant differences. Internal consistency was high for both the SRQ (Cronbach's alpha 0.825) and the EPDS (Cronbach's alpha 0.904). Inter-rater reliability testing was not done. The relatively small sample size resulted in wide confidence intervals around AUCs. The study was conducted amongst antenatal clinic attenders only, limiting generalisability to all pregnant women in this setting. The Chichewa versions of the EPDS and SRQ both show utility as brief screening measures for detection of antenatal depression in rural Malawi. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Relationship between cognitive impairment and depression in dialysis patients.

    PubMed

    Jung, San; Lee, Young-Ki; Choi, Sun Ryoung; Hwang, Sung-Hee; Noh, Jung-Woo

    2013-11-01

    Patients with chronic kidney disease frequently show cognitive dysfunction. The association of depression and cognitive function is not well known in maintenance dialysis patients. We evaluated cognitive impairment and depression, as well as their relationship in regards to methods of dialysis, maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD). Fifty-six maintenance dialysis patients were recruited and their clinical and laboratory data were collected. The Korean version of the mini-mental state exam (K-MMSE) was applied to screen the patient's cognitive function, while the Korean version of the Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI) was used for depression screening. The average age of the participants was 54.2±10.2 years; 29 (51.8%) were female. The average dialysis vintage was 4.2±3.8 years. The CPD group showed significantly higher K-MMSE score (27.8±2.9 vs. 26.1±3.1, p=0.010) and lower K-BDI score (12.0±8.4 vs. 20.2±10.4, p=0.003) compared with the MHD group. The percentage of patients with depression symptoms was higher in the MHD group (51.7% vs. 18.5%). There was a negative correlation between cognitive function and prevalence of depressive symptoms. Depression and education level were shown to be independent predictors for cognitive impairment in multivariate analysis. Cognitive impairment was closely correlated with depression. It is important to detect cognitive impairment and depression early in maintenance dialysis patients with simple bedside screening tools.

  14. Depression Screening and Education: Options to Reduce Barriers to Treatment (DESEO): protocol for an educational intervention study.

    PubMed

    Sanchez, Katherine; Eghaneyan, Brittany H; Trivedi, Madhukar H

    2016-07-29

    Barriers to depression treatment among Hispanic populations include persistent stigma, inadequate doctor patient communication (DPC) and resultant sub-optimal use of anti-depressant medications. Stigma is primarily perpetuated due to inadequate disease literacy and cultural factors. Common concerns about depression treatments among Hispanics include fears about the addictive and harmful properties of antidepressants, worries about taking too many pills, and the stigma attached to taking psychotropic medications. The current manuscript presents the study protocol for the Depression Screening and Education: Options to Reduce Barriers to Treatment (DESEO) study funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Grants to Support the Hispanic Health Services Research Grant Program. DESEO will implement universal screening with a self-report depression screening tool (the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)) that is presented through a customized web application and a Depression Education Intervention (DEI) designed to increase disease literacy, and dispel myths about depression and its treatment among Hispanic patients thus reducing stigma and increasing treatment engagement. This project will be conducted at one community health center whose patient population is majority Hispanic. The target enrollment for recruitment is 350 patients over the 24-month study period. A one-group, pretest-posttest design will be used to asses knowledge of depression and its treatment and related stigma before, immediately after, and one month post intervention. Primary care settings often are the gateway to identifying undiagnosed mental health disorders, particularly for people with comorbid physical health conditions. This study is unique in that it aims to examine the specific role of patient education as an intervention to increase engagement in depression treatment. By participating in the DEI, it is expected that patients will have time to understand treatment options, participate in shared decision-making with their provider, and increase engagement in treatment of depression which might lead to improved overall health. It is also expected that implementation of the iPad Depression Screening application will increase provider awareness of the incidence and prevalence of depression in their own practice and improve the performance and care the clinic provides. The study was registered with: NCT02491034 July 2, 2015.

  15. Personal Wellness Tools

    MedlinePlus

    ... here to sign-up Education info, training, events Mood Disorders Depression Bipolar Disorder Anxiety Screening Center Co-occurring ... DBSA Share Your Opinion Helping Someone with a Mood Disorder How to Help in a Crisis Help with ...

  16. Rationale and Study Protocol for a Multi-component Health Information Technology (HIT) Screening Tool for Depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in the Primary Care Setting

    PubMed Central

    Biegler, Kelly; Mollica, Richard; Sim, Susan Elliott; Nicholas, Elisa; Chandler, Maria; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen; Paigne, Kittya; Paigne, Sompia; Nguyen, Danh V.; Sorkin, Dara H.

    2016-01-01

    The prevalence rate of depression in primary care is high. Primary care providers serve as the initial point of contact for the majority of patients with depression, yet, approximately 50% of cases remain unrecognized. The under-diagnosis of depression may be further exacerbated in limited English-language proficient (LEP) populations. Language barriers may result in less discussion of patients’ mental health needs and fewer referrals to mental health services, particularly given competing priorities of other medical conditions and providers’ time pressures. Recent advances in Health Information Technology (HIT) may facilitate novel ways to screen for depression in LEP populations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the rationale and protocol of a clustered-randomized controlled trial that will test the effectiveness of an HIT intervention that provides a multi-component approach to delivering culturally competent, mental health care in the primary care setting. The HIT intervention has four components: 1) web-based provider training, 2) multimedia electronic screening of depression and PTSD in the patients’ primary language, 3) Computer generated risk assessment scores delivered directly to the provider, and 4) clinical decision support. The outcomes of the study include assessing the potential of the HIT intervention to improve screening rates, clinical detection, provider initiation of treatment, and patient outcomes for depression and PTSD among LEP Cambodian refugees who experienced war atrocities and trauma during the Khmer Rouge. This technology has the potential to be adapted to any LEP population in order to facilitate mental health screening and treatment in the primary care setting. PMID:27394385

  17. Rationale and study protocol for a multi-component Health Information Technology (HIT) screening tool for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in the primary care setting.

    PubMed

    Biegler, Kelly; Mollica, Richard; Sim, Susan Elliott; Nicholas, Elisa; Chandler, Maria; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen; Paigne, Kittya; Paigne, Sompia; Nguyen, Danh V; Sorkin, Dara H

    2016-09-01

    The prevalence rate of depression in primary care is high. Primary care providers serve as the initial point of contact for the majority of patients with depression, yet, approximately 50% of cases remain unrecognized. The under-diagnosis of depression may be further exacerbated in limited English-language proficient (LEP) populations. Language barriers may result in less discussion of patients' mental health needs and fewer referrals to mental health services, particularly given competing priorities of other medical conditions and providers' time pressures. Recent advances in Health Information Technology (HIT) may facilitate novel ways to screen for depression and other mental health disorders in LEP populations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the rationale and protocol of a clustered randomized controlled trial that will test the effectiveness of an HIT intervention that provides a multi-component approach to delivering culturally competent, mental health care in the primary care setting. The HIT intervention has four components: 1) web-based provider training, 2) multimedia electronic screening of depression and PTSD in the patients' primary language, 3) Computer generated risk assessment scores delivered directly to the provider, and 4) clinical decision support. The outcomes of the study include assessing the potential of the HIT intervention to improve screening rates, clinical detection, provider initiation of treatment, and patient outcomes for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among LEP Cambodian refugees who experienced war atrocities and trauma during the Khmer Rouge. This technology has the potential to be adapted to any LEP population in order to facilitate mental health screening and treatment in the primary care setting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Utility of the PHQ-9 to identify major depressive disorder in adult patients in Spanish primary care centres.

    PubMed

    Muñoz-Navarro, Roger; Cano-Vindel, Antonio; Medrano, Leonardo Adrián; Schmitz, Florian; Ruiz-Rodríguez, Paloma; Abellán-Maeso, Carmen; Font-Payeras, Maria Antonia; Hermosilla-Pasamar, Ana María

    2017-08-09

    The prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in Spanish primary care (PC) centres is high. However, MDD is frequently underdiagnosed and consequently only some patients receive the appropriate treatment. The present study aims to determine the utility of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to identify MDD in a subset of PC patients participating in the large PsicAP study. A total of 178 patients completed the full PHQ test, including the depression module (PHQ-9). Also, a Spanish version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) was implemented by clinical psychologists that were blinded to the PHQ-9 results. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the PHQ-9 as a screening tool as compared to the SCID-I as a reference standard. The psychometric properties of the PHQ-9 for a cut-off value of 10 points were as follows: sensitivity, 0.95; specificity, 0.67. Using a cut-off of 12 points, the values were: sensitivity, 0.84; specificity, 0.78. Finally, using the diagnostic algorithm for depression (DSM-IV criteria), the sensitivity was 0.88 and the specificity 0.80. As a screening instrument, the PHQ-9 performed better with a cut-off value of 12 versus the standard cut-off of 10. However, the best psychometric properties were obtained with the DSM-IV diagnostic algorithm for depression. These findings indicate that the PHQ-9 is a highly satisfactory tool that can be used for screening MDD in the PC setting. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN58437086 . Registered 20 May 2013.

  19. Measuring psychological well-being in South Asians with diabetes; a qualitative investigation of the PHQ-9 and the WHO-5 as potential screening tools for measuring symptoms of depression.

    PubMed

    Lloyd, C E; Roy, T; Begum, S; Mughal, S; Barnett, A H

    2012-01-01

    People from South Asian backgrounds living in the UK have a greatly increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Whether or not this patient group also experience high rates of depressive symptoms (known to be the case in Caucasian populations with diabetes) remains unknown, partly because it is unclear whether the screening tools used are culturally relevant. The aim of this study was to develop culturally competent translations (in both written and audio formats) of two screening tools used to measure symptoms of depression in languages with no written form and establish their face validity. Adults with Type 2 diabetes from two South Asian minority ethnic groups (from Bangladesh and Pakistan) whose main language is only spoken (Sylheti and Mirpuri) were recruited via the Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Diabetes Centre. Participants attended two focus group meetings to consider the content and method of delivery of two questionnaires measuring symptoms of depression, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the World Health Organization Well-being Index (WHO-5). Culturally equivalent content was achieved for both questionnaires in both languages. The Mirpuri men and women groups did not indicate a clear preference for either mode of questionnaire delivery; however, the Sylheti groups' preference was for independent audio-delivery in their spoken language. The face validity of the PHQ-9 and the WHO-5 was established for Sylheti and Mirpuri in an audio delivery format. Psychometric testing is now needed among minority ethnic populations so that the feasibility of wider use can be determined. © 2011 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2011 Diabetes UK.

  20. Antenatal risk factors for postnatal depression: a large prospective study.

    PubMed

    Milgrom, Jeannette; Gemmill, Alan W; Bilszta, Justin L; Hayes, Barbara; Barnett, Bryanne; Brooks, Janette; Ericksen, Jennifer; Ellwood, David; Buist, Anne

    2008-05-01

    This study measured antenatal risk factors for postnatal depression in the Australian population, both singly and in combination. Risk factor data were gathered antenatally and depressive symptoms measured via the beyondblue National Postnatal Depression Program, a large prospective cohort study into perinatal mental health, conducted in all six states of Australia, and in the Australian Capital Territory, between 2002 and 2005. Pregnant women were screened for symptoms of postnatal depression at antenatal clinics in maternity services around Australia using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and a psychosocial risk factor questionnaire that covered key demographic and psychosocial information. From a total of 40,333 participants, we collected antenatal EPDS data from 35,374 women and 3144 of these had a score >12 (8.9%). Subsequently, efforts were made to follow-up 22,968 women with a postnatal EPDS. Of 12,361 women who completed postnatal EPDS forms, 925 (7.5%) had an EPDS score >12. Antenatal depression together with a prior history of depression and a low level of partner support were the strongest independent antenatal predictors of a postnatal EPDS score >12. The two main limitations of the study were the use of the EPDS (a self-report screening tool) as the measure of depressive symptoms rather than a clinical diagnosis, and the rate of attrition between antenatal screening and the collection of postnatal follow-up data. Antenatal depressive symptoms appear to be as common as postnatal depressive symptoms. Previous depression, current depression/anxiety, and low partner support are found to be key antenatal risk factors for postnatal depression in this large prospective cohort, consistent with existing meta-analytic surveys. Current depression/anxiety (and to some extent social support) may be amenable to change and can therefore be targeted for intervention.

  1. Rates of detection of developmental problems at the 18-month well-baby visit by family physicians' using four evidence-based screening tools compared to usual care: a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Thomas, R E; Spragins, W; Mazloum, G; Cronkhite, M; Maru, G

    2016-05-01

    Early and regular developmental screening can improve children's development through early intervention but is insufficiently used. Most developmental problems are readily evident at the 18-month well-baby visit. This trial's purpose is to: (1) compare identification rates of developmental problems by GPs/family physicians using four evidence-based tools with non-evidence based screening, and (2) ascertain whether the four tools can be completed in 10-min pre-visit on a computer. We compared two approaches to early identification via random assignment of 54 families to either: 'usual care' (informal judgment including ad-hoc milestones, n = 25); or (2) 'Evidence-based' care (use of four validated, accurate screening tools, n = 29), including: the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), the PEDS-Developmental Milestones (PEDS-DM), the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and PHQ9 (maternal depression). In the 'usual care' group four (16%) and in the evidence-based tools group 18 (62%) were identified as having a possible developmental problem. In the evidence-based tools group three infants were to be recalled at 24 months for language checks (no specialist referrals made). In the 'usual care' group four problems were identified: one child was referred for speech therapy, two to return to check language at 24 months and a mother to discuss depression. All forms were completed on-line within 10 min. Despite higher early detection rates in the evidence-based care group, there were no differences in referral rates between evidence-based and usual-care groups. This suggests that clinicians: (1) override evidence-based screening results with informal judgment; and/or (2) need assistance understanding test results and making referrals. Possible solutions are improve the quality of information obtained from the screening process, improved training of physicians, improved support for individual practices and acceptance by the regional health authority for overall responsibility for screening and creation of a comprehensive network. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Screening for depression with Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Revised and its implication for consultation-liaison psychiatry practice among cancer subjects: a perspective from a developing country.

    PubMed

    Olagunju, Andrew T; Aina, Olatunji F; Fadipe, Babatunde

    2013-08-01

    Co-morbidity of depressive symptomatology is a common indication for use of mental health services in oncology. In this regard, screening instruments are useful for prompt identification of mental disorders in cancer. This study is set to evaluate the diagnostic validity of Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Revised (CES-DR) for depression screening in cancer. The CES-DR and the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) were administered by the researchers on 200 attendees of a Nigerian hospital with histological diagnoses of cancer. Subsequently, the diagnostic validity of CES-DR was compared with SCAN. Ninety-eight (49.0%) participants had significant depressive symptomatology (CES-DR scores of ≥ 16) as against the diagnosis of depression in 55 (27.5%) participants following SCAN interview. Furthermore, of these 55 (27.5%) depressed participants, two (3.6%) participants had CES-DR scores <16 (non-cases). The Cronbach's alpha reliability of CES-DR was 0.86, and sensitivity and specificity of CES-DR were 96.4% and 68.7%, respectively, whereas positive and negative predictive values of CES-DR were found to be 0.54 and 0.98, respectively, in this study. The average administration time of CES-DR was 6 (± 2) min, and an inter-rater reliability of 93.7% was observed. The CES-DR was found in this study to be a useful tool for screening for depression in cancer but with diagnostic limitation when compared with SCAN. The development as well as popularization of screening instrument(s) with improved diagnostic and administration property for prompt identification of mental disorders to improve consultation-liaison psychiatry services in cancer care is recommended. Furthermore, replication of similar research is warranted. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. The THINC-Integrated Tool (THINC-it) Screening Assessment for Cognitive Dysfunction: Validation in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder.

    PubMed

    McIntyre, Roger S; Best, Michael W; Bowie, Christopher R; Carmona, Nicole E; Cha, Danielle S; Lee, Yena; Subramaniapillai, Mehala; Mansur, Rodrigo B; Barry, Harry; Baune, Bernhard T; Culpepper, Larry; Fossati, Philippe; Greer, Tracy L; Harmer, Catherine; Klag, Esther; Lam, Raymond W; Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich; Harrison, John

    2017-07-01

    To validate the THINC-integrated tool (THINC-it)-a freely available, patient-administered, computerized screening tool integrating subjective and objective measures of cognitive function in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). Subjects aged 18 to 65 years (n = 100) with recurrent MDD experiencing a major depressive episode of at least moderate severity were evaluated and compared to age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (n = 100). Between January and June 2016, subjects completed the THINC-it, which includes variants of the Choice Reaction Time Identification Task (IDN), One-Back Test, Digit Symbol Substitution Test, Trail Making Test-Part B, and the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire for Depression-5-item (PDQ-5-D). The THINC-it required approximately 10 to 15 minutes for administration and was capable of detecting cognitive deficits in adults with MDD. A total of 44.4% of adults with MDD exhibited cognitive performance at ≥ 1.0 SD below that of healthy controls on standardized mean scores of the THINC-it. Concurrent validity of the overall tool, based on a calculated composite score, was acceptable (r = 0.539, P < .001). Concurrent validity of the component tests ranged from -0.083 (IDN) to 0.929 (PDQ-5-D). Qualitative survey results indicated that there was a high level of satisfaction and perceived value in administering the THINC-it regarding its impact on the appropriateness and quality of care being received. The THINC-it is a valid and sensitive tool for detecting cognitive dysfunction in adults with MDD that is free, easy to use, and rapidly administered. The THINC-it should be incorporated into the assessment and measurement of all patients with MDD, particularly among those with enduring functional impairment. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02508493. © Copyright 2017 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

  4. Assessing Suicide Attempts and Depression Among Chinese Speakers Over the Internet

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Nancy H.; Contreras, Omar; Muñoz, Ricardo F.; Leykin, Yan

    2015-01-01

    Background In populations where mental health resources are scarce or unavailable, or where stigma prevents help-seeking, the Internet may be a way to identify and reach at-risk persons using self-report validated screening tools as well as to characterize individuals seeking health information online. Aims We examined the feasibility of delivering an Internet-based Chinese-language depression and suicide screener and described its users. Method An Internet-based depression and suicide screener was created and advertised primarily through Google AdWords. Participants completed a suicide and depression screening measure and received individualized feedback, which, if necessary, included the suggestion to seek additional mental health resources. Results In 7 months, 11,631 individuals visited the site; 4,709 provided valid information. Nearly half reported a current major depressive episode (MDE) and 18.3% a recent suicide attempt; however, over 75% reported never having sought help, including 77.7% of those with MDEs and 75.9% of those reporting a suicide attempt. As participants found the site by searching for depression information online, results may not generalize to the entire Chinese-speaking population. Conclusion Online screening can feasibly identify and reach many at-risk Chinese-speaking persons. It may provide resources to those with limited access to services or to those reluctant to seek such services. PMID:25115490

  5. Sexual orientation and treatment-seeking for depression in a multilingual worldwide sample

    PubMed Central

    Rutter, Tara M.; Flentje, Annesa; Dilley, James W.; Barakat, Suzanne; Liu, Nancy H.; Gross, Margaret S.; Muñoz, Ricardo F.; Leykin, Yan

    2016-01-01

    Background Prior research has found higher rates of mental health problems among sexual minority individuals. We examine treatment-seeking for depression, as well as its relationship with sexual orientation, in a large, multilingual, international sample. Method Participants in an automated, quintilingual internet-based depression screening tool were screened for depression, and completed several background measures, including sexual orientation (with an option to decline to state) and past and current depression treatment seeking. Results 3,695 participants screened positive for current or past depression and responded to the sexual orientation question. Those who declined to state their sexual orientation were far less likely to seek any treatment than individuals endorsing any orientation; they were especially unlikely to seek psychotherapy. Individuals identifying as bisexual sought both psychotherapy and alternative treatments at a higher rate than other groups. An interaction was observed between sexual orientation and gender, such that lesbian women were especially likely to have used psychotherapy. Other variables that emerged as significant predictors of treatment-seeking for depression included age and participant's language. Limitations Limitations include possible misinterpretation of translated terms due to regional differences, and possible limits to generalizability due to this study being conducted on the internet. Conclusions Our results suggest that individuals who decline to state their sexual orientation may be more likely to forgo effective treatments for depression. Further studies of depression service utilization should focus on developing treatment modalities that could better engage sexual minority individuals, especially those who are reluctant to disclose their orientation. PMID:27466746

  6. A descriptive and comparative study from China on patients with type-2 diabetes with and without depressive symptoms.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yu; Maier, Manfred; Wu, Jihong; Li, Wei; Chen, Yan; Qin, Yuelan; Hao, Yufang; Jin, Rongchen

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms for patients with type-2 diabetes at the population level in China and explore differences in demographic, socioeconomic, and disease-specific parameters between diabetic patients with and without depression. Self-rating depression scale was used to screen for depressive symptoms in 667 patients with type-2 diabetes from 4 communities in Beijing; their quality of life and social support was assessed using appropriate and validated tools. The results indicate that 44.23% of diabetic patients report depressive symptoms; patients with depressive symptoms had a significantly higher rate of diabetic complications, a lower quality of life and less social support than patients without depressive symptoms.

  7. Suitability of measurements used to assess mental health outcomes in men and women trafficked for sexual and labour exploitation: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Doherty, S; Oram, S; Siriwardhana, C; Abas, M

    2016-05-01

    Trafficking is a global human rights violation with multiple and complex mental health consequences. Valid and reliable mental health assessment tools are needed to inform health-care provision. We reviewed mental health assessment tools used in research with men and women trafficked for sexual and labour exploitation. We searched nine electronic databases (PsycINFO, Ovid Medline, PubMed, Embase, Assia, the Web of Science, Global Health, Google Scholar, and Open Grey) and hand-searched the reference lists of relevant identified studies. Seven studies were included in this Review. Six of the studies screened for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety; one study screened for harmful use or abuse of alcohol and used a diagnostic tool to assess post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Two studies included men in their sample population. Although the reported prevalence of mental health problems was high, little information was provided about the validity, reliability, and cultural appropriateness of assessment tools. Further research is needed to determine which assessment tools are culturally appropriate, valid, and reliable for trafficked people. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. The evaluation and design of a short depression screening tool in Turkish older adults.

    PubMed

    Dokuzlar, Ozge; Soysal, Pinar; Usarel, Cansu; Isik, Ahmet Turan

    2018-03-21

    Depression is a common and serious healthcare problem for older adults. This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of GDS-4 and GDS-5 in Turkish, and to establish a new short-form Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) for our population, and also determine the superiority of each short scale to another. A total of 437 outpatients were enrolled in the study. A researcher evaluated all participants according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fifth edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria, and then another researcher applied GDS-15 to all participants. We obtained the answers of short GDS forms, examined in this study, from GDS-15 forms. After Cohen's κ analysis, we compared the diagnostic value of each question for geriatric depression according to their κ values, and developed three (TGDS-3), four (TGDS-4), five (TGDS-5), and six (TGDS-6) question scales to screen geriatric depression in Turkish population. A total of 437 participants were assessed. The mean age (SD) of the patients was 72.95 years (7.37).Cronbach's α values of GDS-4 and GDS-5 were 0.70. The best cut-off values were ≥5 for GDS-15 and GDS-5, and ≥1 for others. GDS-15 is the most powerful screening scale for geriatric depression. GDS-4 and GDS-5 are not eligible for depression screening in Turkish older adults. All new short scales are valid and reliable, and TGDS-4 is a practical, less time-consuming option for daily practice.

  9. Validation of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) on the Thai–Myanmar border

    PubMed Central

    Ing, Harriet; Fellmeth, Gracia; White, Jitrachote; Stein, Alan; Simpson, Julie A; McGready, Rose

    2017-01-01

    Postnatal depression is common and may have severe consequences for women and their children. Locally validated screening tools are required to identify at-risk women in marginalised populations. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is one of the most frequently used tools globally. This cross-sectional study assessed the validity and acceptability of the EPDS in Karen and Burmese among postpartum migrant and refugee women on the Thai–Myanmar border. The EPDS was administered to participants and results compared with a diagnostic interview. Local staff provided feedback on the acceptability of the EPDS through a focus group discussion. Results from 670 women showed high accuracy and reasonable internal consistency of the EPDS. However, acceptability to local staff was low, limiting the utility of the EPDS in this setting despite its good psychometrics. Further work is required to identify a tool that is acceptable and sensitive to cultural manifestations of depression in this vulnerable population. PMID:28699396

  10. Relationship between Cognitive Impairment and Depression in Dialysis Patients

    PubMed Central

    Jung, San; Choi, Sun Ryoung; Hwang, Sung-Hee; Noh, Jung-Woo

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Patients with chronic kidney disease frequently show cognitive dysfunction. The association of depression and cognitive function is not well known in maintenance dialysis patients. We evaluated cognitive impairment and depression, as well as their relationship in regards to methods of dialysis, maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD). Materials and Methods Fifty-six maintenance dialysis patients were recruited and their clinical and laboratory data were collected. The Korean version of the mini-mental state exam (K-MMSE) was applied to screen the patient's cognitive function, while the Korean version of the Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI) was used for depression screening. Results The average age of the participants was 54.2±10.2 years; 29 (51.8%) were female. The average dialysis vintage was 4.2±3.8 years. The CPD group showed significantly higher K-MMSE score (27.8±2.9 vs. 26.1±3.1, p=0.010) and lower K-BDI score (12.0±8.4 vs. 20.2±10.4, p=0.003) compared with the MHD group. The percentage of patients with depression symptoms was higher in the MHD group (51.7% vs. 18.5%). There was a negative correlation between cognitive function and prevalence of depressive symptoms. Depression and education level were shown to be independent predictors for cognitive impairment in multivariate analysis. Conclusion Cognitive impairment was closely correlated with depression. It is important to detect cognitive impairment and depression early in maintenance dialysis patients with simple bedside screening tools. PMID:24142650

  11. Identifying the women at risk of antenatal anxiety and depression: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Biaggi, Alessandra; Conroy, Susan; Pawlby, Susan; Pariante, Carmine M

    2016-02-01

    Pregnancy is a time of increased vulnerability for the development of anxiety and depression. This systematic review aims to identify the main risk factors involved in the onset of antenatal anxiety and depression. A systematic literature analysis was conducted, using PubMed, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Library. Original papers were included if they were written in English and published between 1st January 2003 and 31st August 2015, while literature reviews and meta-analyses were consulted regardless of publication date. A final number of 97 papers were selected. The most relevant factors associated with antenatal depression or anxiety were: lack of partner or of social support; history of abuse or of domestic violence; personal history of mental illness; unplanned or unwanted pregnancy; adverse events in life and high perceived stress; present/past pregnancy complications; and pregnancy loss. The review does not include a meta-analysis, which may have added additional information about the differential impact of each risk factor. Moreover, it does not specifically examine factors that may influence different types of anxiety disorders, or the recurrence or persistence of depression or anxiety from pregnancy to the postpartum period. The results show the complex aetiology of antenatal depression and anxiety. The administration of a screening tool to identify women at risk of anxiety and depression during pregnancy should be universal practice in order to promote the long-term wellbeing of mothers and babies, and the knowledge of specific risk factors may help creating such screening tool targeting women at higher risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. The Compelling and Persistent Problem of Bipolar Disorder Disguised as Major Depression Disorder: An Integrative Review [Formula: see text].

    PubMed

    Stiles, Brandie M; Fish, Anne F; Vandermause, Roxanne; Malik, Azfar M

    2018-06-01

    Up to 40% of patients with bipolar disorder are misdiagnosed, usually with major depression disorder. The purpose was to describe the current state of the science of the misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder, with the ultimate goal of improving psychiatric diagnostic workups including screening. An integrative review was conducted using standard criteria for evaluating research articles. Forty-nine articles met the eligibility criteria. Articles explored patient-related and health care provider-related factors contributing to the misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder as well as consequences of misdiagnosis. Clinically oriented, reliable, and valid screening tools for bipolar disorder also were reviewed. Awareness of multiple, challenging patient-related factors and more comprehensive assessment and screening by health care providers may reduce misdiagnosis.

  13. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as a Screening Tool for Depression in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Maastricht Study.

    PubMed

    Janssen, Eveline P C J; Köhler, Sebastian; Stehouwer, Coen D A; Schaper, Nicolaas C; Dagnelie, Pieter C; Sep, Simone J S; Henry, Ronald M A; van der Kallen, Carla J H; Verhey, Frans R; Schram, Miranda T

    2016-11-01

    To assess the psychometric properties and identify the best cutoff value of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression screening in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Observational population-based cohort study. The Maastricht Study. Individuals with and without T2DM (mean age 58.6 ± 8.1, 44.6% male) according to an oral glucose tolerance test (N = 2,997). Depressive disorder and depressive symptoms were measured using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) as the reference and the PHQ-9. Cronbach alpha, Cohen's kappa and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used. Differences in factorial structure between participants with and without T2DM were tested using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. Based on the traditional PHQ-9 cutoff value, 133 (4.4%) participants had depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score ≥10). Internal consistency of the PHQ-9 was good (Cronbach α = 0.87 with T2DM, 0.82 without T2DM), the kappa of agreement between the PHQ-9 and the MINI was moderate (0.40 with T2DM, 0.43 without T2DM). Area under the ROC curve for the PHQ-9 was 0.87 in participants with T2DM and 0.88 in those without. A PHQ-9 cutoff score of 5 provided the best sensitivity (92.3%), with acceptable specificity (70.4%), for T2DM, similar to sensitivity and specificity in individuals without T2DM. Factor analysis suggested a similar two-factor structure in both groups (affective and somatic symptoms). Patient Health Questionnaire-9 performs well as a screening tool for depressive symptoms in individuals with and without T2DM based on the cutoff value of 5, indicating that the PHQ-9 can be used in two-stage screening in primary care to select individuals with T2DM for further psychological evaluation. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

  14. Women Veterans with Depression in Veterans Health Administration Primary Care: An Assessment of Needs and Preferences.

    PubMed

    Davis, Teri D; Campbell, Duncan G; Bonner, Laura M; Bolkan, Cory R; Lanto, Andrew; Chaney, Edmund F; Waltz, Thomas; Zivin, Kara; Yano, Elizabeth M; Rubenstein, Lisa V

    Depression is the most prevalent mental health condition in primary care (PC). Yet as the Veterans Health Administration increases resources for PC/mental health integration, including integrated care for women, there is little detailed information about depression care needs, preferences, comorbidity, and access patterns among women veterans with depression followed in PC. We sampled patients regularly engaged with Veterans Health Administration PC. We screened 10,929 (10,580 men, 349 women) with the two-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Of the 2,186 patients who screened positive (2,092 men, 94 women), 2,017 men and 93 women completed the full Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression screening tool. Ultimately, 46 women and 715 men with probable major depression were enrolled and completed a baseline telephone survey. We conducted descriptive statistics to provide information about the depression care experiences of women veterans and to examine potential gender differences at baseline and at seven month follow-up across study variables. Among those patients who agreed to screening, 20% of women (70 of 348) had probable major depression, versus only 12% of men (1,243 of 10,505). Of the women, 48% had concurrent probable posttraumatic stress disorder and 65% reported general anxiety. Women were more likely to receive adequate depression care than men (57% vs. 39%, respectively; p < .05); 46% of women and 39% of men reported depression symptom improvement at the 7-month follow-up. Women veterans were less likely than men to prefer care from a PC physician (p < .01) at baseline and were more likely than men to report mental health specialist care (p < .01) in the 6 months before baseline. PC/mental health integration planners should consider methods for accommodating women veterans unique care needs and preferences for mental health care delivered by health care professionals other than physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  15. Combined detection of depression and anxiety in epilepsy patients using the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy and the World Health Organization well-being index.

    PubMed

    Hansen, Christian Pilebæk; Amiri, Moshgan

    2015-12-01

    To validate the Danish version of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), and compare it with the World Health Organization index for psychological well-being (WHO-5) as screening tests for depression and anxiety in epilepsy patients. Epilepsy outpatients filled out NDDI-E and WHO-5. A Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) as gold standard for psychiatric diagnoses was carried out with every patient. We included 124 epilepsy patients. According to MINI, 5% had depression without anxiety, 6% anxiety without depression, and 6% had both. For the detection of depression, NDDI-E was slightly better than WHO-5. With a score of more than 13, NDDI-E as a screening tool for depression had a sensitivity of 0.92, a specificity of 0.84, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.40, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.99. In the detection of anxiety WHO-5 was better than NDDI-E. With a score below 50, WHO-5 as screening for anxiety had a sensitivity of 0.80, a specificity of 0.92, PPV 0.57, and NPV 0.97. When combining NDDI-E>13 and WHO-5<50, 95% of patients with depression and/or anxiety are identified, and in addition there are 17% false positives. NDDI-E in Danish is valid and slightly better than WHO-5 in the detection of depression in epilepsy patients. WHO-5 is valid for the detection of anxiety disorders. Combined use of NDDI-E and WHO-5 is recommended, since 95% of all epilepsy patients with depression and/or anxiety disorder are identified with only a modest number of false positives. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  16. The impact of education, country, race and ethnicity on the self-report of postpartum depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

    PubMed Central

    Di Florio, A.; Putnam, K.; Altemus, M.; Apter, G.; Bergink, V.; Bilszta, J.; Brock, R.; Buist, A.; Deligiannidis, K. M.; Devouche, E.; Epperson, C. N.; Guille, C.; Kim, D.; Lichtenstein, P.; Magnusson, P. K. E.; Martinez, P.; Munk-Olsen, T.; Newport, J.; Payne, J.; Penninx, B. W.; O’Hara, M.; Robertson-Blackmore, E.; Roza, S. J.; Sharkey, K. M.; Stuart, S.; Tiemeier, H.; Viktorin, A.; Schmidt, P. J.; Sullivan, P. F.; Stowe, Z. N.; Wisner, K. L.; Jones, I.; Rubinow, D. R.; Meltzer-Brody, S.

    2017-01-01

    Background Universal screening for postpartum depression is recommended in many countries. Knowledge of whether the disclosure of depressive symptoms in the postpartum period differs across cultures could improve detection and provide new insights into the pathogenesis. Moreover, it is a necessary step to evaluate the universal use of screening instruments in research and clinical practice. In the current study we sought to assess whether the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the most widely used screening tool for postpartum depression, measures the same underlying construct across cultural groups in a large international dataset. Method Ordinal regression and measurement invariance were used to explore the association between culture, operationalized as education, ethnicity/race and continent, and endorsement of depressive symptoms using the EPDS on 8209 new mothers from Europe and the USA. Results Education, but not ethnicity/race, influenced the reporting of postpartum depression [difference between robust comparative fit indexes (Δ*CFI) < 0.01]. The structure of EPDS responses significantly differed between Europe and the USA (Δ*CFI > 0.01), but not between European countries (Δ*CFI < 0.01). Conclusions Investigators and clinicians should be aware of the potential differences in expression of phenotype of postpartum depression that women of different educational backgrounds may manifest. The increasing cultural heterogeneity of societies together with the tendency towards globalization requires a culturally sensitive approach to patients, research and policies, that takes into account, beyond rhetoric, the context of a person’s experiences and the context in which the research is conducted. PMID:27866476

  17. Sexual orientation and treatment-seeking for depression in a multilingual worldwide sample.

    PubMed

    Rutter, Tara M; Flentje, Annesa; Dilley, James W; Barakat, Suzanne; Liu, Nancy H; Gross, Margaret S; Muñoz, Ricardo F; Leykin, Yan

    2016-12-01

    Prior research has found higher rates of mental health problems among sexual minority individuals. We examine treatment-seeking for depression, as well as its relationship with sexual orientation, in a large, multilingual, international sample. Participants in an automated, quintilingual internet-based depression screening tool were screened for depression, and completed several background measures, including sexual orientation (with an option to decline to state) and past and current depression treatment seeking. 3695 participants screened positive for current or past depression and responded to the sexual orientation question. Those who declined to state their sexual orientation were far less likely to seek any treatment than individuals endorsing any orientation; they were especially unlikely to seek psychotherapy. Individuals identifying as bisexual sought both psychotherapy and alternative treatments at a higher rate than other groups. An interaction was observed between sexual orientation and gender, such that lesbian women were especially likely to have used psychotherapy. Other variables that emerged as significant predictors of treatment-seeking for depression included age and participant's language. Limitations include possible misinterpretation of translated terms due to regional differences, and possible limits to generalizability due to this study being conducted on the internet. Our results suggest that individuals who decline to state their sexual orientation may be more likely to forgo effective treatments for depression. Further studies of depression service utilization should focus on developing treatment modalities that could better engage sexual minority individuals, especially those who are reluctant to disclose their orientation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Treatment Rates of Mood Disorders among Opioid Users under Criminal Justice Supervision.

    PubMed

    Mbaba, Mary; Brown, Shan-Estelle; Wooditch, Alese; Kiss, Marissa; Murphy, Amy; Kumari, Suneeta; Taxman, Faye; Altice, Frederick; Lawson, William B; Springer, Sandra A

    2018-01-15

    Individuals involved in the criminal justice system have disproportionately high rates of psychiatric disorders when compared to the general U.S. If left untreated, the likelihood of subsequent arrest increases and risk for adverse health consequences is great, particularly among opioid users. To explore the prevalence, characteristics, and treatment of mood disorders among justice involved opioid-dependent populations. The current study enrolled 258 treatment-seeking opioid-dependent individuals under community-based criminal justice supervision (e.g., probation, parole) screened from the larger parent study, Project STRIDE, a seek/test/treat randomized control trial (RCT) examining HIV and opioid use treatment. During baseline, individuals were screened for depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and screened for bipolar disorder using the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) tool. Overall, 78 (30%) participants screened positive for moderate to severe depression and 54 (21%) screened positive for bipolar disorder. Participants self-reported mood disorders at higher rates than they screened positive for these conditions. Participants screening positive for these conditions experienced significantly greater family, legal, and medical problems on the Addiction Severity Index-Lite (ASI-Lite) than those who did not screen positive. Incidence of a lifetime suicide attempt was found to be associated with a positive screen for both mood disorders. Prescribed psychotropic treatment utilization was similar among those who screened positive for depression or bipolar disorder with approximately 38% reporting taking medication. Findings suggest universal mood disorder screening to improve comprehensive psychiatric care and treatment of opioid-dependent justice-involved individuals.

  19. Obesity and the association with maternal mental health symptoms.

    PubMed

    Ruhstaller, Kelly E; Elovitz, Michal A; Stringer, Marilyn; Epperson, C Neill; Durnwald, Celeste P

    2017-08-01

    To evaluate the association between maternal obesity and mood disorders including depression, anxiety, stress, and pregnancy-specific stress during pregnancy. This was a planned secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study investigating factors associated with preterm delivery. The cohort included women who initiated prenatal care before 20 weeks with a singleton pregnancy. Maternal mental health was assessed using four standard psychosocial behavioral measures to screen for depression, pregnancy-specific stress, anxiety, and stress. Screen positive scores for each tool were established based on previously published "high" scores. Of the 1010 women included in the cohort, 355 (35.1%) were obese. There was no significant difference in the number of obese women with stress (64.2% versus 68.4%, p = 0.18), pregnancy-specific stress (26.2% versus 22.1%, p = 0.15), or anxiety (38.6% versus 41.2%, p = 0.42); however, a greater number of obese women did report symptoms consistent with major depression when compared to women with BMIs <30 (30.4% versus 21.2%, p < 0.01). Obese women had higher rates of depression in early pregnancy compared to nonobese women. As many of the health behavior interventions for obese women during pregnancy have proven ineffective, incorporating depression screening and treatment into prenatal care may improve perinatal outcomes.

  20. Factors Associated with Postpartum Maternal Functioning in Women with Positive Screens for Depression.

    PubMed

    Barkin, Jennifer L; Wisner, Katherine L; Bromberger, Joyce T; Beach, Scott R; Wisniewski, Stephen R

    2016-07-01

    Functional assessment may represent a valuable addition to postpartum depression screening, providing a more thorough characterization of the mother's health and quality of life. To the authors' knowledge, this analysis represents the first examination of postpartum maternal functioning, as measured by a patient-centered validated tool aimed at ascertainment of functional status explicitly, and its clinical and sociodemographic correlates. A total of 189 women recruited from a large, urban women's hospital in the northeastern United States who both (1) screened positive for depression between 4 and 6 weeks postpartum and (2) completed a subsequent home (baseline) visit between October 1, 2008, and September 4, 2009, were included in this analysis. Multiple linear regression was conducted to ascertain which clinical and sociodemographic variables were independently associated with maternal functioning. The multivariate analysis revealed independent associations between bipolar status, atypical depression, depression score (17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression), and insurance type with postpartum maternal functioning. The beta coefficient for bipolar status indicates that on average we would expect those with bipolar disorder to have maternal functioning scores that are 5.6 points less than those without bipolar disorder. Healthcare providers treating postpartum women with complicating mental health conditions should be cognizant of the potential ramifications on maternal functioning. Impaired functioning in the maternal role is likely to impact child development, although the precise nature of this relationship is yet to be elucidated.

  1. An evaluation of automated GIS tools for delineating karst sinkholes and closed depressions from 1-meter LIDAR-derived digital elevation data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Doctor, Daniel H.; Young, John A.

    2013-01-01

    LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) surveys of karst terrains provide high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) that are particularly useful for mapping sinkholes. In this study, we used automated processing tools within ArcGIS (v. 10.0) operating on a 1.0 m resolution LiDAR DEM in order to delineate sinkholes and closed depressions in the Boyce 7.5 minute quadrangle located in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The results derived from the use of the automated tools were then compared with depressions manually delineated by a geologist. Manual delineation of closed depressions was conducted using a combination of 1.0 m DEM hillshade, slopeshade, aerial imagery, and Topographic Position Index (TPI) rasters. The most effective means of visualizing depressions in the GIS was using an overlay of the partially transparent TPI raster atop the slopeshade raster at 1.0 m resolution. Manually identified depressions were subsequently checked using aerial imagery to screen for false positives, and targeted ground-truthing was undertaken in the field. The automated tools that were utilized include the routines in ArcHydro Tools (v. 2.0) for prescreening, evaluating, and selecting sinks and depressions as well as thresholding, grouping, and assessing depressions from the TPI raster. Results showed that the automated delineation of sinks and depressions within the ArcHydro tools was highly dependent upon pre-conditioning of the DEM to produce "hydrologically correct" surface flow routes. Using stream vectors obtained from the National Hydrologic Dataset alone to condition the flow routing was not sufficient to produce a suitable drainage network, and numerous artificial depressions were generated where roads, railways, or other manmade structures acted as flow barriers in the elevation model. Additional conditioning of the DEM with drainage paths across these barriers was required prior to automated 2delineation of sinks and depressions. In regions where the DEM had been properly conditioned, the tools for automated delineation performed reasonably well as compared to the manually delineated depressions, but generally overestimated the number of depressions thus necessitating manual filtering of the final results. Results from the TPI thresholding analysis were not dependent on DEM pre-conditioning, but the ability to extract meaningful depressions depended on careful assessment of analysis scale and TPI thresholding.

  2. Assessing psychosocial variables: a tool for diabetes educators.

    PubMed

    Fisher, Kelly L

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to share an educational strategy or tool that is relevant for use in patient and professional diabetes education. The tool offers an opportunity for diabetes educators to screen for psychosocial variables such as depression or emotional distress. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify psychological variables that have an impact on individuals living with diabetes and their ability to self-manage their disease. The literature revealed that both depression and emotional distress related to diabetes was experienced by individuals with diabetes along with those individuals who were unable to self-management their disease. The Accu-Check Interview is a computer software program that may assist diabetes educators to provide diabetes education. Use of the Accu-Check Interview software program has been implemented at various sites including the Joslin Clinic (Boston, Mass), Baystate Medical Center (Springfield, Mass), and Emerson Hospital (Concord, Mass). The Diabetes Self Care Profile is a Web-based version of the Accu-Check Interview and can be accessed as a demonstration in English and Spanish. These tools allow diabetes educators to screen for psychosocial variables and address issues with individuals while using a motivational interviewing approach.

  3. Validation of a Chichewa version of the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ) as a brief screening measure for maternal depressive disorder in Malawi, Africa.

    PubMed

    Stewart, Robert C; Kauye, Felix; Umar, Eric; Vokhiwa, Maclean; Bunn, James; Fitzgerald, Margaret; Tomenson, Barbara; Rahman, Atif; Creed, Francis

    2009-01-01

    Depressive disorder affecting women during the perinatal period is common in low-income countries. The detection and study of maternal depression in a resource-poor setting requires a brief screening tool that is both accurate and practical to administer. A Chichewa version of the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) was developed through a rigorous process of forward and back translation, focus-group discussion and piloting. Criterion validation was conducted as part of a larger study in a sample of women who had brought their infants to a child health clinic in rural Malawi, using DSM-IV major and minor depressive episode as the gold standard diagnoses. The criterion validation was conducted on 114 subjects who did not differ on health and sociodemographic characteristics from the total study sample (n=501). Test characteristics for each possible SRQ cut-off were calculated and Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curves derived. Area under the ROC curve (AUROC) for detection of current major depressive disorder was 0.856 (95% CI 0.813 to 0.900), and for current major or minor depressive disorder was 0.826 (95% CI 0.783 to 0.869). Internal consistency of the SRQ was high (Cronbach's alpha 0.85). Inter-rater reliability testing was not conducted. This Chichewa version of the SRQ shows utility as a brief screening measure for detection of probable maternal depression in rural Malawi.

  4. Use of electronic clinical reminders to increase preventive screenings in a primary care setting: blueprint from a successful process in Kodiak, Alaska.

    PubMed

    Onders, Robert; Spillane, James; Reilley, Brigg; Leston, Jessica

    2014-01-01

    The Kodiak Area Native Association (KANA) provides primary health care in Kodiak, Alaska and 6 outlying villages. KANA sought to actively improve key preventive screening rates for its patients. KANA adopted an electronic health record in 2008 and deployed national clinical reminders from the Indian Health Service for 5 key preventive screenings: tobacco use, alcohol use, depression, intimate partner violence, and a comprehensive cardiovascular exam. Clinical reminders were deployed in a 5-step process: (a) establish clinical demand, (b) pilot test reminder, (c) expand reminder to all providers, (d) measure outcomes and share results, and (e) delegate clinical reminder follow-up (primarily to nurses). Data from 2007-2011 show screening rates for all 5 measures improved considerably, to levels significantly above the national average for Indian Health Service facilities. Clinical reminders have been a key part of a multistep process to improve screening for depression, tobacco cessation, intimate partner violence, alcohol use, and cardiovascular disease. If deployed correctly, reminders are valuable tools in identifying patients who are overdue for preventive health screenings.

  5. Rating scale item assessment of self-harm in postpartum women: a cross-sectional analysis.

    PubMed

    Coker, Jessica L; Tripathi, Shanti P; Knight, Bettina T; Pennell, Page B; Magann, Everett F; Newport, D Jeffrey; Stowe, Zachary N

    2017-10-01

    We examined the utility of screening instruments to identify risk factors for suicidal ideation (SI) in a population of women with neuropsychiatric illnesses at high risk for postpartum depression. Pregnant women with neuropsychiatric illness enrolled prior to 20 weeks of gestation. Follow-up visits at 4-8-week intervals through 13 weeks postpartum included assessment of depressive symptoms with both clinician and self-rated scales. A total of 842 women were included in the study. Up to 22.3% of postpartum women admitted SI on rating scales, despite the majority (79%) receiving active pharmacological treatment for psychiatric illness. Postpartum women admitting self-harm/SI were more likely to meet criteria for current major depressive episode (MDE), less than college education, an unplanned pregnancy, a history of past suicide attempt, and a higher score on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. In women with a history of neuropsychiatric illness, over 20% admitted SI during the postpartum period despite ongoing psychiatric treatment. Patient-rated depression scales are more sensitive screening tools than a clinician-rated depression scale for +SI in the postpartum period.

  6. Association of Types of Life Events with Depressive Symptoms among Puerto Rican Youth

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    The main objective of this study was to examine the association between four types of adverse life events (family environment, separation, social adversity, and death) and the development of depressive symptoms among Puerto Rican youth. This was a secondary analysis using three waves (2000–2004) of interview data from the Boricua Youth Study of 10–13 year old Puerto Rican youth residing in New York and Puerto Rico with no depressive symptoms at baseline (n = 977). Depressive symptoms increased with an increase in social adversity, separation, death, and death events. Youth support from parents was a significant protective factor for all adverse events and parent coping was a protective factor in social adversity events. Relying on standard diagnostic tools is ideal to identify youth meeting the criteria for a diagnosis of depression but not useful to detect youth who present with subclinical levels of depression. Youth with sub-clinical levels of depression will not get treated and are at increased risk of developing depression later in life. Adverse life events are potentially relevant to use in conjunction with other screening tools to identify Puerto Rican youth who have subclinical depression and are at risk of developing depression in later adolescence. PMID:27788173

  7. Understanding How Postnatal Depression Screening and Early Intervention Work in the Real World - A Singaporean Perspective.

    PubMed

    Lee, Theresa My; Bautista, Dianne; Chen, Helen Y

    2016-10-01

    Postnatal depression is a major public health problem with clearly established adverse effects in child outcomes. This study examines the 4-year outcomes of a screening and early intervention programme, in relation to improvement in symptoms, functioning and health quality of life. Women were prospectively recruited up to 6 months postdelivery, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) as a screening tool. High-scorers (EPDS >13), were offered psychiatric consultation, and those with borderline scores (EPDS 10-12) were provided counselling, and offered follow-up phone counselling by the assigned case manager. Outcome measures were obtained at baseline, and at 6 months or discharge if earlier, for levels of symptoms, functioning, and health quality of life. From 2008 to 2012, 5245 women were screened, with 307 (5.9%) women with EPDS >13 receiving intervention. Of these, 70.0% had depression, 4.6% anxiety and 3.4% psychosis. In the depression subgroup, the net change was improvement of 93.4% EPDS symptom scores, 92.2% Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores, and 88.3% visual analogue scale (EQ VAS) health quality of life scores. Outcome scores across diagnostic categories demonstrated median changes of 10 points on EPDS, 20 points on GAF, and 25 points on EQ VAS, reflecting 73.9%, 36.4% and 41.7% change from baseline scores. Women with psychosis showed the biggest (80.0%) relative change in GAF functioning scores from baseline to discharge but had the lowest median change in EPDS symptom scores. A screening and intervention programme rightly-sited within an obstetric setting can improve clinical outcomes because of early detection and intervention.

  8. Comparing the feasibility, acceptability, clinical-, and cost-effectiveness of mental health e-screening to paper-based screening on the detection of depression, anxiety, and psychosocial risk in pregnant women: a study protocol of a randomized, parallel-group, superiority trial.

    PubMed

    Kingston, Dawn; McDonald, Sheila; Biringer, Anne; Austin, Marie-Paule; Hegadoren, Kathy; McDonald, Sarah; Giallo, Rebecca; Ohinmaa, Arto; Lasiuk, Gerri; MacQueen, Glenda; Sword, Wendy; Lane-Smith, Marie; van Zanten, Sander Veldhuyzen

    2014-01-02

    Stress, depression, and anxiety affect 15% to 25% of pregnant women. However, substantial barriers to psychosocial assessment exist, resulting in less than 20% of prenatal care providers assessing and treating mental health problems. Moreover, pregnant women are often reluctant to disclose their mental health concerns to a healthcare provider. Identifying screening and assessment tools and procedures that are acceptable to both women and service providers, cost-effective, and clinically useful is needed. The primary objective of this randomized, parallel-group, superiority trial is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a computer tablet-based prenatal psychosocial assessment (e-screening) compared to paper-based screening. Secondary objectives are to compare the two modes of screening on: (1) the level of detection of prenatal depression and anxiety symptoms and psychosocial risk; (2) the level of disclosure of symptoms; (3) the factors associated with feasibility, acceptability, and disclosure; (4) the psychometric properties of the e-version of the assessment tools; and (5) cost-effectiveness. A sample of 542 women will be recruited from large, primary care maternity clinics and a high-risk antenatal unit in an urban Canadian city. Pregnant women are eligible to participate if they: (1) receive care at one of the recruitment sites; (2) are able to speak/read English; (3) are willing to be randomized to e-screening; and (4) are willing to participate in a follow-up diagnostic interview within 1 week of recruitment. Allocation is by computer-generated randomization. Women in the intervention group will complete an online psychosocial assessment on a computer tablet, while those in the control group will complete the same assessment in paper-based form. All women will complete baseline questionnaires at the time of recruitment and will participate in a diagnostic interview within 1 week of recruitment. Research assistants conducting diagnostic interviews and physicians will be blinded. A qualitative descriptive study involving healthcare providers from the recruitment sites and women will provide data on feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. We hypothesize that mental health e-screening in primary care maternity settings and high-risk antenatal units will be as or more feasible, acceptable, and capable of detecting depression, anxiety, and psychosocial risk compared to paper-based screening. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01899534.

  9. Frequency of reporting and predictive factors for anxiety and depression in patients with advanced cancer.

    PubMed

    Salvo, N; Zeng, L; Zhang, L; Leung, M; Khan, L; Presutti, R; Nguyen, J; Holden, L; Culleton, S; Chow, E

    2012-03-01

    The prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with advanced cancer has been reported to be on average 25% and to significantly affect patients' quality of life. Despite high prevalence rates, these disorders remain underdiagnosed and undertreated. The purpose of our study was to examine the self-report rates of anxiety and depression with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and to assess the predictive factors for these reports in cancer patients with metastatic disease. Consecutive patients who attended the Rapid Response Radiotherapy Program (RRRP) completed the ESAS as well as baseline demographic information. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors that significantly predicted anxiety and/or depression. Pearson χ(2) was used to test goodness-of-fit for categorical variables and established whether or not an observed frequency distribution differed from a predicted frequency distribution. A univariate analysis was conducted first and those variables with a P value<0.100 were included in a multivariate analysis. A score test was used to test the proportional odds assumption. In total, 1439 patients seen in the RRRP between January 1999 and October 2009 completed ESAS questionnaires. Fifty-five per cent of patients reported at least mild symptoms of depression and 65% reported at least mild anxiety. In the univariate analysis, patients who were female, who had a lower performance status score, or primary lung cancer were more likely to report depressed and anxious feelings. Primary prostate cancer patients were significantly less likely to report depression and anxiety. Patients referred for spinal cord compression were significantly less depressed. The multivariate models showed that younger patients were significantly more anxious than older patients and females reported more anxiety than males. Patients who reported higher feelings of nausea, tiredness, drowsiness, dyspnoea, and worse appetite and overall well-being on the ESAS tool were more likely to report feelings of depression. Patients who reported higher nausea, drowsiness, dyspnoea and worse overall well-being more often reported higher feelings of anxiety. The self-report rates of anxiety and depression were consistent with published prevalence rates. However, the explained variance based on factors included in the model remains low. Additional predictive factors should be examined in future studies in this population. The ESAS tool seems to be an efficient screening tool for anxiety and depression; however, future studies should examine its correlative properties with other known screening tools in the advanced cancer population. A prospective study should be conducted to assess the severity cut-off point in which the ESAS scores most frequently lead to a further diagnosis of an anxiety or depressive disorder in the advance cancer population. Copyright © 2011 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Psychological Distress and Drawing Tests among Women with Breast Cancer.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jiyeon; Youn, Soyoung; Choi, Byeongil; Jung, Kyung Hae; Ahn, Seung Do; Hwang, Sook Yeon; Chung, Seockhoon; Lee, Jaedam

    2018-04-23

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the Diagnostic Drawing Series (DDS) as a screening tool for the breast cancer patients with psychological distress. All of 64 patients with breast cancer participated in this study. Patients' depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) when the DDS was applied to the partipicants. Depressed patients used more enclosure in the Feeling drawings ( P = 0.002) and tilt in Free drawings ( P = 0.048). Patients with anxiety drew a picture over 67% of the paper ( P = 0.015) in Tree drawing and more medium pressure ( P = 0.049) in Feeling drawings. Thirty four subjects (77.3%) of unstable emotion group used over 67% of the space ( P = 0.002). More Landscapes were observed in the Feeling drawings of unstable patients ( P = 0.042). These results suggested that DDS could be used as a supplemental screening tool for psychological distress in breast cancer patients.

  11. Psychological Distress and Drawing Tests among Women with Breast Cancer

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the Diagnostic Drawing Series (DDS) as a screening tool for the breast cancer patients with psychological distress. Methods All of 64 patients with breast cancer participated in this study. Patients' depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) when the DDS was applied to the partipicants. Results Depressed patients used more enclosure in the Feeling drawings (P = 0.002) and tilt in Free drawings (P = 0.048). Patients with anxiety drew a picture over 67% of the paper (P = 0.015) in Tree drawing and more medium pressure (P = 0.049) in Feeling drawings. Thirty four subjects (77.3%) of unstable emotion group used over 67% of the space (P = 0.002). More Landscapes were observed in the Feeling drawings of unstable patients (P = 0.042). Conclusion These results suggested that DDS could be used as a supplemental screening tool for psychological distress in breast cancer patients. PMID:29686600

  12. [Adolescent depression and the risk factors for the development of mental disorders--15 years prospective follow up].

    PubMed

    Bomba, Jacek; Modrzejewska, Renata; Pilecki, Maciej

    2003-01-01

    Assessment of impact of adolescent depression on the development of mental disorders, substance dependency and social pathology in adulthood, and difference of the risk between depression in early and middle adolescence. In 1984 prevalence of depression was assessed in a representative sample of adolescent urban population. Kraków Depression Inventory (KID) was used as a screening tool. In 2000 all participants of the earlier phase of the study were informed by mail about the task of the project and asked to answer attached the questionnaire. Information on care was collected from district psychiatric hospitals and local intoxication centres. 985 letters were sent (introductory data about 50 persons were not complete). 50 letters were returned without an answer. 256 persons (168 women and 87 men) responded. A statistically significant relation was observed between adolescent depression and worse general health condition and cigarette smoking. Mid-adolescent depression in men was related with a lack of significant partnership, while in women with motherhood and disrupted marriage. Early adolescent depression in women was related with less extended extra-familiar social relations. Women depressive in mid-adolescence, on the contrary, declared more relations of this kind. Adolescent depression screened by KID seems to influence a general health status and social relations, especially in women. The character of this impact is not clear. Gender is of a more important role in comparison with the stage of adolescence in which depression appeared.

  13. Major depression in primary care: making the diagnosis

    PubMed Central

    Ng, Chung Wai Mark; How, Choon How; Ng, Yin Ping

    2016-01-01

    Major depression is a common condition seen in the primary care setting, often presenting with somatic symptoms. It is potentially a chronic illness with considerable morbidity, and a high rate of relapse and recurrence. Major depression has a bidirectional relationship with chronic diseases, and a strong association with increased age and coexisting mental illnesses (e.g. anxiety disorders). Screening can be performed using clinical tools for major depression, such as the Patient Health Questionaire-2, Patient Health Questionaire-9 and Beck Depression Inventory, so that timely treatment can be initiated. An accurate diagnosis of major depression and its severity is essential for prompt treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality. This is the first of a series of articles that illustrates the approach to the management of major depression in primary care. Our next articles will cover suicide risk assessment in a depressed patient and outline the basic principles of management and treatment modalities. PMID:27872937

  14. Appraisal of the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire in a perinatal cohort: The APrON study.

    PubMed

    Leung, Brenda; Letourneau, Nicole; Bright, Katherine; Giesbrecht, Gerald F; Ntanda, Henry; Gagnon, Lisa

    2017-08-01

    Depression and anxiety are routinely screened as part of perinatal care. However, other Axis 1 disorders and specific anxiety disorders are less likely to be screened or assessed as part of obstetric care. The objective of this study was to determine whether the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ) is a potentially useful tool to screen for psychiatric conditions in pregnant and postpartum women in a community setting. We compared the prevalence of DSM Axis I disorders obtained on the PDSQ with: (1) the prevalence of these disorders reported in previous studies of pregnant and postpartum women, and (2) scores obtained on the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90R) anxiety scale. Data were obtained from the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study. The PDSQ was completed by 1575 women prenatally and 1481 postnatally. The three most prevalent PDSQ conditions were social phobia, somatic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The prevalence of social phobia, alcohol disorder, OCD and psychosis were higher in the APrON cohort compared with statistics in the literature. The proportion of women meeting depression and anxiety cut-offs on the PDSQ were lower than for the EPDS and the SCL-90R. The Cohens Kappa index ( k) indicated poor to fair agreement between the measures in classifying pregnant women as depressed or anxious. The PDSQ subscales may not be appropriate for the pregnant population. Research into instruments more specific to pregnant and postpartum women are needed to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in this population.

  15. Multifactorial screening for fall risk in community-dwelling older adults in the primary care office: development of the fall risk assessment & screening tool.

    PubMed

    Renfro, Mindy Oxman; Fehrer, Steven

    2011-01-01

    Unintentional falls is an increasing public health problem as incidence of falls rises and the population ages. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 3 adults aged 65 years and older will experience a fall this year; 20% to 30% of those who fall will sustain a moderate to severe injury. Physical therapists caring for older adults are usually engaged with these patients after the first injury fall and may have little opportunity to abate fall risk before the injuries occur. This article describes the content selection and development of a simple-to-administer, multifactorial, Fall Risk Assessment & Screening Tool (FRAST), designed specifically for use in primary care settings to identify those older adults with high fall risk. Fall Risk Assessment & Screening Tool incorporates previously validated measures within a new multifactorial tool and includes targeted recommendations for intervention. Development of the multifactorial FRAST used a 5-part process: identification of significant fall risk factors, review of best evidence, selection of items, creation of the scoring grid, and development of a recommended action plan. Fall Risk Assessment & Screening Tool has been developed to assess fall risk in the target population of older adults (older than 65 years) living and ambulating independently in the community. Many fall risk factors have been considered and 15 items selected for inclusion. Fall Risk Assessment & Screening Tool includes 4 previously validated measures to assess balance, depression, falls efficacy, and home safety. Reliability and validity studies of FRAST are under way. Fall risk for community-dwelling older adults is an urgent, multifactorial, public health problem. Providing primary care practitioners (PCPs) with a very simple screening tool is imperative. Fall Risk Assessment & Screening Tool was created to allow for safe, quick, and low-cost administration by minimally trained office staff with interpretation and follow-up provided by the PCP.

  16. Using mHealth technologies to improve the identification of behavioral health problems in urban primary care settings.

    PubMed

    Staeheli, Martha; Aseltine, Robert H; Schilling, Elizabeth; Anderson, Daren; Gould, Bruce

    2017-01-01

    Behavioral health disorders remain under recognized and under diagnosed among urban primary care patients. Screening patients for such problems is widely recommended, yet is challenging to do in a brief primary care encounter, particularly for this socially and medically complex patient population. In 2013, intervention patients at an urban Connecticut primary clinic were screened for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and risky drinking (n = 146) using an electronic tablet-based screening tool. Screening data were compared to electronic health record data from control patients (n = 129) to assess differences in the prevalence of behavioral health problems, rates of follow-up care, and the rate of newly identified cases in the intervention group. Results from logistic regressions indicated that both groups had similar rates of disorder at baseline. Patients in the intervention group were five times more likely to be identified with depression (p < 0.05). Post-traumatic stress disorder was virtually unrecognized among controls but was observed in 23% of the intervention group (p < 0.001). The vast majority of behavioral health problems identified in the intervention group were new cases. Follow-up rates were significantly higher in the intervention group relative to controls, but were low overall. This tablet-based electronic screening tool identified significantly higher rates of behavioral health disorders than have been previously reported for this patient population. Electronic risk screening using patient-reported outcome measures offers an efficient approach to improving the identification of behavioral health problems and improving rates of follow-up care.

  17. How does the Distress Thermometer compare to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for detecting possible cases of psychological morbidity among cancer survivors?

    PubMed

    Boyes, Allison; D'Este, Catherine; Carey, Mariko; Lecathelinais, Christophe; Girgis, Afaf

    2013-01-01

    Use of the Distress Thermometer (DT) as a screening tool is increasing across the cancer trajectory. This study examined the accuracy and optimal cut-off score of the DT compared to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for detecting possible cases of psychological morbidity among adults in early survivorship. This study is a cross-sectional survey of 1,323 adult cancer survivors recruited from two state-based cancer registries in Australia. Participants completed the DT and the HADS at 6 months post-diagnosis. Compared to the HADS subscale threshold ≥8, the DT performed well in discriminating between cases and non-cases of anxiety, depression and comorbid anxiety-depression with an area under the curve of 0.85, 0.84 and 0.87, respectively. A DT cut-off score of ≥2 was best for clinical use (sensitivity, 87-95 %; specificity, 60-68 %), ≥4 was best for research use (sensitivity, 67-82 %; specificity, 81-88 %) and ≥3 was the best balance between sensitivity (77-88 %) and specificity (72-79 %) for detecting cases of anxiety, depression and comorbid anxiety-depression. The DT demonstrated a high level of precision in identifying non-cases of psychological morbidity at all possible thresholds (negative predictive value, 77-99 %). The recommended DT cut-off score of ≥4 was not supported for universal use among recent cancer survivors. The optimal DT threshold depends upon whether the tool is being used in the clinical or research setting. The DT may best serve to initially identify non-cases as part of a two-stage screening process. The performance of the DT against 'gold standard' clinical interview should be evaluated with cancer survivors.

  18. The DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure as a Screening Tool.

    PubMed

    Bastiaens, Leo; Galus, James

    2018-03-01

    The DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure was developed to aid clinicians with a dimensional assessment of psychopathology; however, this measure resembles a screening tool for several symptomatic domains. The objective of the current study was to examine the basic parameters of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive power of the measure as a screening tool. One hundred and fifty patients in a correctional community center filled out the measure prior to a psychiatric evaluation, including the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview screen. The above parameters were calculated for the domains of depression, mania, anxiety, and psychosis. The results showed that the sensitivity and positive predictive power of the studied domains was poor because of a high rate of false positive answers on the measure. However, when the lowest threshold on the Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure was used, the sensitivity of the anxiety and psychosis domains and the negative predictive values for mania, anxiety and psychosis were good. In conclusion, while it is foreseeable that some clinicians may use the DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure as a screening tool, it should not be relied on to identify positive findings. It functioned well in the negative prediction of mania, anxiety and psychosis symptoms.

  19. Depression screening for patients with epilepsy in a primary care setting using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy.

    PubMed

    Margrove, Kerrie; Mensah, Seth; Thapar, Ajay; Kerr, Michael

    2011-08-01

    Depression among people with a diagnosis of epilepsy is under-recognized. General practitioner (GP) screening for depression using a new scale developed specifically for patients with epilepsy, the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), has not before been reported. The aims were to examine the process of GP screening for depression in patients with epilepsy employing the widely used Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and the NDDI-E; to determine the impact of screening on GP-recognized depression; and to ascertain depression predictors. Patients were screened via their GPs. A subset of participants underwent clinical interview to assess screener accuracy. Use of either instrument almost doubled the proportion of GP-recognized depression. Ninety-four percent of those interviewed found screening acceptable. More recent and frequent seizures predicted screening positive. The results suggest that screening for depression in patients with epilepsy via GPs improves detection of depression and is acceptable to interviewed patients. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. A matter of motion or an emotional matter? Management of depression in Parkinson's disease.

    PubMed

    Lagopoulos, Jim; Malhi, Gin S; Ivanovski, Belinda; Cahill, Catherine M; Morris, John G L

    2005-11-01

    Depression is one of the most frequent comorbidities occurring in Parkinson's disease, affecting up to 50% of patients. Depression is associated with severe negative symptoms and has been shown to contribute to an increased rate of decline of both cognitive and motor function, profoundly impacting on the patient's quality of life. The symptoms of depression overlap with the motor features of Parkinson's disease, making detection difficult. Moreover, the lack of specialized screening tools means that depression remains undiagnosed and untreated in a high percentage of patients. However, depression in Parkinson's disease, when identified early, can be effectively treated with a variety of antidepressant medications, improving quality of life and preserving daily function. The focus of this review is to provide an overview of current knowledge regarding depression in Parkinson's disease, followed by a practical discussion addressing the issues of the detection, diagnosis and treatment.

  1. Diabetes and Depression

    PubMed Central

    de Groot, Mary; Golden, Sherita Hill

    2015-01-01

    Diabetes and depression occur together approximately twice as frequently as would be predicted by chance alone. Comorbid diabetes and depression are a major clinical challenge as the outcomes of both conditions are worsened by the other. Although the psychological burden of diabetes may contribute to depression, this explanation does not fully explain the relationship between these 2 conditions. Both conditions may be driven by shared underlying biological and behavioral mechanisms, such as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, inflammation, sleep disturbance, inactive lifestyle, poor dietary habits, and environmental and cultural risk factors. Depression is frequently missed in people with diabetes despite effective screening tools being available. Both psychological interventions and antidepressants are effective in treating depressive symptoms in people with diabetes but have mixed effects on glycemic control. Clear care pathways involving a multidisciplinary team are needed to obtain optimal medical and psychiatric outcomes for people with comorbid diabetes and depression. PMID:24743941

  2. Measuring Disability in Population Based Surveys: The Interrelationship between Clinical Impairments and Reported Functional Limitations in Cameroon and India

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Purpose To investigate the relationship between two distinct measures of disability: self-reported functional limitations and objectively-screened clinical impairments. Methods We undertook an all age population-based survey of disability in two areas: North-West Cameroon (August/October 2013) and Telangana State, India (Feb/April 2014). Participants were selected for inclusion via two-stage cluster randomised sampling (probability proportionate to size cluster selection and compact segment sampling within clusters). Disability was defined as the presence of self-reported functional limitations across eight domains, or presence of moderate or greater clinical impairments. Clinical impairment screening comprised of visual acuity testing for vision impairment, pure tone audiometry for hearing impairment, musculoskeletal functioning assessment for musculoskeletal impairment, reported seizure history for epilepsy and reported symptoms of clinical depression (depression adults only). Information was collected using structured questionnaires, observations and examinations. Results Self-reported disability prevalence was 5.9% (95% CI 4.7–7.4) and 7.5% (5.9–9.4) in Cameroon and India respectively. The prevalence of moderate or greater clinical impairments in the same populations were 8.4% (7.5–9.4) in Cameroon and 10.5% (9.4–11.7) in India. Overall disability prevalence (self-report and/or screened positive to a moderate or greater clinical impairment) was 10.5% in Cameroon and 12.2% in India, with limited overlap between the sub-populations identified using the two types of tools. 33% of participants in Cameroon identified to have a disability, and 45% in India, both reported functional limitations and screened positive to objectively-screened impairments, whilst the remainder were identified via one or other tool only. A large proportion of people with moderate or severe clinical impairments did not self-report functional difficulties despite reporting participation restrictions. Conclusion Tools to assess reported functional limitation alone are insufficient to identify all persons with participation restrictions and moderate or severe clinical impairments. A self-reported functional limitation tool followed by clinical screening of all those who report any level of difficulty would identify 94% of people with disabilities in Cameroon and 95% in India, meeting the study criteria. PMID:27741320

  3. Measuring Disability in Population Based Surveys: The Interrelationship between Clinical Impairments and Reported Functional Limitations in Cameroon and India.

    PubMed

    Mactaggart, Islay; Kuper, Hannah; Murthy, G V S; Oye, Joseph; Polack, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    To investigate the relationship between two distinct measures of disability: self-reported functional limitations and objectively-screened clinical impairments. We undertook an all age population-based survey of disability in two areas: North-West Cameroon (August/October 2013) and Telangana State, India (Feb/April 2014). Participants were selected for inclusion via two-stage cluster randomised sampling (probability proportionate to size cluster selection and compact segment sampling within clusters). Disability was defined as the presence of self-reported functional limitations across eight domains, or presence of moderate or greater clinical impairments. Clinical impairment screening comprised of visual acuity testing for vision impairment, pure tone audiometry for hearing impairment, musculoskeletal functioning assessment for musculoskeletal impairment, reported seizure history for epilepsy and reported symptoms of clinical depression (depression adults only). Information was collected using structured questionnaires, observations and examinations. Self-reported disability prevalence was 5.9% (95% CI 4.7-7.4) and 7.5% (5.9-9.4) in Cameroon and India respectively. The prevalence of moderate or greater clinical impairments in the same populations were 8.4% (7.5-9.4) in Cameroon and 10.5% (9.4-11.7) in India. Overall disability prevalence (self-report and/or screened positive to a moderate or greater clinical impairment) was 10.5% in Cameroon and 12.2% in India, with limited overlap between the sub-populations identified using the two types of tools. 33% of participants in Cameroon identified to have a disability, and 45% in India, both reported functional limitations and screened positive to objectively-screened impairments, whilst the remainder were identified via one or other tool only. A large proportion of people with moderate or severe clinical impairments did not self-report functional difficulties despite reporting participation restrictions. Tools to assess reported functional limitation alone are insufficient to identify all persons with participation restrictions and moderate or severe clinical impairments. A self-reported functional limitation tool followed by clinical screening of all those who report any level of difficulty would identify 94% of people with disabilities in Cameroon and 95% in India, meeting the study criteria.

  4. [Psychometric properties of postpartum depression predictors inventory- revised- prenatal version in a sample of spanish pregnant women.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez-Muñoz, María de la Fe; Vallejo Slocker, Laura; Olivares Crespo, María Eugenia; Izquierdo Méndez, Nuria; Soto, Cristina; Le, Huynh-Nhu

    2017-12-15

    Prenatal depression is a major public health problem, therefore predicting and preventing it is a relevant objective for public health agendas. Consequently, it is important to have adequate screening tools to detect risk factors associated with prenatal depression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties reliability and factor structure of the Spanish version of the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory- Revised- Prenatal Version (PDI-R) in pregnant women who attend prenatal care in an urban hospital in Spain. The sample was formed of 445 women receiving prenatal care in an obstetrics clinic in an urban public hospital in Madrid, Spain. The internal consistency of PDPI-R was assessed by measuring Cronbach's Alfa index, calculating the COR curve and percentiles for this sample. The PDPI-R showed good internal consistency in this sample (Cronbach's Alfa = 0,855). The area under the COR curve is 0,84 p≤0,001. Sensibility and specificity values were 62,3% and 69,5% respectively, and the cut-off point with greatest sensibility and specificity was 4. The PDPI-R is reliable and can be used to screen for risk factor for depression during pregnancy.

  5. Development of a Clinical Forecasting Model to Predict Comorbid Depression Among Diabetes Patients and an Application in Depression Screening Policy Making.

    PubMed

    Jin, Haomiao; Wu, Shinyi; Di Capua, Paul

    2015-09-03

    Depression is a common but often undiagnosed comorbid condition of people with diabetes. Mass screening can detect undiagnosed depression but may require significant resources and time. The objectives of this study were 1) to develop a clinical forecasting model that predicts comorbid depression among patients with diabetes and 2) to evaluate a model-based screening policy that saves resources and time by screening only patients considered as depressed by the clinical forecasting model. We trained and validated 4 machine learning models by using data from 2 safety-net clinical trials; we chose the one with the best overall predictive ability as the ultimate model. We compared model-based policy with alternative policies, including mass screening and partial screening, on the basis of depression history or diabetes severity. Logistic regression had the best overall predictive ability of the 4 models evaluated and was chosen as the ultimate forecasting model. Compared with mass screening, the model-based policy can save approximately 50% to 60% of provider resources and time but will miss identifying about 30% of patients with depression. Partial-screening policy based on depression history alone found only a low rate of depression. Two other heuristic-based partial screening policies identified depression at rates similar to those of the model-based policy but cost more in resources and time. The depression prediction model developed in this study has compelling predictive ability. By adopting the model-based depression screening policy, health care providers can use their resources and time better and increase their efficiency in managing their patients with depression.

  6. Performance of screening tools in detecting major depressive disorder among patients with coronary heart disease: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Ren, Yanping; Yang, Hui; Browning, Colette; Thomas, Shane; Liu, Meiyan

    2015-03-01

    Eligible studies published before 31 Dec 2013 were identified from the following databases: Ovid Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Scopus, Cochrane Library, CINAHL Plus, and Web of Science. Eligible studies published before 31, Dec 2013 were identified from the following databases: Ovid Medline, EMBASE, psycINFO, Scopus, Cochrane Library, CINAHL Plus, and Web of Science. Eight studies aiming to identify MDD in CHD patients were included, and there were 10 self-reporting questionnaires (such as PHQ-2, PHQ-9, PHQ categorical algorithm, HADS-D, BDI, BDI-II, BDI-II-cog, CES-D, SCL-90, 2 simple yes/no items) and 1 observer rating scale (Ham-D). For MDD alone, the sensitivity and specificity of various screening tools at the validity and optimal cut-off point varied from 0.34 [0.19, 0.52] to 0.96 [0.78, 1.00] and 0.69 [0.65, 0.73] to 0.97 [0.93, 0.99]. Results showed PHQ-9 (≥10), BDI-II (³14 or ≥16), and HADS-D (≥5 or ≥4) were widely used for screening MDD in CHD patients. There is no consensus on the optimal screening tool for MDD in CHD patients. When evaluating the performance of a screening tool, balancing the high sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) between specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) for screening or diagnostic purpose should be considered. After screening, further diagnosis, appropriate management, and necessary referral may also improve cardiovascular outcomes.

  7. Depression screening with patient-targeted feedback in cardiology: DEPSCREEN-INFO randomised clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Löwe, Bernd; Blankenberg, Stefan; Wegscheider, Karl; König, Hans-Helmut; Walter, Dirk; Murray, Alexandra M; Gierk, Benjamin; Kohlmann, Sebastian

    2017-02-01

    International guidelines advocate depression screening in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and other chronic illnesses, but evidence is lacking. To test the differential efficacy of written patient-targeted feedback v. no written patient feedback after depression screening. Patients with CHD or hypertension from three cardiology settings were randomised and screened for depression (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01879111). Compared with the control group, where only cardiologists received written feedback, in the intervention group both cardiologists and patients received written feedback regarding depression status. Depression severity was measured 1 month (primary outcome) and 6 months after screening. The control group (n = 220) and the patient-feedback group (n = 155) did not differ in depression severity 1 month after screening. Six months after screening, the patient-feedback group showed significantly greater improvements in depression severity and was twice as likely to seek information about depression compared with the control group. Patient-targeted feedback in addition to screening has a significant but small effect on depression severity after 6 months and may encourage patients to take an active role in the self-management of depression. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017.

  8. Validity and diagnostic accuracy of the Luganda version of the 9-item and 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire for detecting major depressive disorder in rural Uganda.

    PubMed

    Nakku, J E M; Rathod, S D; Kizza, D; Breuer, E; Mutyaba, K; Baron, E C; Ssebunnya, J; Kigozi, F

    2016-01-01

    The prevalence of depression in rural Ugandan communities is high and yet detection and treatment of depression in the primary care setting is suboptimal. Short valid depression screening measures may improve detection of depression. We describe the validation of the Luganda translated nine- and two-item Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQ-9 and PHQ-2) as screening tools for depression in two rural primary care facilities in Eastern Uganda. A total of 1407 adult respondents were screened consecutively using the nine-item Luganda PHQ. Of these 212 were randomly selected to respond to the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview diagnostic questionnaire. Descriptive statistics for respondents' demographic characteristics and PHQ scores were generated. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values (PPVs), and area under the ROC curve were determined for both the PHQ-9 and PHQ-2. The optimum trade-off between sensitivity and PPV was at a cut-off of ≧5. The weighted area under the receiver Operating Characteristic curve was 0.74 (95% CI 0.60-0.89) and 0.68 (95% CI 0.54-0.82) for PHQ-9 and PHQ-2, respectively. The Luganda translation of the PHQ-9 was found to be modestly useful in detecting depression. The PHQ-9 performed only slightly better than the PHQ-2 in this rural Ugandan Primary care setting. Future research could improve on diagnostic accuracy by considering the idioms of distress among Luganda speakers, and revising the PHQ-9 accordingly. The usefulness of the PHQ-2 in this rural population should be viewed with caution.

  9. Apathy, but not depression, is associated with executive dysfunction in cerebral small vessel disease

    PubMed Central

    Hollocks, Matthew J.; Morris, Robin G.; Markus, Hugh S.

    2017-01-01

    Objective To determine the prevalence of apathy and depression in cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), and the relationships between both apathy and depression with cognition. To examine whether apathy is specifically related to impairment in executive functioning and processing speed. Methods 196 patients with a clinical lacunar stroke and an anatomically corresponding lacunar infarct on MRI were compared to 300 stroke-free controls. Apathy and depression were measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale, and cognitive functioning was assessed using an SVD cognitive screening tool, the Brief Memory and Executive Test, which measures executive functioning/processing speed and memory/orientation. Path analysis and binary logistic regression were used to assess the relation between apathy, depression and cognitive impairment. Results 31 participants with SVD (15.8%) met criteria for apathy only, 23 (11.8%) for both apathy and depression, and 2 (1.0%) for depression only. In the SVD group the presence of apathy was related to global cognition, and specifically to impaired executive functioning/processing speed, but not memory/orientation. The presence of depression was not related to global cognition, impaired executive functioning/processing speed or memory/orientation. Conclusions Apathy is a common feature of SVD and is associated with impaired executive functioning/processing speed suggesting the two may share biological mechanisms. Screening for apathy should be considered in SVD, and further work is required to develop and evaluate effective apathy treatment or management in SVD. PMID:28493898

  10. Mental disorder in limb reconstruction: Prevalence, associations and impact on work disability.

    PubMed

    Rayner, L; Simpson, A; Matcham, F; Shetty, S; Lahoti, O; Groom, G; Hotopf, M

    2016-10-01

    This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and drug and alcohol dependence in a limb reconstruction population and examine associations with demographic and functional variables. As part of routine clinical care, data were collected from 566 patients attending a tertiary referral centre for limb reconstruction between April 2012 and February 2016. Depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol and drug dependence were measured using standardised self-report screening tools. 173 patients (30.6% CI 26.7-34.4) screened positive for at least one of the mental disorders assessed. 110 (19.4% CI 16.2-22.7) met criteria for probable major depression; 112 (19.9% CI 16.6-23.2) patients met criteria for probable generalised anxiety disorder; and 41 (7.6% CI 5.3-9.8) patients met criteria for probable PTSD. The prevalence of probable alcohol dependence and probable drug dependence was 1.6% (CI 0.6-2.7) and 4.5% (CI 2.7-6.3), respectively. Patients who screened positive for depression, anxiety and PTSD reported significantly higher levels of pain, fatigue, and functional impairment. Depression and anxiety were independently associated with work disability after adjustment for covariates (OR 1.98 (CI 1.08-3.62) and OR 1.83 (CI 1.04-3.23), respectively). The high prevalence and adverse associations of probable mental disorder in limb reconstruction attest to the need for routine psychological assessment and support. Integrated screening and management of mental disorder in this population may have a positive impact on patients' emotional, physical and occupational rehabilitation. A randomised controlled trial is needed to test this hypothesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Depression in dialysis patients.

    PubMed

    King-Wing Ma, Terry; Kam-Tao Li, Philip

    2016-08-01

    Depression is the most common psychiatric illness in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The reported prevalence of depression in dialysis population varied from 22.8% (interview-based diagnosis) to 39.3% (self- or clinician-administered rating scales). Such differences were attributed to the overlapping symptoms of uraemia and depression. Systemic review and meta-analysis of observational studies showed that depression was a significant predictor of mortality in dialysis population. The optimal screening tool for depression in dialysis patients remains uncertain. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD) have been validated for screening purposes. Patients who scored ≥14 using BDI should be referred to a psychiatrist for early evaluation. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM disorders (SCID) remains the gold standard for diagnosis. Non-pharmacological treatment options include cognitive behavioural therapy and exercise training programs. Although frequent haemodialysis may have beneficial effects on patients' physical and mental well-being, it cannot and should not be viewed as a treatment of depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are generally effective and safe in ESRD patients, but most studies were small, non-randomized and uncontrolled. The European Renal Best Practice (ERBP) guideline suggests a trial of SSRI for 8 to 12 weeks in dialysis patients who have moderate-major depression. The treatment effect should be re-evaluated after 12 weeks to avoid prolonging ineffective medication. This review will discuss the current understanding in the diagnosis and management of depression in dialysis patients. © 2016 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.

  12. Clinician identification of elevated symptoms of depression among individuals seeking treatment for substance misuse.

    PubMed

    Hobden, Breanne; Carey, Mariko; Bryant, Jamie; Sanson-Fisher, Rob; Oldmeadow, Christopher

    2017-12-01

    Depression is common among those experiencing alcohol and other drug (AOD) disorders. It has been suggested that identifying depressive symptoms among this group is important for case management. Despite this, there is a lack of research examining how well clinicians perform this task within this setting. To determine the: (i) accuracy of clinician identified elevated symptoms of depression among clients seeking treatment for AOD misuse as compared to a standardized self-report psychiatric screening tool; and (ii) clinician and client characteristics associated with accurate identification of elevated symptoms of depression. The study used a descriptive cohort design. Participants from two Australian AOD outpatient clinics reported demographic data and completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to identify elevated symptoms of depression. Clinicians were asked to indicate the presence or absence of depression for individual clients. Client and clinician data were compared. Sensitivity of clinician identified elevated symptoms of depression, compared with the PHQ-9, was moderate at 73.0% (95% CI=63.7, 81.0) and specificity was low with 49.5% (95% CI=39.9, 61.2) accurately identified as not having elevated symptoms of depression. AOD clinicians' years' of experience, clients' main substance and length of treatment were associated with accuracy of identification. Clinicians identify elevated symptoms of depression with moderate accuracy amongst individuals with AOD disorders. There is a tendency to over-identify which may contribute to inaccuracies. Routine screening may assist in improving identification of depressive symptoms and place greater focus on mental health comorbidities. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Depression screening among older adults attending low-vision rehabilitation and eye-care services: Characteristics of those who screen positive and client acceptability of screening.

    PubMed

    Holloway, Edith E; Sturrock, Bonnie A; Lamoureux, Ecosse L; Keeffe, Jill E; Rees, Gwyneth

    2015-12-01

    To investigate characteristics associated with screening positive for depressive symptoms among older adults accessing low-vision rehabilitation and eye-care services and to determine client acceptability of depression screening using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) in these settings. One-hundred and twenty-four older adults (mean = 77.02 years, SD = 9.12) attending low-vision rehabilitation and eye-care services across Australia were screened for depression and invited to complete a telephone-administered questionnaire to determine characteristics associated with depressive symptoms and client acceptability of screening in these settings. Thirty-seven per cent (n = 46/124) of participants screened positive for depressive symptoms, and the majority considered the new depression screening method to be a 'good idea' in vision services (85%). Severe vision loss (<6/60 in the better eye) was associated with an increased odds of screening positive for depressive symptoms (odds ratio 2.37; 95% confidence interval 1.08-6.70) even after adjusting for potential confounders. Participants who screened positive had a preference for 'talking' therapy or a combination of medication and 'talking therapy' delivered within their own home (73%) or via telephone (67%). The PHQ-2 appears to be an acceptable method for depression screening in eye-care settings among older adults. Targeted interventions that incorporate home-based or telephone delivered therapy sessions may improve outcomes for depression in this group. © 2014 ACOTA.

  14. Six-month Follow Up of the Injured Trauma Survivor Screen (ITSS): Clinical Implications and Future Directions.

    PubMed

    Hunt, Joshua C; Chesney, Samantha A; Brasel, Karen; deRoon-Cassini, Terri A

    2018-04-17

    The Injured Trauma Survivor Screen (ITSS) has been shown to predict PTSD and depression risk at one-month after traumatic injury. This study explored the ability of the ITSS to predict chronic distress after injury, as well as the impact of combining the ITSS with an additional screening measure. Patients were enrolled following admission to a Level 1 trauma center. Baseline measurements were collected during initial hospitalization, and follow-up measures were collected an average of 6.5 months after injury. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were run to determine predictive accuracy, controlling for participants who had mental health intervention and for those who experienced additional potentially psychologically traumatic events since their injury event. Utilizing a cut score of 2, the ITSS PTSD scale had a sensitivity of 85.42%, specificity 67.35%, NPV 91.9% and PPV 51.4%. The Combined PTSD risk group (risk positive on the baseline ITSS and the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5) had a sensitivity of 72.92%, specificity 81.63%, NPV 88.2% and PPV 61.6%. Also utilizing a cut score of 2, the ITSS Depression scale had a sensitivity of 72.50%, specificity 70.29%, NPV 91.1% and PPV 37.9%. The 9-item ITSS, which takes approximately five minutes to administer, is a stable screening tool for predicting those most at risk for PTSD and/or depression six-months after admission to a Level 1 trauma center following traumatic injury. The Combined PTSD risk group data provide evidence that symptom evaluation by a psychologist can improve specificity. These results further inform the recommendation of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma regarding PTSD and depression screening in trauma centers. Prognostic study, Level III.

  15. Screening for Depression in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.

    PubMed

    Siu, Albert L; Bibbins-Domingo, Kirsten; Grossman, David C; Baumann, Linda Ciofu; Davidson, Karina W; Ebell, Mark; García, Francisco A R; Gillman, Matthew; Herzstein, Jessica; Kemper, Alex R; Krist, Alex H; Kurth, Ann E; Owens, Douglas K; Phillips, William R; Phipps, Maureen G; Pignone, Michael P

    2016-01-26

    Update of the 2009 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for depression in adults. The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for depression in adult populations, including older adults and pregnant and postpartum women; the accuracy of depression screening instruments; and the benefits and harms of depression treatment in these populations. This recommendation applies to adults 18 years and older. The USPSTF recommends screening for depression in the general adult population, including pregnant and postpartum women. Screening should be implemented with adequate systems in place to ensure accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and appropriate follow-up. (B recommendation).

  16. A Pilot Study Examining Depressive Symptoms, Internet Use, and Sexual Risk Behavior among Asian Men Who Have Sex With Men

    PubMed Central

    Lemieux, AF; Nehl, EJ; Lin, L; Tran, A; Yu, F; Wong, FY

    2013-01-01

    In the present paper, we present a preliminary examination of the association of depression level, internet use, meeting sexual partners online, and unprotected sexual activity among Asian men who have sex with men (MSM). Because depression level has been previously linked to increased levels of sexual risk behavior, and heightened levels of Internet use has been linked to greater depressive symptoms, the present pilot research jointly examines these factors. We found that those with higher levels of depression, measured using the CES-D, spent more time online, met significantly more sexual partners online, and reported a significantly higher number of unprotected sexual acts. Based on this initial evidence, we conclude that incorporating CES-D to screen for depression can serve as an important tool for addressing underlying dynamics of sexual risk behaviors. PMID:24074630

  17. Depression masquerading as chest pain in a patient with Wolff Parkinson White syndrome

    PubMed Central

    Madabushi, Rajashree; Agarwal, Anil; Gautam, Sujeet K S; Khuba, Sandeep

    2016-01-01

    Wolff Parkinson White (WPW) syndrome is a condition in which there is an aberrant conduction pathway between the atria and ventricles, resulting in tachycardia. A 42-year-old patient, who was treated for WPW syndrome previously, presented with chronic somatic pain. With her cardiac condition in mind, she was thoroughly worked up for a recurrence of disease. As part of routine screening of all patients at our pain clinic, she was found to have severe depression as per the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ–9) criteria. After ruling out sinister causes, she was treated for depression using oral Duloxetine and counselling. This led to resolution of symptoms, and improved her mood and functional capability. This case highlights the use of psychological screening tools and diligent examination in scenarios as confusing as the one presented here. Addressing the psychological aspects of pain and adopting a holistic approach are as important as treatment of the primary pathology. PMID:27738505

  18. Redefining diagnostic symptoms of depression using Rasch analysis: testing an item bank suitable for DSM-V and computer adaptive testing.

    PubMed

    Mitchell, Alex J; Smith, Adam B; Al-salihy, Zerak; Rahim, Twana A; Mahmud, Mahmud Q; Muhyaldin, Asma S

    2011-10-01

    We aimed to redefine the optimal self-report symptoms of depression suitable for creation of an item bank that could be used in computer adaptive testing or to develop a simplified screening tool for DSM-V. Four hundred subjects (200 patients with primary depression and 200 non-depressed subjects), living in Iraqi Kurdistan were interviewed. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used to define the presence of major depression (DSM-IV criteria). We examined symptoms of depression using four well-known scales delivered in Kurdish. The Partial Credit Model was applied to each instrument. Common-item equating was subsequently used to create an item bank and differential item functioning (DIF) explored for known subgroups. A symptom level Rasch analysis reduced the original 45 items to 24 items of the original after the exclusion of 21 misfitting items. A further six items (CESD13 and CESD17, HADS-D4, HADS-D5 and HADS-D7, and CDSS3 and CDSS4) were removed due to misfit as the items were added together to form the item bank, and two items were subsequently removed following the DIF analysis by diagnosis (CESD20 and CDSS9, both of which were harder to endorse for women). Therefore the remaining optimal item bank consisted of 17 items and produced an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.987. Using a bank restricted to the optimal nine items revealed only minor loss of accuracy (AUC = 0.989, sensitivity 96%, specificity 95%). Finally, when restricted to only four items accuracy was still high (AUC was still 0.976; sensitivity 93%, specificity 96%). An item bank of 17 items may be useful in computer adaptive testing and nine or even four items may be used to develop a simplified screening tool for DSM-V major depressive disorder (MDD). Further examination of this item bank should be conducted in different cultural settings.

  19. [Psychopathology screening in medical school students].

    PubMed

    Galván-Molina, Jesús Francisco; Jiménez-Capdeville, María E; Hernández-Mata, José María; Arellano-Cano, José Ramón

    2017-01-01

    Screening of psychopathology and associated factors in medical students employing an electronic self-report survey. A transversal, observational, and comparative study that consisted of the following instruments: Sociodemographic survey; 2. Adult Self-Report Scale-V1 (ASRS); State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI); Zung and Conde Self-Rating Depression Scale, Almonte-Herskovic Sexual Orientation Self-Report; Plutchik Suicide Risk Scale; Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Identification (AUDIT); Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence; 9. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI); Eating Disorder Inventory 2 (EDI). We gathered 323 student surveys from medical students of the first, third and sixth grades. The three more prevalent disorders were depression (24%), attention deficit disorders with hyperactivity (28%) and anxiety (13%); the prevalence of high-level burnout syndrome was 13%. Also, the fifth part of the students had detrimental use of tobacco and alcohol. Sixty percent of medical students had either one or more probable disorder or burnout. An adequate screening and treatment of this population could prevent severe mental disorders and the associated factors could help us to create a risk profile. This model is an efficient research tool for screening and secondary prevention.

  20. Effects of depression and antidepressant use on goal setting and barrier identification among patients with type 2 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Chen, Hsiang-Yu; Ruppert, Kristine; Charron-Prochownik, Denise; Noullet, William V; Zgibor, Janice C

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of depression and antidepressant use on goal setting and barrier identification in patients with type 2 diabetes. In a large diabetes education network, 778 patients with type 2 diabetes were enrolled in the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) Outcomes System as part of their routine diabetes education between 2005 and 2008. Self-reported depression, 7 self-identified behavior change goals, and 13 barriers to diabetes self-care were collected from the Diabetes Self-Management Assessment Report Tool (D-SMART(®)); antidepressant use was documented from the Diabetes Educator Tool (D-ET(®)). Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the effects of depression or antidepressant use on the number of goals or the number of barriers while controlling for relevant covariates. Among 778 patients (507 nondepressed, 181 depressed with antidepressant use, 90 depressed without antidepressant use), median age was 58, 60.9% were female, and 85.9% were Caucasian. Patients with and without depression had a similar number of self-identified behavior change goals, whereas patients with depression had 1 additional barrier to diabetes self-care compared with those without depression. In the depressed subgroup, antidepressant use had no association with the number of goals that the subjects set or the number of barriers they identified. Among patients with type 2 diabetes, depression was associated with a slightly greater number of barriers, which may support the importance of depression screening and depression treatment in patients with diabetes.

  1. Understanding women's experiences of distress during pregnancy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Kaaya, S F; Mbwambo, J K; Fawzi, M C Smith; Van Den Borne, H; Schaalma, H; Leshabari, M T

    2010-01-01

    Several studies show depression is common during pregnancy. However, there is limited information in Tanzania on the magnitude of perceived distress during pregnancy and meanings ascribed to such distress. A descriptive survey collected data using unstructured interviews from 12 traditional practitioners and 10 peri-urban women with previous pregnancy related mental health concerns identified using a depression vignette. The objectives were to describe the sources and characteristics of distress during pregnancy, and idioms of distress that could inform cultural adaptation of depression screening tools. Narrative analysis showed an emergent category of "problematic pregnancies" framed women's recollections of prolonged periods of sadness. This experience was qualified using various idioms of distress that were differentially emphasized depending on informant's perceived causes of health concern. The idiom kusononeka was consistently used to describe extreme sadness across causal categories and clustered with at least two typical features of major depression. This suggested existence of a construct with similarities to biomedical criteria for depression. "Thinking too much" emerged as a distinctive expression associated with prolonged sadness. Distinctive expressions of social functioning impairments were identified that can inform depression severity assessments. In conclusion, contextual inquiry into experiences of psychological distress showed distinct local idioms that clustered in patterns similar to symptoms of biomedical depressive episodes. Further studies to assess the utility of local idioms of distress and distress related functional impairment in depression assessment tools are warranted.

  2. University Support, Adjustment, and Mental Health in Tertiary Education Students in Hong Kong

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leung, Chi Hung

    2017-01-01

    Depression, anxiety, and stress of moderate to severe levels were found in 21, 41, and 27% of university students in Hong Kong, respectively. The development of a screening tool for assessing adjustment difficulties among tertiary education students is helpful for counseling professionals in university. The Student Perception of University Support…

  3. Reliability and validity of depression assessment among persons with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis

    PubMed Central

    Tsai, Alexander C.

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVES To systematically review the reliability and validity of instruments used to screen for major depressive disorder or assess depression symptom severity among persons with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS A systematic evidence search protocol was applied to seven bibliographic databases. Studies examining the reliability and/or validity of depression assessment tools were selected for inclusion if they were based on data collected from HIV-positive adults in any African member state of the United Nations. Random-effects meta-analysis was employed to calculate pooled estimates of depression prevalence. In a subgroup of studies of criterion-related validity, the bivariate random-effects model was used to calculate pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS Of 1,117 records initially identified, I included 13 studies of 5,373 persons with HIV in 7 sub-Saharan African countries. Reported estimates of Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.63–0.95, and analyses of internal structure generally confirmed the existence of a depression-like construct accounting for a substantial portion of variance. The pooled prevalence of probable depression was 29.5% (95% CI, 20.5–39.4), while the pooled prevalence of major depressive disorder was 13.9% (95% CI, 9.7–18.6). The Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale was the most frequently studied instrument, with a pooled sensitivity of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.73–0.87) for detecting major depressive disorder. CONCLUSIONS Depression screening instruments yielded relatively high false positive rates. Overall, few studies described the reliability and/or validity of depression instruments in sub-Saharan Africa. PMID:24853307

  4. Misalignment between Medicare Policies and Depression Care in Home Health Care: Home health provider perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Bao, Yuhua; Eggman, Ashley; Richardson, Joshua; Bruce, Martha

    2013-01-01

    Objective Depression affects one in four older adults receiving home health care. Medicare policies are influential in shaping home health practice. This study aims to identify Medicare policy areas that are aligned or misaligned with depression care quality improvement in home health care. Methods Qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with nurses and administrators from five home health agencies in five states (n=20). Digitally recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the grounded theory method. A multi-disciplinary team iteratively developed a codebook from interview data to identify themes. Results Several important Medicare policies are largely misaligned with depression care quality improvement in home health care: Medicare eligibility requirements for patients to remain homebound and to demonstrate a need for skilled care restrict nurses’ abilities to follow up with depressed patients for sufficient length of time; the lack of explicit recognition of nursing time and quality of care in the home health Prospective Payment System (PPS) provides misaligned incentives for depression care; incorporation of a two-item depression screening tool in Medicare-mandated comprehensive patient assessment raised clinician awareness of depression; however, inclusion of the tool at Start-of-Care only but not any other follow-up points limits its potential in assisting nurses with depression care management; under-development of clinical decision support for depression care in vendor-developed electronic health records constitutes an important barrier to depression quality improvement in home health care. Conclusions Several influential Medicare policies and regulations for home health practice may be misaligned with evidence-based depression care for home health patients. PMID:24632686

  5. A nurse-facilitated depression screening program in an Army primary care clinic: an evidence-based project.

    PubMed

    Yackel, Edward E; McKennan, Madelyn S; Fox-Deise, Adrianna

    2010-01-01

    Depression, sometimes with suicidal manifestations, is a medical condition commonly seen in primary care clinics. Routine screening for depression and suicidal ideation is recommended of all adult patients in the primary care setting because it offers depressed patients a greater chance of recovery and response to treatment, yet such screening often is overlooked or omitted. The purpose of this study was to develop, to implement, and to test the efficacy of a systematic depression screening process to increase the identification of depression in family members of active duty soldiers older than 18 years at a military family practice clinic located on an Army infantry post in the Pacific. The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care was used to develop a practice guideline incorporating a decision algorithm for nurses to screen for depression. A pilot project to institute this change in practice was conducted, and outcomes were measured. Before implementation, approximately 100 patients were diagnosed with depression in each of the 3 months preceding the practice change. Approximately 130 patients a month were assigned a 311.0 Code 3 months after the practice change, and 140 patients per month received screenings and were assigned the correct International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision Code 311.0 at 1 year. The improved screening and coding for depression and suicidality added approximately 3 minutes to the patient screening process. The education of staff in the process of screening for depression and correct coding coupled with monitoring and staff feedback improved compliance with the identification and the documentation of patients with depression. Nurses were more likely than primary care providers to agree strongly that screening for depression enhances quality of care. Data gathered during this project support the integration of military and civilian nurse-facilitated screening for depression in the military primary care setting. The decision algorithm should be adapted and tested in other primary care environments.

  6. Comprehensive Screening for Suicide Risk in Primary Care.

    PubMed

    Diamond, Guy S; Herres, Joanna L; Krauthamer Ewing, E Stephanie; Atte, Tita O; Scott, Syreeta W; Wintersteen, Matt B; Gallop, Robert J

    2017-07-01

    Suicide is a major public health problem and a complex clinical challenge. Assessment and early identification could be enhanced with screening tools that look beyond depression. The purpose of this study was to identify profiles of risk behaviors and social stress associated with suicidal ideation and behavior using the Behavioral Health Screen. The study used screening data from 2,513 primary care patients (aged 14-24 years). Data were collected between 2008 and 2012, and were analyzed in 2016. Latent class analysis identified a high and low risk profile. Domains of primary influence included substance use, sexual assault, same-sex behavior, and unsafe sex. The high-risk group was 11 times more likely to have made a suicide attempt, five times more likely to report a history of suicidal ideation and behavior, and three times more likely to report recent suicidal ideation and behavior. Risk behaviors and social stress contribute to the risk for suicide above and beyond depression and should be assessed during routine primary care visits with adolescents. The Behavioral Health Screen can screen all these domains and thus assist primary care providers in assessing for both psychiatric and social stress factors associated with youth suicide. Copyright © 2017 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Prevalence of depressive symptoms in pregnant and postnatal HIV-positive women in Ukraine: a cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Bailey, Heather; Malyuta, Ruslan; Semenenko, Igor; Townsend, Claire L; Cortina-Borja, Mario; Thorne, Claire

    2016-03-22

    Perinatal depression among HIV-positive women has negative implications for HIV-related and other maternal and infant outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the burden and correlates of perinatal depression among HIV-positive women in Ukraine, a lower middle income country with one of the largest HIV-positive populations in Europe. Cross-sectional surveys nested within the Ukraine European Collaborative Study were conducted of HIV-positive women at delivery and between 1 and 12 months postpartum. Depressive symptoms in the previous month were assessed using a self-report screening tool. Other data collected included demographics, antiretroviral therapy (ART)-related self-efficacy, and perceptions of risks/benefits of interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). Characteristics of women with and without a positive depression screening test result were compared using Fisher's exact test and χ2 test for categorical variables. A quarter (27% (49/180) antenatally and 25% (57/228) postnatally) of participants screened positive for depressive symptoms. Antenatal risk factors were living alone (58% (7/12) vs. 25% (42/167) p = 0.02), being somewhat/terribly bothered by ART side effects (40% (17/43) vs. 23% (30/129) not /only slightly bothered, p = 0.05) and having lower ART-related self-efficacy (43% (12/28) vs. 23% (25/110) with higher self-efficacy, p = 0.05). Postnatally, single mothers were more likely to screen positive (44% (20/45) vs. 21% (18/84) of cohabiting and 19% (19/99) of married women, p < 0.01) as were those unsure of the effectiveness of neonatal prophylaxis (40% (20/45) vs. 18% (28/154) sure of effectiveness, p < 0.01), those worried that neonatal prophylaxis could harm the baby (30% (44/146) vs. 14% (10/73) not worried p < 0.01) and those not confident to ask for help with taking ART (48% (11/23) vs. 27% (10/37) fairly confident and 15 % (4/26) confident that they could do this). Of women who reported wanting help for their depressive symptoms, 82% (37/45) postnatally but only 31% (12/39) antenatally were already accessing peer counselling, treatment adherence programmes, support groups or social services. A quarter of women screened positive for depression. Results highlight the need for proactive strategies to identify depressive symptoms, and an unmet need for provision of mental health support in the perinatal period for HIV-positive women in Ukraine.

  8. Predictors of persistence after a positive depression screen among adolescents.

    PubMed

    Richardson, Laura P; McCauley, Elizabeth; McCarty, Carolyn A; Grossman, David C; Myaing, Mon; Zhou, Chuan; Richards, Julie; Rockhill, Carol; Katon, Wayne

    2012-12-01

    To examine predictors of depression persistence after a positive screening test to inform management protocols for screened youth. We conducted a cohort study of 444 youth (aged 13-17 years) from a large health care delivery system. Youth with depressive symptoms, based on a 2-item depression screen, were oversampled for the baseline interview. Baseline assessments included the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) depression screen as well as clinical factors that were hypothesized to influence depression persistence (family history of depression, functional impairment, perceived social support, anxiety symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and medical comorbidity). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine factors associated with the persistence of depression at 6 months postbaseline. Of 113 youth with a positive baseline screen (PHQ-9 ≥11), 47% and 35% continued to be positive at 6-week and 6-month follow-up, respectively. After controlling for treatment status, only 2 factors were significantly associated with depression persistence at 6 months: baseline depressive symptom score and continuing to have a positive screen at 6 weeks. For each 1-point increase on the PHQ-9 score at baseline, youth had a 16% increased odds of continuing to be depressed at 6 months (odds ratio: 1.16, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.34). Youth who continued to screen positive 6 weeks later had almost 3 times the odds of being depressed at 6 months (odds ratio: 2.89, 95% confidence interval: 1.09-7.61). Depressive symptom severity at presentation and continued symptoms at 6 weeks postscreening are the strongest predictors of depression persistence. Patients with high depressive symptom scores and continued symptoms at 6 weeks should receive active treatment.

  9. Validating SPICES as a Screening Tool for Frailty Risks among Hospitalized Older Adults

    PubMed Central

    Aronow, Harriet Udin; Borenstein, Jeff; Haus, Flora; Braunstein, Glenn D.; Bolton, Linda Burnes

    2014-01-01

    Older patients are vulnerable to adverse hospital events related to frailty. SPICES, a common screening protocol to identify risk factors in older patients, alerts nurses to initiate care plans to reduce the probability of patient harm. However, there is little published validating the association between SPICES and measures of frailty and adverse outcomes. This paper used data from a prospective cohort study on frailty among 174 older adult inpatients to validate SPICES. Almost all patients met one or more SPICES criteria. The sum of SPICES was significantly correlated with age and other well-validated assessments for vulnerability, comorbid conditions, and depression. Individuals meeting two or more SPICES criteria had a risk of adverse hospital events three times greater than individuals with either no or one criterion. Results suggest that as a screening tool used within 24 hours of admission, SPICES is both valid and predictive of adverse events. PMID:24876954

  10. The Validity of the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale in an Inpatient Sample with Alcohol Dependence

    PubMed Central

    Hobden, Breanne; Schwandt, Melanie L.; Carey, Mariko; Lee, Mary R.; Farokhnia, Mehdi; Bouhlal, Sofia; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Leggio, Lorenzo

    2017-01-01

    Background The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) is commonly used to examine depressive symptoms in clinical settings, including facilities treating patients for alcohol addiction. No studies have examined the validity of the MADRS compared to an established clinical diagnostic tool of depression in this population. This study aimed to examine: 1) the validity of the MADRS compared to a clinical diagnosis of a depressive disorder (using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID)) in patients seeking treatment for alcohol dependence (AD); 2) whether the validity of the MADRS differs by type of SCID-based diagnosis of depression; and 3) which items contribute to the optimal predictive model of the MADRS compared to a SCID diagnosis of a depressive disorder. Methods Individuals seeking treatment for AD and admitted to an inpatient unit were administered the MADRS at day 2 of their detoxification program. Clinical diagnoses of AD and depression were made via the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV at the beginning of treatment. Results In total, 803 participants were included in the study. The MADRS demonstrated low overall accuracy relative to the clinical diagnosis of depression with an area under the curve of 0.68. The optimal threshold for balancing sensitivity and specificity identified by the Euclidean distance was >14. This cut-point demonstrated a sensitivity of 66%, a specificity of 60%, a positive predictive value of 50% and a negative predictive value of 75%. The MADRS performed slightly better for major depressive disorders compared to alcohol-induced depression. Items related to lassitude, concentration and appetite slightly decreased the accuracy of the MADRS. Conclusion The MADRS does not appear to be an appropriate substitute for a diagnostic tool among alcohol-dependent patients. The MADRS may, however, still be a useful screening tool assuming careful consideration of cut-off scores. PMID:28421616

  11. The Validity of the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale in an Inpatient Sample with Alcohol Dependence.

    PubMed

    Hobden, Breanne; Schwandt, Melanie L; Carey, Mariko; Lee, Mary R; Farokhnia, Mehdi; Bouhlal, Sofia; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Leggio, Lorenzo

    2017-06-01

    The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) is commonly used to examine depressive symptoms in clinical settings, including facilities treating patients for alcohol addiction. No studies have examined the validity of the MADRS compared to an established clinical diagnostic tool of depression in this population. This study aimed to examine the following: (i) the validity of the MADRS compared to a clinical diagnosis of a depressive disorder (using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR [SCID-IV-TR]) in patients seeking treatment for alcohol dependence (AD); (ii) whether the validity of the MADRS differs by type of SCID-IV-TR-based diagnosis of depression; and (iii) which items contribute to the optimal predictive model of the MADRS compared to a SCID-IV-TR diagnosis of a depressive disorder. Individuals seeking treatment for AD and admitted to an inpatient unit were administered the MADRS at day 2 of their detoxification program. Clinical diagnoses of AD and depression were made via the SCID-IV-TR at the beginning of treatment. In total, 803 participants were included in the study. The MADRS demonstrated low overall accuracy relative to the clinical diagnosis of depression with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.68. The optimal threshold for balancing sensitivity and specificity identified by the Euclidean distance was >14. This cut-point demonstrated a sensitivity of 66%, a specificity of 60%, a positive predictive value of 50%, and a negative predictive value of 75%. The MADRS performed slightly better for major depressive disorders compared to alcohol-induced depression. Items related to lassitude, concentration, and appetite slightly decreased the accuracy of the MADRS. The MADRS does not appear to be an appropriate substitute for a diagnostic tool among alcohol-dependent patients. The MADRS may, however, still be a useful screening tool assuming careful consideration of cut-points. Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

  12. Age moderates the association of depressive symptoms and unhealthy alcohol use in the National Guard.

    PubMed

    Sahker, Ethan; Acion, Laura; Arndt, Stephan

    2016-12-01

    Unhealthy drinking is a significant problem contributing to poor health and performance of military personnel. The Iowa Army National Guard and the Iowa Department of Public Health have collaborated with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration to better identify unhealthy substance use via Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment program (SBIRT). Yet, little research has been conducted on the Guard's use of SBIRT. This study examined depression, age, deployment status, and sex as factors contributing to unhealthy drinking. Of the Guardsmen who took part in SBIRT, 3.7% (n=75) met the criteria for unhealthy drinking and 3.9% (n=78) had some level of depression. The overall multivariate model significantly predicted unhealthy drinking (χ(2)(5)=41.41, p<0.001) with age moderating the association of depressive symptoms and unhealthy alcohol (Wald χ(2)(1)=7.16, p=0.007). These findings add to the existing understanding of factors contributing to unhealthy drinking suggesting the association between the presence of depression and unhealthy drinking depends on age of the Guradsman. This age and depression interaction may be an important diagnostic feature to consider for unhealthy drinking in the Guard. Furthermore, previous research on the general military population finds similar percentages, providing support for SBIRT as an effective screening tool in the Guard. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Emotional disturbance assessed by the Self-Rating Depression Scale test is associated with mortality among Japanese Hemodialysis patients.

    PubMed

    Kazama, Sakumi; Kazama, Junichiro James; Wakasugi, Minako; Ito, Yumi; Narita, Ichiei; Tanaka, Motoko; Horiguchi, Fumi; Tanigawa, Koichi

    2018-04-17

    Emotional disturbance including depression is associated with increased mortality among dialysis patients. The Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) is a simple tool for assessing emotional disturbance. This study investigated the relationship between emotional conditions as assessed with the SDS test and mortality among 491 hemodialysis patients. At baseline, 183 (37.3%), 180 (36.7%), 108 (22.0%), and 20 (4.1%) were classified as normal, borderline depression, depression, and severe depression, respectively. During the two years of observation period, 57 of 491 (11.6%) died. The SDS scores in the non-survivors were significantly higher than those in the survivors (p<0.0001). Logistic analyses showed that the diagnoses made by the SDS test were associated with significantly greater risks for all-cause mortality (99%CI: 1.905-3.698 for that without adjustment, 1.999-4.382 for that with full adjustment). When the SDS score = 50 was selected as the cut off value, the test screened two-year all cause death with sensitivity = 57.9% and the specificity = 78.1%. In conclusion, hemodialysis patients had high prevalence of emotional disturbance assessed by the SDS test, and high SDS score was significantly associated with all-cause mortality. These findings underscore the importance of screening for emotional conditions using the SDS test among hemodialysis patients.

  14. Use of a smartphone application to screen for depression and suicide in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Jang, Seung-Ho; Woo, Young Sup; Hong, Jeong-Wan; Yoon, Bo-Hyun; Hwang, Tae-Yeon; Kim, Moon-Doo; Lee, Sang-Yeol; Bahk, Won-Myong

    2017-05-01

    This is a cross-sectional study using a free depression and suicide screening smartphone application, which contains the data from the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) and a Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). The free application was downloaded worldwide from Apple's App Store and Android Market, and the participants who downloaded the application were actively measured. The subjects totaled 208,683 men and women. 72.6% of the subjects were females, and 81.4% of the subjects were aged between 10 and 29years. In total, 25.7% of the participants were recorded CES-D positive, and there were differences among the groups based on sex (χ2=1065.82, p<0.001), age (χ2=1420.75, p<0.001), and psychiatric history (χ2=1502.21, p<0.001). The highest score of CES-D, 40.69±15.79 and that of SBQ-R, 13.68±4.97 was reported by the participants with a history of schizophrenia. The characteristics associated with suicide were as follows: depression (OR 8.92, 95% CI: 8.71-9.13), female (OR 1.39, 95% CI: 1.36-1.43), 30-49 age group (OR 2.51, 95% CI: 2.29-2.72), 50 or older age group (OR 1.48, 95% CI: 1.35-1.61), and psychiatric history (OR 1.98, 95% CI: 1.89-2.06). The smartphone application may be a useful tool for screening depression and suicide. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Diagnosis and treatment of depression following routine screening in patients with coronary heart disease or diabetes: a database cohort study.

    PubMed

    Burton, C; Simpson, C; Anderson, N

    2013-03-01

    Depression is common in chronic illness and screening for depression has been widely recommended. There have been no large studies of screening for depression in routine care for patients with chronic illness. We performed a retrospective cohort study to examine the timing of new depression diagnosis or treatment in relation to annual screening for depression in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) or diabetes. We examined a database derived from 1.3 million patients registered with general practices in Scotland for the year commencing 1 April 2007. Eligible patients had either CHD or diabetes, were screened for depression during the year and either received a new diagnosis of depression or commenced a new course of antidepressant (excluding those commonly used to treat diabetic neuropathy). Analysis was by the self-controlled case-series method with the outcome measure being the relative incidence (RI) in the period 1-28 days after screening compared to other times. A total of 67358 patients were screened for depression and 2269 received a new diagnosis or commenced treatment. For the period after screening, the RI was 3.03 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.44-3.78] for diagnosis and 1.78 (95% CI 1.54-2.05) for treatment. The number needed to screen was 976 (95% CI 886-1104) for a new diagnosis and 687 (95% CI 586-853) for new antidepressant treatment. Systematic screening for depression in patients with chronic disease in primary care results in a significant but small increase in new diagnosis and treatment in the following 4 weeks.

  16. Mental health treatment associated with community-based depression screening: considerations for planning multidisciplinary collaborative care.

    PubMed

    Winchester, Bruce R; Watkins, Sarah C; Brahm, Nancy C; Harrison, Donald L; Miller, Michael J

    2013-06-01

    Depression places a large economic burden on the US health care system. Routine screening has been recognized as a fundamental step in the effective treatment of depression, but should be undertaken only when support systems are available to ensure proper diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. To estimate differences in prescribing new antidepressants and referral to stress management, psychotherapy, and other mental health (OMH) counseling at physician visits when documented depression screening was and was not performed. Cross-sectional physician visit data for adults from the 2005-2007 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were used. The final analytical sample included 55,143 visits, representing a national population estimate of 1,741,080,686 physician visits. Four dependent variables were considered: (1) order for new antidepressant(s), and referral to (2) stress management, (3) psycho therapy, or (4) OMH counseling. Bivariable and multivariable associations between depression screening and each measure of depression follow-up care were evaluated using the design-based F statistic and multivariable logistic regression models. New antidepressant prescribing increased significantly (2.12% of visits without depression screening vs 10.61% with depression screening resulted in a new prescription of an antidepressant). Referral to stress management was the behavioral treatment with the greatest absolute change (3.31% of visits without depression screening vs 33.10% of visits with depression screening resulted in a referral to stress management). After controlling for background sociodemographic characteristics, the adjusted odds ratio of a new antidepressant order remained significantly higher at visits involving depression screening (AOR 5.36; 99.9% CI 2.92-9.82), as did referrals for all behavioral health care services (ie, stress management, psychotherapy, and OMH counseling). At the national level, depression screening was associated with increased new antidepressant prescribing and referral for behavioral health care. It is critical for policy planners to recognize changes in follow-up depression care when implementing screening programs to ensure adequate capacity. Pharmacists are poised to assume a role in collaborative depression care, particularly with antidepressant medication therapy management.

  17. Establishing a coherent and replicable measurement model of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

    PubMed

    Martin, Colin R; Redshaw, Maggie

    2018-06-01

    The 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is an established screening tool for postnatal depression. Inconsistent findings in factor structure and replication difficulties have limited the scope of development of the measure as a multi-dimensional tool. The current investigation sought to robustly determine the underlying factor structure of the EPDS and the replicability and stability of the most plausible model identified. A between-subjects design was used. EPDS data were collected postpartum from two independent cohorts using identical data capture methods. Datasets were examined with confirmatory factor analysis, model invariance testing and systematic evaluation of relational and internal aspects of the measure. Participants were two samples of postpartum women in England assessed at three months (n = 245) and six months (n = 217). The findings showed a three-factor seven-item model of the EPDS offered an excellent fit to the data, and was observed to be replicable in both datasets and invariant as a function of time point of assessment. Some EPDS sub-scale scores were significantly higher at six months. The EPDS is multi-dimensional and a robust measurement model comprises three factors that are replicable. The potential utility of the sub-scale components identified requires further research to identify a role in contemporary screening practice. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Examination of premenstrual symptoms as a risk factor for depression in postpartum women.

    PubMed

    Buttner, Melissa M; Mott, Sarah L; Pearlstein, Teri; Stuart, Scott; Zlotnick, Caron; O'Hara, Michael W

    2013-06-01

    Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant public health concern with prevalence of major and minor depressions reaching 20 % in the first three postpartum months. Sociodemographic and psychopathology correlates of PPD are well established; however, information on the relationship between premenstrual disorders and the development of PPD is less well established. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the role of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)/premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) as a risk factor for PPD. Premenstrual symptoms were assessed retrospectively using the premenstrual symptoms screening tool (PSST) and depression was diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria and assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). A two-stage screening procedure was applied. In the first stage, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was employed. In the second stage, women endorsing ≥5 symptoms on the PHQ-9 were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, HDRS, and PSST. Hierarchical linear regression showed that history of depression and PMS/PMDD contributed an additional 2 % of the variance (p < 0.001), beyond that of sociodemographic factor effects. The full model accounted for 13 % of the variance in postpartum depressive symptoms. Using logistic regression, a significant association also emerged between PMS/PMDD and PPD (OR = 1.97). The findings of this study suggest that PMS/PMDD is an important risk factor for PPD. Women endorsing a history of PMS/PMDD should be monitored during the perinatal period.

  19. Contribution to the epidemiology of postnatal depression in Germany--implications for the utilization of treatment.

    PubMed

    v Ballestrem, C-L; Strauss, M; Kächele, H

    2005-05-01

    Using a longitudinal screening model, 772 mothers were screened for postnatal depression after delivery in Stuttgart (Germany). This model contained the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). The first screening was 6-8 weeks after delivery with the EPDS. Mothers with high scores in the first screening had a second screening 9-12 weeks after delivery with the EPDS at least three weeks after the first. Mothers with high scores in both screenings were investigated with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). Classification was performed with the DSM-IV. After observation until the third month after delivery, 3.6% (N = 28) of the 772 mothers were diagnosed with postnatal depression. Various methods of therapy were offered to those mothers. 18% (N = 5) accepted one or more of these methods of treatment. The rest of the mothers with postnatal depression refused--mostly for attitudinal or practical reasons. 13.4% of the mothers showed high scores in the first screening but not in the second. For those mothers a longitudinal observation is currently being performed to distinguish between a depressive episode and a depression with oscillating symptoms.

  20. Semi-Supervised Approach to Monitoring Clinical Depressive Symptoms in Social Media

    PubMed Central

    Yazdavar, Amir Hossein; Al-Olimat, Hussein S.; Ebrahimi, Monireh; Bajaj, Goonmeet; Banerjee, Tanvi; Thirunarayan, Krishnaprasad; Pathak, Jyotishman; Sheth, Amit

    2017-01-01

    With the rise of social media, millions of people are routinely expressing their moods, feelings, and daily struggles with mental health issues on social media platforms like Twitter. Unlike traditional observational cohort studies conducted through questionnaires and self-reported surveys, we explore the reliable detection of clinical depression from tweets obtained unobtrusively. Based on the analysis of tweets crawled from users with self-reported depressive symptoms in their Twitter profiles, we demonstrate the potential for detecting clinical depression symptoms which emulate the PHQ-9 questionnaire clinicians use today. Our study uses a semi-supervised statistical model to evaluate how the duration of these symptoms and their expression on Twitter (in terms of word usage patterns and topical preferences) align with the medical findings reported via the PHQ-9. Our proactive and automatic screening tool is able to identify clinical depressive symptoms with an accuracy of 68% and precision of 72%. PMID:29707701

  1. Ultra-short screening instruments for major depressive episode and generalized anxiety disorder in epilepsy: The NDDIE-2 and the GAD-SI.

    PubMed

    Micoulaud-Franchi, Jean-Arthur; Bartolomei, Fabrice; McGonigal, Aileen

    2017-03-01

    Systematic screening is recommended for major depressive episode (MDE) with the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy NDDI-E, 6 items and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with the GAD 7 items in patients with epilepsy (PWE). Shorter versions of the NDDI-E and the GAD-7 could facilitate increased screening by busy clinicians and be more accessible to patients with mild cognitive and/or language impairments. The effectiveness of ultra-short versions of the NDDI-E (2 items) and the GAD-7 (the GAD-2, 2 items, and the GAD-SI with a single item) in comparison with the original versions were statistically tested using ROC analysis. ROC analysis of the NDDIE-2 showed an AUC of 0.926 (p<0.001), a sensitivity of 81.82% and a specificity of 89.16%, without significant difference with the NDDI-E (z=1.582, p=0.11). ROC analysis of the GAD-SI showed an AUC of 0.872 (p<0.001), a sensitivity of 83.67% and a specificity of 82.29%, without significant difference with the GAD-7 (z=1.281, p=0.2). The GAD-2 showed poorer psychometric properties. The limitation is the use of data from previously reported subjects in a single language version, the NDDIE-2 that lacks detection of dysphoric symptoms in comparison with the NDDIE-6 and the GAD-SI that exhibited a more than 10% lower sensitivity than the GAD-7. This study highlights the potential utility of the NDDIE-2 and the GAD-SI as ultra-short screening tools for MDE and GAD respectively in PWE. Further studies in a larger population, including multi-lingual versions, could be a valuable next step. However, the brevity and simplicity of this tool could be an advantage in PWE who present cognitive difficulties, especially attentional or language deficits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Depression screening and education: an examination of mental health literacy and stigma in a sample of Hispanic women.

    PubMed

    Lopez, Veronica; Sanchez, Katherine; Killian, Michael O; Eghaneyan, Brittany H

    2018-05-22

    Mental health literacy consists of knowledge of a mental disorder and of the associated stigma. Barriers to depression treatment among Hispanic populations include persistent stigma which is primarily perpetuated by inadequate disease literacy and cultural factors. U.S.-born Hispanics are more likely to have depression compared to Hispanics born in Latin America and are less likely to follow a treatment plan compared to non-Hispanic whites. Hispanic women are more likely to access treatment through a primary care provider, making it an ideal setting for early mental health interventions. Baseline data from 319 female Hispanic patients enrolled in Project DESEO: Depression Screening and Education: Options to Reduce Barriers to Treatment, were examined. The study implemented universal screening with a self-report depression screening tool (the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and took place at one federally qualified health center (FQHC) over a 24-month period. The current analysis examined the relationship between four culturally adapted stigma measures and depression knowledge, and tested whether mental health literacy was comparable across education levels in a sample of Hispanic women diagnosed with depression. Almost two-thirds of the sample had less than a high school education. Depression knowledge scores were significantly, weakly correlated with each the Stigma Concerns About Mental Health Care (ρ = - .165, p = .003), Latino Scale for Antidepressant Stigma (p = .124, p = .028), and Social Distance scores (p = .150, p = .007). Depression knowledge (F[2, 312] = 11.82, p < .001, partial η 2  = .071), Social Distance scores (F[2, 312] = 3.34, p = .037, partial η 2  = .021), and antidepressant medication stigma scores (F[2, 312] = 3.33, p = .037, partial η 2  = .015) significantly varied by education category. Participants with at least some college education reported significantly greater depression knowledge and less stigma surrounding depression and medication than participants with lower education levels. Primary care settings are often the gateway to identifying undiagnosed mental health disorders, particularly for Hispanic women with comorbid physical health conditions. This study is unique in that it aims to examine the specific role of patient education level as a predictor of mental health literacy. For Hispanic women, understanding the mental health literacy of patients in a healthcare setting may improve quality of care through early detection of symptoms, culturally effective education and subsequent engagement in treatment. The study was registered with https://clinicaltrials.gov/: NCT02491034 July 2, 2015.

  3. Incidence of depression, anxiety and stress following traumatic injury: a longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Wiseman, Taneal A; Curtis, Kate; Lam, Mary; Foster, Kim

    2015-03-28

    Traumatic injury and mental health disorders are co-associated. Early identification of depression, anxiety and stress following injury, and subsequent preventive intervention, may reduce the long-term symptoms and negative impacts associated with depression and anxiety. The purpose of the study was to determine the incidence, severity and predictors of depression, anxiety and stress in injured patients in the acute phase of care, and at six months following injury, as well as the effectiveness of an in-hospital screening tool. This descriptive longitudinal study of trauma patients was conducted at a Level 1 Metropolitan Trauma Centre in Australia over 14 months. Participants were interviewed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale short-form version (DASS-21) during hospital admission then at 3 and 6 months after injury. Descriptive statistics were performed to evaluate participant characteristics and incidence of depression, anxiety and stress. Correlations and logistic regression were conducted to investigate the ability of the DASS-21 to predict symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress and to investigate factors associated with depression, anxiety and stress 6 months after injury. 201 participants ranging in age (18-94 years) and injury severity participated in the baseline interview and 109 completed all 3 interviews over 6 months. Over half (54%) reported above normal scores for depression, anxiety and/or stress in at least one of the 3 time points. Intensive care unit admission and high levels of depression, anxiety and stress at 3 months post injury were predictors for high levels of depression, anxiety and stress at 6 months. Low scores for depression, anxiety and stress during admission were correlated with low scores for depression, anxiety and stress at 3 and 6 months. Depression, anxiety and stress in patients hospitalised following injury is common and should be anticipated in patients who have had an intensive care admission. Screening at 3 months following injury identifies patients at risk of long-term symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.

  4. Screening methods for post-stroke visual impairment: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Hanna, Kerry Louise; Hepworth, Lauren Rachel; Rowe, Fiona

    2017-12-01

    To provide a systematic overview of the various tools available to screen for post-stroke visual impairment. A review of the literature was conducted including randomised controlled trials, controlled trials, cohort studies, observational studies, systematic reviews and retrospective medical note reviews. All languages were included and translation was obtained. Participants included adults ≥18 years old diagnosed with a visual impairment as a direct cause of a stroke. We searched a broad range of scholarly online resources and hand-searched articles registers of published, unpublished and on-going trials. Search terms included a variety of MESH terms and alternatives in relation to stroke and visual conditions. Study selection was performed by two authors independently. The quality of the evidence and risk of bias were assessed using the STROBE, GRACE and PRISMA statements. A total of 25 articles (n = 2924) were included in this review. Articles appraised reported on tools screening solely for visual impairments or for general post-stroke disabilities inclusive of vision. The majority of identified tools screen for visual perception including visual neglect (VN), with few screening for visual acuity (VA), visual field (VF) loss or ocular motility (OM) defects. Six articles reported on nine screening tools which combined visual screening assessment alongside screening for general stroke disabilities. Of these, three included screening for VA; three screened for VF loss; three screened for OM defects and all screened for VN. Two tools screened for all visual impairments. A further 19 articles were found which reported on individual vision screening tests in stroke populations; two for VF loss; 11 for VN and six for other visual perceptual defects. Most tools cannot accurately account for those with aphasia or communicative deficits, which are common problems following a stroke. There is currently no standardised visual screening tool which can accurately assess all potential post-stroke visual impairments. The current tools screen for only a number of potential stroke-related impairments, which means many visual defects may be missed. The sensitivity of those which screen for all impairments is significantly lowered when patients are unable to report their visual symptoms. Future research is required to develop a tool capable of assessing stroke patients which encompasses all potential visual deficits and can also be easily performed by both the patients and administered by health care professionals in order to ensure all stroke survivors with visual impairment are accurately identified and managed. Implications for Rehabilitation Over 65% of stroke survivors will suffer from a visual impairment, whereas 45% of stroke units do not assess vision. Visual impairment significantly reduces the quality of life, such as being unable to return to work, driving and depression. This review outlines the available screening methods to accurately identify stroke survivors with visual impairments. Identifying visual impairment after stroke can aid general rehabilitation and thus, improve the quality of life for these patients.

  5. The Modified Depression Scale (MDS): A Brief, No-Cost Assessment Tool to Estimate the Level of Depressive Symptoms in Students and Schools

    PubMed Central

    Dunn, Erin C.; Johnson, Renee M.; Green, Jennifer G.

    2011-01-01

    Adolescent health researchers and practitioners are frequently interested in assessing depression as part of student screening and for school-wide prevention and intervention planning. However, this task is challenging given the lack of free, brief assessments of depressive symptoms in youth. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of an adapted version of the Modified Depression Scale (MDS). Data came from a school-based survey of 9th-12th graders in Boston (N=1,657). We assessed internal consistency reliability and known-groups validity, in addition to the feasibility of establishing a dichotomous cut-point to classify adolescents as having high versus low depressive symptoms. We also evaluated the validity of the adapted MDS as a school-wide measure. At the student-level, the adapted MDS demonstrated acceptable internal consistency. Students engaging in risk behaviors (e.g., substance use) or who were victimized (e.g., bullied) had significantly higher depressive symptom scores. Students who endorsed four or five MDS symptoms often or always had a heightened risk of suicidal ideation, substance use, and failing grades when compared to students who endorsed three or fewer symptoms often or always. At the school-level, higher mean levels of depressive symptoms in a school were associated with higher mean levels of suicidal ideation and failing grades. Results of this study suggest that the adapted MDS is a promising measurement tool that could be useful to school-based professionals and researchers to evaluate depressive symptoms in adolescents and ascertain the prevalence of depressive symptoms in schools. PMID:22639697

  6. Predictors of depression screening rates of nurses receiving a personal digital assistant-based reminder to screen.

    PubMed

    Schnall, Rebecca; Currie, Leanne M; Jia, Haomiao; John, Rita Marie; Lee, Nam-Ju; Velez, Olivia; Bakken, Suzanne

    2010-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine if race/ethnicity, payer type, or nursing specialty affected depression screening rates in primary care settings in which nurses received a reminder to screen. The sample comprised 4,160 encounters in which nurses enrolled in advanced practice training were prompted to screen for depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-2/PHQ-9 integrated into a personal digital assistant-based clinical decision support system for depression screening and management. Nurses chose to screen in response to 52.5% of reminders. Adjusted odds ratios showed that payer type and nurse specialty, but not race/ethnicity, significantly predicted proportion of patients screened.

  7. Predictors of anxiety and depression among people attending diabetes screening: a prospective cohort study embedded in the ADDITION (Cambridge) randomized control trial.

    PubMed

    Paddison, C A M; Eborall, H C; French, D P; Kinmonth, A L; Prevost, A T; Griffin, S J; Sutton, S

    2011-02-01

    This study aimed to identify factors predicting anxiety and depression among people who attend primary care-based diabetes screening. A prospective cohort study embedded in the ADDITION (Cambridge) randomized control trial. Participants (N= 3,240) at risk of diabetes were identified from 10 primary care practices and invited to a stepwise screening programme as part of the ADDITION (Cambridge) trial. Main outcome measures were anxiety and depression at 12 months post-screening assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Hierarchical linear regressions showed that demographic, clinical, and psychological variables collectively accounted for 52% of the variance in HADS anxiety scores and 53% of the variance in HADS depression scores 12 months after diabetes screening. Screening outcome (positive or negative for diabetes) was not related to differences in anxiety or depression at 12 months. Higher number of self-reported (diabetes) symptoms after first attendance was associated with higher anxiety and depression at 12-month follow-up, after controlling for anxiety and depression after first attendance. Participants in a diabetes screening programme showed low scores on anxiety and depression scales after first appointment and 1 year later. Diagnosis of diabetes was shown to have a limited psychological impact and may be less important than symptom perception in determining emotional outcomes after participation in diabetes screening. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

  8. Factors related to quality of life for patients with type 2 diabetes with or without depressive symptoms - results from a community-based study in China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yu; Maier, Manfred; Hao, Yufang; Chen, Yan; Qin, Yuelan; Huo, Ran

    2013-01-01

    To explore the factors related to quality of life for patients with type 2 diabetes with or without depressive symptoms in China. In patients with type 2 diabetes with or without depressive symptoms, different factors such as gender, social context or regional setting may affect their quality of life. This was a cross-sectional study. Of 791 registered patients with type 2 diabetes from four communities in Beijing, cluster sampling was used to recruit patients for participation. Self-rating depression scale was used to screen for depressive symptoms; demographic and clinical data were collected, and quality of life and social support were assessed using appropriate tools. The factors associated with quality of life were tested using multivariate linear regression. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in 667 patients with diabetes was 44·2%. Quality of life of patients with depressive symptoms was worse than that of patients without depressive symptoms, and this was associated negatively with history of diabetic complications, usage of hypoglycaemic agents or insulin and self-rating depression scale scores and positively with salary and subjective social support. The factors related to quality of life for patients with or without depressive symptoms are different. For patients with depressive symptoms, better salary and subjective social support are associated positively with their quality of life, while the presence of diabetic complications, a higher score for depressive symptoms and need for hypoglycaemic agents or insulin are negatively associated with quality of life. It is suggested that the nurse should screen depression for patients with diabetes, especially for those with diabetic complications or low social support. This should be done in the community regularly in order to find diabetic patients with depression in time. In addition, the results can provide a reference to clinical nursing care for patients with diabetes in hospitals. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  9. How to identify students for school-based depression intervention: can school record review be substituted for universal depression screening?

    PubMed

    Kuo, Elena S; Vander Stoep, Ann; Herting, Jerald R; Grupp, Katherine; McCauley, Elizabeth

    2013-02-01

    Early identification and intervention are critical for reducing the adverse effects of depression on academic and occupational performance. Cost-effective approaches are needed for identifying adolescents at high depression risk. This study evaluated the utility of school record review versus universal school-based depression screening for determining eligibility for an indicated depression intervention program implemented in the middle school setting. Algorithms derived from grades, attendance, suspensions, and basic demographic information were evaluated with regard to their ability to predict students' depression screening scores. The school information-based algorithms proved poor proxies for individual students' depression screening results. However, school records showed promise for identifying low, medium, and high-yield subgroups on the basis of which efficient screening targeting decisions could be made. Study results will help to guide school nurses who coordinate indicated depression intervention programs in school settings as they evaluate options of approaches for determining which students are eligible for participation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Depression Screening in Diabetes Care to Improve Outcomes: Are We Meeting the Challenge?

    PubMed

    Barnacle, Mykell; Strand, Mark A; Werremeyer, Amy; Maack, Brody; Petry, Natasha

    2016-10-01

    Evidence-based guidelines recommend regular depression screening among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of this study is to examine depression screening patterns among a primary care population with T2DM, through use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). In total, 1817 patients with T2DM were analyzed through a retrospective observational study at 2 sites, a regional health center and a federally qualified health center (FQHC). The T2DM sample was divided into those with and without a major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnosis. Depression screening rates and depression severity were assessed through the PHQ-9. Both sites had higher rates of PHQ-9 screening among individuals with a history of MDD (64.82%) vs those without MDD (11.39%). Individuals from the FQHC without a history of depression had a higher mean PHQ-9 score (10.11) than those with a previous MDD diagnosis at both RHS and FQHC (7.16 and 9.85, respectively). Depression screening rates among individuals with diabetes and no history of MDD were remarkably low. Patients with diabetes but no MDD diagnosis who sought health care at a FQHC clinic had more depressive symptoms than those with a history of MDD at both sites. Individuals with diabetes and who have a MDD diagnosis are much more likely to receive regular depression screening than those without MDD, which leaves a substantial proportion of patients with undetected depression. Depression screening must be enhanced for all individuals with diabetes, particularly for low-income individuals and those without a previous diagnosis of MDD. © 2016 The Author(s).

  11. Postpartum depression and its psychosocial correlates: A longitudinal study among a group of women in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Bolak Boratav, Hale; Toker, Özlem; Küey, Levent

    2016-07-01

    The postpartum period is a window of risk for psychological disturbances and particularly for depressive symptoms. This study explored the relationships between postpartum depression and prepartum depressive symptoms, marital adjustment, support from family, previous depressive symptomology, and pregnancy planning. A total of 128 women who were receiving prenatal care at a state hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, and who were in the last trimester of their pregnancy participated in the first phase of the study. Of these, eighty-seven women also participated in the second phase, during the 3-6 month postpartum period. The results indicated that depressed mood in the last trimester of pregnancy, family support, care and support from spouse, previous depression history, and unplanned pregnancy were significant risk factors for postpartum depressive symptoms; significant differences were found for study variables as a function of women's scores on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in pregnancy and in the postpartum period. The recommendation is made to use screening tools, like the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, in the course of routine prenatal care, and to refer women with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores above the cutoff score for further clinical examination.

  12. Recognizing cognitive and psychiatric changes in the post-highly active antiretroviral therapy era.

    PubMed

    Carvalhal, Adriana; Baril, Jean-Guy; Crouzat, Frederic; De Wet, Joss; Junod, Patrice; Kovacs, Colin; Sheehan, Nancy

    2012-01-01

    Amid numerous complications that plague the health and quality of life of people living with HIV, neurocognitive and psychiatric illnesses pose unique challenges. While there remains uncertainty with respect to the pathophysiology surrounding these disorders, their adverse implications are increasingly recognized. Left undetected, they have the potential to significantly impact patient well being, adherence to antiretroviral treatment and overall health outcomes. As such, early identification of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and psychiatric illnesses will be paramount in the proactive management of affected patients. The present review focuses on strategies to ensure optimal screening and detection of HAND, depression and substance abuse in routine practice. For each topic, currently available screening methods are discussed. These include identification of risk factors, recognition of relevant symptomatology and an update on validated screening tools that can be efficiently implemented in the clinical setting. Specifically addressed in the present review are the International HIV Dementia Scale, a novel screening equation and algorithm for HAND, as well as brief, validated, verbal questionnaires for detection of depression and substance abuse. Adequate understanding and usage of these screening mechanisms can ensure effective use of resources by distinguishing patients who require referral for more extensive diagnostic procedures from those who likely do not.

  13. Recognizing cognitive and psychiatric changes in the post-highly active antiretroviral therapy era

    PubMed Central

    Carvalhal, Adriana; Baril, Jean-Guy; Crouzat, Frederic; De Wet, Joss; Junod, Patrice; Kovacs, Colin; Sheehan, Nancy

    2012-01-01

    Amid numerous complications that plague the health and quality of life of people living with HIV, neurocognitive and psychiatric illnesses pose unique challenges. While there remains uncertainty with respect to the pathophysiology surrounding these disorders, their adverse implications are increasingly recognized. Left undetected, they have the potential to significantly impact patient well being, adherence to antiretroviral treatment and overall health outcomes. As such, early identification of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and psychiatric illnesses will be paramount in the proactive management of affected patients. The present review focuses on strategies to ensure optimal screening and detection of HAND, depression and substance abuse in routine practice. For each topic, currently available screening methods are discussed. These include identification of risk factors, recognition of relevant symptomatology and an update on validated screening tools that can be efficiently implemented in the clinical setting. Specifically addressed in the present review are the International HIV Dementia Scale, a novel screening equation and algorithm for HAND, as well as brief, validated, verbal questionnaires for detection of depression and substance abuse. Adequate understanding and usage of these screening mechanisms can ensure effective use of resources by distinguishing patients who require referral for more extensive diagnostic procedures from those who likely do not. PMID:24294277

  14. Does a Mobile Phone Depression-Screening App Motivate Mobile Phone Users With High Depressive Symptoms to Seek a Health Care Professional's Help?

    PubMed

    BinDhim, Nasser F; Alanazi, Eman M; Aljadhey, Hisham; Basyouni, Mada H; Kowalski, Stefan R; Pont, Lisa G; Shaman, Ahmed M; Trevena, Lyndal; Alhawassi, Tariq M

    2016-06-27

    The objective of disease screening is to encourage high-risk subjects to seek health care diagnosis and treatment. Mobile phone apps can effectively screen mental health conditions, including depression. However, it is not known how effective such screening methods are in motivating users to discuss the obtained results of such apps with health care professionals. Does a mobile phone depression-screening app motivate users with high depressive symptoms to seek health care professional advice? This study aimed to address this question. This was a single-cohort, prospective, observational study of a free mobile phone depression app developed in English and released on Apple's App Store. Apple App Store users (aged 18 or above) in 5 countries, that is, Australia, Canada, New Zealand (NZ), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US), were recruited directly via the app's download page. The participants then completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and their depression screening score was displayed to them. If their score was 11 or above and they had never been diagnosed with depression before, they were advised to take their results to their health care professional. They were to follow up after 1 month. A group of 2538 participants from the 5 countries completed PHQ-9 depression screening with the app. Of them, 322 participants were found to have high depressive symptoms and had never been diagnosed with depression, and received advice to discuss their results with health care professionals. About 74% of those completed the follow-up; approximately 38% of these self-reported consulting their health care professionals about their depression score. Only positive attitude toward depression as a real disease was associated with increased follow-up response rate (odds ratio (OR) 3.2, CI 1.38-8.29). A mobile phone depression-screening app motivated some users to seek a depression diagnosis. However, further study should investigate how other app users use the screening results provided by such apps.

  15. Depression Case Finding Strategies in a Care Management Program for Chronically Ill Medicare Recipients

    PubMed Central

    Jennifer, Taylor; Michael, Schoenbaum; Katon Wayne, J; Pincus Harold, A; Diane, Hogan; Jürgen, Unützer

    2013-01-01

    Objective To examine case-finding strategies for depression in the context of a disease management program for chronically ill Medicare recipients. Study Design Observational analysis of telephone/mail surveys and claims data collected for the Medicare Health Support (MHS) program. Methods This study examines data from 14,902 participants with diabetes and/or congestive heart failure in the MHS program administered by Green Ribbon Health.. Depression screening was performed by administering a 2-item screener (PHQ-2) by telephone or mail. Additional information about depression was drawn from ICD-9 depression diagnoses from claims and self-reported use of antidepressant medications. We compared screener positive rates for depression on the PHQ-2 administered by telephone or mail, examined variations in screener positives by care manager, and compared rates of positive screens to antidepressant use and claims diagnoses of depression. Results Nearly 14 % of participants received an ICD-9 diagnosis of depression in the year prior to program enrollment; 7% reported taking antidepressants, and 5 % screened positive on the PHQ-2. Substantial variation in positive depression screens by care manager was found that could not be explained by case mix, prior depression diagnoses or current depression treatment. After adjusting for demographic and clinical differences, the PHQ2 positive rate was 6.5% by phone and 14.1% by mail screen (p<0.001). Conclusion A combined depression screening approach with mail screening (using the PHQ-2) augmented by information about antidepressant use and claims diagnoses of depression may be the most cost-effective method to identify depression in a large sample of medically ill Medicare recipients. PMID:18690765

  16. Guideline harmonization and implementation plan for the BETTER trial: Building on Existing Tools to Improve Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening in Family Practice

    PubMed Central

    Rogers, Jess; Manca, Donna; Lang-Robertson, Kelly; Bell, Stephanie; Salvalaggio, Ginetta; Greiver, Michelle; Korownyk, Christina; Klein, Doug; Carroll, June C.; Kahan, Mel; Meuser, Jamie; Buchman, Sandy; Barrett, Rebekah M.; Grunfeld, Eva

    2014-01-01

    Background The aim of the Building on Existing Tools to Improve Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening in Family Practice (BETTER) randomized controlled trial is to improve the primary prevention of and screening for multiple conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer) and some of the associated lifestyle factors (tobacco use, alcohol overuse, poor nutrition, physical inactivity). In this article, we describe how we harmonized the evidence-based clinical practice guideline recommendations and patient tools to determine the content for the BETTER trial. Methods We identified clinical practice guidelines and tools through a structured literature search; we included both indexed and grey literature. From these guidelines, recommendations were extracted and integrated into knowledge products and outcome measures for use in the BETTER trial. End-users (family physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and dieticians) were engaged in reviewing the recommendations and tools, as well as tailoring the content to the needs of the BETTER trial and family practice. Results In total, 3–5 high-quality guidelines were identified for each condition; from these, we identified high-grade recommendations for the prevention of and screening for chronic disease. The guideline recommendations were limited by conflicting recommendations, vague wording and different taxonomies for strength of recommendation. There was a lack of quality evidence for manoeuvres to improve the uptake of guidelines among patients with depression. We developed the BETTER clinical algorithms for the implementation plan. Although it was difficult to identify high-quality tools, 180 tools of interest were identified. Interpretation The intervention for the BETTER trial was built by integrating existing guidelines and tools, and working with end-users throughout the process to increase the intervention’s utility for practice. Trial registration: ISRCTN07170460 PMID:25077119

  17. Validity and reliability of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 to screen for depression among college students in China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ying-Li; Liang, Wei; Chen, Zuo-Ming; Zhang, Hong-Mei; Zhang, Jian-Hong; Weng, Xiao-Qin; Yang, Shi-Chang; Zhang, Lei; Shen, Li-Juan; Zhang, Ya-Lin

    2013-12-01

    This study examined the validity and reliability of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). The optimal cutoff score when screening for depression among Chinese college students was also determined. A total of 959 participants completed the PHQ-9 and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire. The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was used to diagnose depression. Statistical tests were performed to determine the reliability, validity, and receiver operating characteristic curve of the data. The concurrent validity was tested by examining associations between PHQ-9 and BDI. The sensitivity and specificity, as well as the positive and negative predictive values, were calculated for different cutoff scores of PHQ-9 and PHQ-2. The internal consistency values of PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 were 0.854 and 0.727, respectively. The test-retest reliability values of PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 were 0.873 and 0.829, respectively. The scores of PHQ-9 (r = 0.790) and PHQ-2 (r = 0.651) were significantly associated with that of BDI. PHQ-9 had an optimal cutoff score of 11, which indicated a sensitivity of 0.89 and a specificity of 0.97, with an area under the curve of 0.977 (95% confidence interval: 0.966-0.988). The PHQ-2 demonstrated satisfactory sensitivity (0.81) and specificity (0.96) at the cutoff score of 3, and its area under the curve was 0.939. The PHQ-9 and the PHQ-2 are valid and reliable tools to screen depression in Chinese college students. For screening purposes, cutoff scores of 11 and 3 are recommended for PHQ-9 and PHQ-2, respectively. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  18. Association between baseline psychological attributes and mental health outcomes after soldiers returned from deployment.

    PubMed

    Shen, Yu-Chu; Arkes, Jeremy; Lester, Paul B

    2017-10-05

    Psychological health is vital for effective employees, especially in stressful occupations like military and public safety sectors. Yet, until recently little empirical work has made the link between requisite psychological resources and important mental health outcomes across time in those sectors. In this study we explore the association between 14 baseline psychological health attributes (such as adaptability, coping ability, optimism) and mental health outcomes following exposure to combat deployment. Retrospective analysis of all U.S. Army soldiers who enlisted between 2009 and 2012 and took the Global Assessment Tools (GAT) before their first deployment (n = 63,186). We analyze whether a soldier screened positive for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after returning from deployment using logistic regressions. Our key independent variables are 14 psychological attributes based on GAT, and we control for relevant demographic and service characteristics. In addition, we generate a composite risk score for each soldier based on the predicted probabilities from the above multivariate model using just baseline psychological attributes and demographic information. Comparing those who scored in the bottom 5 percentile of each attribute to those in the top 95 percentile, the odds ratio of post-deployment depression symptoms ranges from 1.21 (95% CI 1.06, 1.40) for organizational trust to 1.73 (CI 1.52, 1.97) for baseline depression. The odds ratio of positive screening of PTSD symptoms ranges from 1.22 for family support (CI 1.08, 1.38) to 1.51 for baseline depression (CI 1.32, 1.73). The risk profile analysis shows that 31% of those who screened positive for depression and 27% of those who screened positive for PTSD were concentrated among the top 5% high risk population. A set of validated, self-reported questions administered early in a soldier's career can predict future mental health problems, and can be used to improve workforce fit and provide significant financial benefits to organizations that do so.

  19. The Brief Anxiety and Depression Scale (BADS): a new instrument for detecting anxiety and depression in long-term care residents.

    PubMed

    Mansbach, William E; Mace, Ryan A; Clark, Kristen M

    2015-04-01

    Depression and anxiety are common among long-term care residents, yet both appear to be under-recognized and under-treated. In our survey of 164 geriatric health care professionals from 34 U.S. states, 96% of respondents reported that a new instrument that rapidly assesses both depression and anxiety is needed. The Brief Anxiety and Depression Scale (BADS) is a new screening tool that can identify possible major depressive episodes (MDE) and generalized anxiety disorders (GAD) in long-term care residents. The psychometric properties of the BADS were investigated in a sample of 224 U.S. long-term care residents (aged 80.52 ± 9.07). Participants completed a battery of several individually administered mood and cognitive tests, including the BADS. MDE and GAD were diagnosed based on the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Adequate internal consistency and construct validity were found. A principle component analysis (PCA) revealed an Anxiety Factor and a Depression Factor, which explained 50.26% of the total variance. The Anxiety Factor had a sensitivity of 0.73 and specificity of 0.81 for identifying GAD (PPV = 0.69, NPV = 0.84). The Depression Factor had a sensitivity of 0.76 and a specificity of 0.73 for identifying MDE (PPV = 0.77, NPV = 0.72). The BADS appears to be a reliable and valid screening instrument for MDE and GAD in long-term residents. The BADS can be rapidly administered, is sensitive to mood diagnoses in both patients without dementia and with dementia, and produces separate depression and anxiety factor scores that can be used clinically to identify probable mood diagnoses.

  20. Detection of depression in low resource settings: validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and cultural concepts of distress in Nepal.

    PubMed

    Kohrt, Brandon A; Luitel, Nagendra P; Acharya, Prakash; Jordans, Mark J D

    2016-03-08

    Despite recognition of the burden of disease due to mood disorders in low- and middle-income countries, there is a lack of consensus on best practices for detecting depression. Self-report screening tools, such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), require modification for low literacy populations and to assure cultural and clinical validity. An alternative approach is to employ idioms of distress that are locally salient, but these are not synonymous with psychiatric categories. Therefore, our objectives were to evaluate the validity of the PHQ-9, assess the added value of using idioms of distress, and develop an algorithm for depression detection in primary care. We conducted a transcultural translation of the PHQ-9 in Nepal using qualitative methods to achieve semantic, content, technical, and criterion equivalence. Researchers administered the Nepali PHQ-9 to randomly selected patients in a rural primary health care center. Trained psychosocial counselors administered a validated Nepali depression module of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) to validate the Nepali PHQ-9. Patients were also assessed for local idioms of distress including heart-mind problems (Nepali, manko samasya). Among 125 primary care patients, 17 (14 %) were positive for a major depressive episode in the prior 2 weeks based on CIDI administration. With a Nepali PHQ-9 cutoff ≥ 10: sensitivity = 0.94, specificity = 0.80, positive predictive value (PPV) =0.42, negative predictive value (NPV) =0.99, positive likelihood ratio = 4.62, and negative likelihood ratio = 0.07. For heart-mind problems: sensitivity = 0.94, specificity = 0.27, PPV = 0.17, NPV = 0.97. With an algorithm comprising two screening questions (1. presence of heart-mind problems and 2. function impairment due to heart-mind problems) to determine who should receive the full PHQ-9, the number of patients requiring administration of the PHQ-9 could be reduced by 50 %, PHQ-9 false positives would be reduced by 18 %, and 88 % of patients with depression would be correctly identified. Combining idioms of distress with a transculturally-translated depression screener increases efficiency and maintains accuracy for high levels of detection. The algorithm reduces the time needed for primary healthcare staff to verbally administer the tool for patients with limited literacy. The burden of false positives is comparable to rates in high-income countries and is a limitation for universal primary care screening.

  1. Examining a Brief Suicide Screening Tool in Older Adults Engaging in Risky Alcohol Use

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ribeiro, Jessica D.; Braithwaite, Scott R.; Pfaff, Jon J.; Joiner, Thomas E.

    2012-01-01

    Alcohol misuse increases risk of suicidal behavior in older adults. The Depressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale (DSI-SS; Metalsky & Joiner, 1997) and its relation to suicide attempt history was examined to see if it differed for older adults as a function of their alcohol use. Structural equation modeling was used in a sample (N = 1,061)…

  2. [Criterion Validity of the German Version of the CES-D in the General Population].

    PubMed

    Jahn, Rebecca; Baumgartner, Josef S; van den Nest, Miriam; Friedrich, Fabian; Alexandrowicz, Rainer W; Wancata, Johannes

    2018-04-17

    The "Center of Epidemiologic Studies - Depression scale" (CES-D) is a well-known screening tool for depression. Until now the criterion validity of the German version of the CES-D was not investigated in a sample of the adult general population. 508 study participants of the Austrian general population completed the CES-D. ICD-10 diagnoses were established by using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN). Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis was conducted. Possible gender differences were explored. Overall discriminating performance of the CES-D was sufficient (ROC-AUC 0,836). Using the traditional cut-off values of 15/16 and 21/22 respectively the sensitivity was 43.2 % and 32.4 %, respectively. The cut-off value developed on the basis of our sample was 9/10 with a sensitivity of 81.1 % und a specificity of 74.3 %. There were no significant gender differences. This is the first study investigating the criterion validity of the German version of the CES-D in the general population. The optimal cut-off values yielded sufficient sensitivity and specificity, comparable to the values of other screening tools. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  3. Disseminating perinatal depression screening as a public health initiative: a train-the-trainer approach.

    PubMed

    Segre, Lisa S; Brock, Rebecca L; O'Hara, Michael W; Gorman, Laura L; Engeldinger, Jane

    2011-08-01

    This case report describes the development and implementation of the Train-the-Trainer: Maternal Depression Screening Program (TTT), a novel approach to disseminating perinatal depression screening. We trained screeners according to a standard pyramid scheme of train-the-trainer programs: three experts trained representatives from health care agencies (the TTT trainers), who in turn trained their staff and implemented depression screening at their home agencies. The TTT trainers had little or no prior mental health experience so "enhanced" components were added to ensure thorough instruction. Although TTT was implemented primarily as a services project, we evaluated both the statewide dissemination and the screening rates achieved by TTT programs. Thirty-two social service or health agencies implemented maternal depression screening in 20 counties throughout Iowa; this reached 58.2% of the Iowa population. For the 16 agencies that provided screening data, the average screening rate (number of women screened/number eligible to be screened) for the first 3 months of screening was 73.2%, 80.5% and 79.0%. We compared screening rates of our TTT programs with those of Healthy Start, a program in which screening was established via an intensive consultation model. We found the screening rates in 62.5% of TTT agencies were comparable to those in Healthy Start. Our "enhanced" train-the-trainer method is a promising approach for broadly implementing depression-screening programs in agencies serving pregnant and postpartum women.

  4. Disseminating the Results of a Depression Management Study in an Urban Alaska Native Health Care System.

    PubMed

    Dirks, Lisa G; Avey, Jaedon P; Hiratsuka, Vanessa Y; Dillard, Denise A; Caindec, Karen; Robinson, Renee F

    2018-01-01

    Increased attention to diagnostic accuracy in depression screening and management within primary care has demonstrated inadequate care when patients prematurely discontinue recommended treatments such as medication and counseling. Decision-support tools can enhance the medical decision-making process. In 2010, the Southcentral Foundation (SCF) Research Department developed a stakeholder-driven decision support tool to aid in depression management. This paper describes feedback from attendees at SCF's 2016 Alaska Native Health Research Forum (Forum) regarding a dissemination product highlighting the aforementioned study. Forum attendees participated in a small group discussion and responded to a brief survey using the audience response system. Thematic analysis was conducted on data from the small group discussion. Overall, Forum attendees responded favorably to the dissemination product. Most agreed the presentation was clear, the amount of information presented was appropriate, and that results were presented in an interesting way. Small group discussion participants provided constructive feedback about why depression-related research results should be shared; how they believed results should be best shared; who results should be shared with; when and where results should be shared; and what level of research results should be shared. The stigma associated with depression treatment may be assuaged if results are shared in a way that normalizes support for depression treatment. Community member involvement in disseminating results has potential to make information more acceptable and meaningful.

  5. Dementia and depression: two frequent disorders of the aged in primary health care in Greece.

    PubMed

    Argyriadou, S; Melissopoulou, H; Krania, E; Karagiannidou, A; Vlachonicolis, I; Lionis, C

    2001-02-01

    Dementia and depression are very common disorders among elderly people and their presence decreases the well-being of the aged. The purpose of this study was to assess the magnitude of dementia and depression among elderly people living in different settings in the catchment area of the Chrisoupolis health centre (HCCh) in northern Greece. A total of 536 patients aged 65 years and over, including 48 subjects living in an old people's home, 75 subjects who were taking part in the activities of the open centre for the elderly and 413 subjects randomly selected from those visiting the HCCh, were interviewed by the primary health care team of the HCCh. Medical and family history data were recorded, while cognitive and mood disorders were assessed by using the Mini Mental State Examination and Geriatric Depression Screening Scale. At the time of the examination, 37.6% of the men and 41.6% of the women showed various degrees of cognitive impairment, while 29.9% of the women and 19.6% of the men showed mild to moderate depression. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension frequently were found to co-exist with depression and dementia. The results reaffirm that there is a high prevalence of the studied mental disorders in older patients in the out-patient setting in Greece. A set of recommendations to Greek GPs has now been formulated, with specific emphasis on the use of different screening tools and the appropriate treatment of the most frequently co-existing chronic diseases.

  6. Identification and treatment of depression in minority populations.

    PubMed

    DeJesus, Stania A; Diaz, Vanessa A; Gonsalves, Wanda C; Carek, Peter J

    2011-01-01

    Depression is a common condition, representing close to 6% of visits to primary care providers. Although minorities are more likely to have chronic depression, they are more likely to be incorrectly diagnosed and less likely to receive treatment when compared to the mainstream population. Screening and appropriate treatment within primary care is recommended in clinical practices that have systems in place to assure accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and follow-up. This recommendation is especially relevant for treatment of minority populations, as they are more likely to seek care for mental health problems from primary care providers rather than specialists. A number of self-report screening tools that simplify screening are available. Treatment modalities that are supported by evidence are psychotherapy, prescription medications, and electroconvulsive therapy for severe depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have become the cornerstone of therapy for depression since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of fluoxetine in 1987. No substantial differences in efficacy of SSRIs have been found, although data suggest differences with respect to onset of action and adverse effects that may be relevant in the choice of one medicine over another. Common side effects of serotonin reuptake inhibitors include nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, somnolence and dizziness, akathisia, and sexual dysfunction. While most of these symptoms tend to subside within several weeks of use, sexual dysfunction appears to be a long-term side effect that typically reverses within a few days after discontinuation of the causative medication. Selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), bupropion, mirtazapine, and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are other commonly used medications. Complementary and alternative treatments, such as St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), exercise, acupuncture, music therapy, and relaxation, have limited data supporting their efficacy.

  7. Target-D: a stratified individually randomized controlled trial of the diamond clinical prediction tool to triage and target treatment for depressive symptoms in general practice: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Gunn, Jane; Wachtler, Caroline; Fletcher, Susan; Davidson, Sandra; Mihalopoulos, Cathrine; Palmer, Victoria; Hegarty, Kelsey; Coe, Amy; Murray, Elizabeth; Dowrick, Christopher; Andrews, Gavin; Chondros, Patty

    2017-07-20

    Depression is a highly prevalent and costly disorder. Effective treatments are available but are not always delivered to the right person at the right time, with both under- and over-treatment a problem. Up to half the patients presenting to general practice report symptoms of depression, but general practitioners have no systematic way of efficiently identifying level of need and allocating treatment accordingly. Therefore, our team developed a new clinical prediction tool (CPT) to assist with this task. The CPT predicts depressive symptom severity in three months' time and based on these scores classifies individuals into three groups (minimal/mild, moderate, severe), then provides a matched treatment recommendation. This study aims to test whether using the CPT reduces depressive symptoms at three months compared with usual care. The Target-D study is an individually randomized controlled trial. Participants will be 1320 general practice patients with depressive symptoms who will be approached in the practice waiting room by a research assistant and invited to complete eligibility screening on an iPad. Eligible patients will provide informed consent and complete the CPT on a purpose-built website. A computer-generated allocation sequence stratified by practice and depressive symptom severity group, will randomly assign participants to intervention (treatment recommendation matched to predicted depressive symptom severity group) or comparison (usual care plus Target-D attention control) arms. Follow-up assessments will be completed online at three and 12 months. The primary outcome is depressive symptom severity at three months. Secondary outcomes include anxiety, mental health self-efficacy, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. Intention-to-treat analyses will test for differences in outcome means between study arms overall and by depressive symptom severity group. To our knowledge, this is the first depressive symptom stratification tool designed for primary care which takes a prognosis-based approach to provide a tailored treatment recommendation. If shown to be effective, this tool could be used to assist general practitioners to implement stepped mental-healthcare models and contribute to a more efficient and effective mental health system. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR 12616000537459 ). Retrospectively registered on 27 April 2016. See Additional file 1 for trial registration data.

  8. Feasibility of screening and prevalence of prenatal depression in an obstetric setting in Spain.

    PubMed

    de la Fe Rodríguez-Muñoz, María; Le, Huynh-Nhu; de la Cruz, Ivette Vargas; Crespo, María Eugenia Olivares; Méndez, Nuria Izquierdo

    2017-08-01

    Prenatal depression is a significant public health problem and one of the main risk factors for postpartum depression. Limited research in perinatal depression has been conducted in Spain. The objectives of this study was to: (1) examine the feasibility of integrating a screening program for prenatal depression in an obstetrics setting in a large urban hospital in Spain; and (2) provide an initial estimate of the prevalence rate of the severity of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Screening for prenatal depression was conducted during the first trimester in an obstetrics setting in an urban hospital in Madrid, Spain 2014-2015. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used as the main screener. Of the 730 women asked to complete the screening protocol, 445 (60.9%) completed the PHQ-9 during the first trimester. Those who did not complete the screening were more likely to be immigrants and did not read Spanish. The prevalence of moderate to high severity of prenatal depressive symptoms prenatal depressive is 14.8% (PHQ-9≥10). It is possible to integrate screening for prenatal depression in an urban obstetrics setting, but there are significant structural barriers to implementation. The prevalence of significant prenatal depressive symptoms is similar to previous research in Spain and adds to the limited research in this area. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Are consumers of Internet health information “cyberchondriacs”? Characteristics of 24,965 users of a depression screening site

    PubMed Central

    Leykin, Yan; Muñoz, Ricardo F.; Contreras, Omar

    2011-01-01

    Background The number of individuals looking for health information on the Internet continues to expand. The purpose of the study was to understand the prevalence of major depression, among English-speaking individuals worldwide looking for information on depression online. Methods An automated online Mood Screener website was created and advertised via Google AdWords, for one year. Participants (N = 24,965) completed a depression screening measure and received feedback based on their results. Participants were then invited to participate in a longitudinal mood screening study. Results Of the 24,965 who completed the screening, 66.6% screened positive for current major depression, 44.4% indicated current suicidality, and 7.8% reported a recent (past two weeks) suicide attempt. Of those consenting to participate in the longitudinal study (n = 1,327, from 86 countries), 77.4% screened positive for past depression, 64.6% reported past suicidality, and 17.5% a past suicide attempt. Yet, only 25% of those screening positive for current depression, and only 37.2% of those reporting a recent suicide attempt are in treatment. Conclusions Many of the consumers of Internet health information may genuinely need treatment and are not “cyberchondriacs”. Online screening, treatment, and prevention efforts may have the potential to serve many currently untreated clinically depressed and suicidal individuals. PMID:21681872

  10. Depression screening and management among adolescents in primary care: factors associated with best practice.

    PubMed

    Taliaferro, Lindsay A; Hetler, Joel; Edwall, Glenace; Wright, Catherine; Edwards, Anne R; Borowsky, Iris W

    2013-06-01

    To compare depression identification and management perceptions and practices between professions and disciplines in primary care and examine factors that increase the likelihood of administering a standardized depression screening instrument, asking about patients' depressive symptoms, and using best practice when managing depressed adolescents. Data came from an online survey of clinicians in Minnesota (20% response rate). Analyses involved bivariate tests and linear regressions. The analytic sample comprised 260 family medicine physicians, 127 pediatricians, 96 family nurse practitioners, and 54 pediatric nurse practitioners. Overall, few differences emerged between physicians and nurse practitioners or family and pediatric clinicians regarding addressing depression among adolescents. Two factors associated with administering a standardized instrument included having clear protocols for follow-up after depression screening and feeling better prepared to address depression among adolescents. Enhancing clinicians' competence to address depression and developing postscreening protocols could help providers implement universal screening in primary care.

  11. Adapted Finnegan scoring list for observation of anti-depressant exposed infants.

    PubMed

    Kieviet, Noera; van Ravenhorst, Mariëtte; Dolman, Koert M; van de Ven, Peter M; Heres, Marion; Wennink, Hanneke; Honig, Adriaan

    2015-01-01

    The Finnegan scoring list (FSL) is widely used to screen for poor neonatal adaptation in infants exposed to anti-depressants in utero. However, the large number of FSL-items and differential weighing of each item is time consuming. The aim of this study was to shorten and simplify the FSL yet preserving its clinimetric properties. This observational study examined infants exposed to an anti-depressant during pregnancy admitted for at least 72 h on a maternity ward. Trained nurses completed the FSL three times daily. Items for the adapted FSL were selected through forward analysis whereby the number of selected items was based on the area under the curve (AUC). Internal validity was assessed by cross-validation. 183 infants met the inclusion criteria. By forward analysis eight equally-weighed items resulted in an AUC of 0.91. In cross-validation, the mean AUC was 0.89 for 8 items. This adapted FSL had a sensitivity of 97.7% and specificity of 37.0% and a sensitivity of 41.9% and specificity of 86.2% regarding a cut-off of, respectively, 1 and 2. An adapted FSL with eight equally-weighed items has acceptable clinimetric properties and can serve as an easy to apply screening tool in infants exposed to anti-depressants during pregnancy.

  12. Measurement, Education and Tracking in Integrated Care (METRIC): use of a culturally adapted education tool versus standard education to increase engagement in depression treatment among Hispanic patients: study protocol for a randomized control trial.

    PubMed

    Sanchez, Katherine; Eghaneyan, Brittany H; Killian, Michael O; Cabassa, Leopoldo; Trivedi, Madhukar H

    2017-08-03

    Significant mental health disparities exist for Hispanic populations, especially with regard to depression treatment. Stigma and poor communication between patients and their providers result in low use of antidepressant medications and early treatment withdrawal. Cultural factors which influence treatment decisions among Hispanics include fears about the addictive and harmful properties of antidepressants, worries about taking too many pills, and the stigma attached to taking medications. Primary care settings often are the gateway to identifying undiagnosed or untreated mental health disorders, particularly for people with co-morbid physical health conditions. Hispanics, in particular, are more likely to receive mental healthcare in primary care settings. Recent recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force are that primary care providers screen adult patients for depression only if systems are in place to ensure adequate treatment and follow-up. We are conducting a randomized controlled trial among 150 depressed adult Hispanics in a primary care safety net setting, testing the effectiveness of a culturally appropriate depression education intervention to reduce stigma and increase uptake in depression treatment among Hispanics, and implement a Measurement-Based Integrated Care (MBIC) model with collaborative, multidisciplinary treatment and culturally tailored care management strategies. This study protocol represents the first randomized control trial of the culturally adapted depression education fotonovela, Secret Feelings, among Hispanics in a primary care setting. The education intervention will be implemented after diagnosis using an innovative screening technology and enrolled in measurement-based integrated care for the treatment of depression, which will help build the evidence around cultural adaptations in treatment to reduce mental health disparities. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02702596. Registered on 20 March 2016.

  13. Screening and case-finding instruments for depression: a meta-analysis

    PubMed Central

    Gilbody, Simon; Sheldon, Trevor; House, Allan

    2008-01-01

    Background Screening and case-finding has been proposed as a simple, quick and cheap method to improve the quality of care for depression. We sought to establish the effectiveness of screening in improving the recognition of depression, the management of depression and the outcomes of patients with depression. Methods We performed a Cochrane systematic review of randomized controlled trials conducted in nonmental health settings that included case-finding or screening instruments for depression. We conducted a meta-analysis and explored heterogeneity using meta-regression techniques. Results Sixteen studies with 7576 patients met our inclusion criteria. We found that the use of screening or case-finding instruments were associated with a modest increase in the recognition of depression by clinicians (relative risk [RR] 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02 to 1.59). Questionnaires, when administered to all patients and the results given to clinicians irrespective of baseline score, had no impact on recognition (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.24). Screening or case finding increased the use of any intervention by a relative risk of 1.30 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.76). There was no evidence of influence on the prescription of antidepressant medications (RR 1.20, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.66). Seven studies provided data on outcomes of depression, and no evidence of an effect was found (standardized mean difference –0.02, 95% CI –0.25 to 0.20). Interpretation If used alone, case-finding or screening questionnaires for depression appear to have little or no impact on the detection and management of depression by clinicians. Recommendations to adopt screening strategies using standardized questionnaires without organizational enhancements are not justified. PMID:18390942

  14. Cognitive impairment as measured by the THINC-integrated tool (THINC-it): The association with self-reported anxiety in Major Depressive Disorder.

    PubMed

    Cha, Danielle S; Carmona, Nicole E; Rodrigues, Nelson B; Mansur, Rodrigo B; Lee, Yena; Subramaniapillai, Mehala; Phan, Lee; Cha, Rebekah H; Pan, Zihang; Lee, Jae Hon; Lee, JungGoo; Almatham, Fahad; Alageel, Asem; Rosenblat, Joshua D; Shekotikhina, Margarita; Rong, Carola; Harrison, John; McIntyre, Roger S

    2018-06-01

    This study evaluated the association between self-reported anxiety and objective/subjective measures of cognitive performance in adults with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Acutely depressed subjects with recurrent MDD (n = 100) and age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HC; n = 100) between the ages of 18 and 65 completed the cross-sectional validation study of the THINC-integrated tool (THINC-it; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02508493). Objective cognitive performance was assessed using the THINC-it, and subjective cognitive impairment with the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire for Depression-5-item. Subjects also completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7-item (GAD-7) questionnaire. Subjects with MDD reported significantly more anxiety symptoms, as assessed by the GAD-7, compared to HC (p < 0.001). Linear regression analysis determined that anxiety symptoms significantly accounted for 70.4% of the variability in subjective cognitive impairment, adjusting for depression severity. Moreover, subjects' ratings of the difficulties caused by their anxiety were reported as significantly more severe among subjects with MDD when compared to HC (p < 0.001). Likewise, greater self-reported difficulties with anxiety significantly predicted 57.8% of the variability in subjective cognitive impairment, adjusting for depression severity. Neither anxiety symptoms nor impairment due to anxiety symptoms predicted objective cognitive performance. Subjects were not prospectively verified to have a clinical diagnosis of GAD. Rather, this study examined the relationships between symptoms of generalized anxiety, assessed using a brief screening tool, and subjective and objective cognitive function. Results from the current study indicate that adults with MDD and high levels of self-reported anxiety are significantly more likely to report experiencing subjective cognitive dysfunction. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. High Rates of Undiagnosed Psychological Distress Exist in a Referral Population for Spinal Cord Stimulation in the Management of Chronic Pain.

    PubMed

    Shamji, Mohammed F; Rodriguez, Jessica; Shcharinsky, Alina; Paul, Darcia

    2016-06-01

    Neuropathic pain affects various dimensions of patient health including physical, psychological, and socioeconomic. The spectrum of psychological dysfunction that accompanies this pain phenotype is unknown, as well as differences based on the etiology of the pain among patients referred for spinal cord stimulation (SCS). We prospectively assessed SCS referral patients with neuropathic pain for features of psychological distress, either mood or anxiety. Demographic data included age, gender, diagnosis, marital status, and educational level. Screening tools were applied for neuropathic pain (Douleur Neuropathic Quatre and Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs) and psychological distress (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI] and Beck Anxiety Inventory [BAI]). Descriptive statistics defined disease prevalence, compared by gender and diagnosis. Logistic regression correlated pain intensity with severity of psychopathology. Among 150 patients with suitable neuropathic pain diagnoses and no treatable structural pathology, 57% were women, median age was 54 years, and 35% and 42% admitted to routine smoking and alcohol use, respectively. The most common diagnoses were complex regional pain syndrome (46%) and failed back surgery syndrome (38%). Depression symptoms were screened positive by BDI in 63% of patients, and anxiety symptoms were screened positive by BAI in 23% of patients. Pain intensity correlated with BDI scores (p < 0.02) but not BAI scores (p = 0.43). The high frequency of depressive and anxiety symptoms screened by the Beck scores in this cohort is an order of magnitude higher than seen in the general population. That many of these cases are undiagnosed should motivate clinicians from primary care providers, comprehensive pain specialists, and surgeons to screen SCS patients for such psychopathology. This represents an opportunity to enhance overall pain management as well as success with invasive neuromodulation strategies. © 2015 International Neuromodulation Society.

  16. Missed opportunities in primary care: the importance of identifying depression through screening, family history, and chronic disease management.

    PubMed

    Maradiegue, Ann H; Khan, Fakiha

    2013-02-01

    This study explored the adequacy of depression screening in a community health center. The medical charts of individuals (N = 90) enrolled at a community health center were randomly selected, reviewed, and compared to current standard-of-care guidelines for four elements: family history, screening for depression, control of chronic illnesses, and missed opportunities for preventive care. Family history documentation collected by the providers was limited and 44.4% had no family history. There was no routine depression screening process, although 48.9% of the clients had red flags (warning signals) for depression. Laboratory values used for screening control of chronic disease in the medical records were: fasting glucose levels ⩽100 mg/dL (46%), total cholesterol levels ⩽200 mg/dL (38%), and blood pressure ⩽120/80 mmHg (23%). The results highlight the need to focus on depression screening as part of preventive care and the management of chronic disease in the primary care setting. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

  17. Screening for substance abuse in women's health: a public health imperative.

    PubMed

    Goodman, Daisy J; Wolff, Kristina B

    2013-01-01

    Alcohol and drug use is a significant public health problem with particular implications for the health and safety of women. Women who abuse these substances are more likely to have untreated depression and anxiety and are at higher risk for intimate partner violence, homelessness, incarceration, infectious disease, and unplanned pregnancy. Substance abuse during pregnancy places both mother and fetus at risk for adverse perinatal outcomes. Data regarding the prevalence of substance abuse in women are conflicting and difficult to interpret. On the clinical level, strong arguments exist against routine urine drug testing and in favor of the use of validated instruments to screen women for drug and alcohol use both in primary women's health care and during pregnancy. A number of sex-specific screening tools are available for clinicians, some of which have also been validated for use during pregnancy. Given the risks associated with untreated substance abuse and dependence in women, the integration of drug and alcohol screening into daily clinical practice is imperative. This article reviews screening tools available to providers in both the prenatal and primary women's health care settings and addresses some of the challenges raised when women screen positive for drug and alcohol abuse. © 2013 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  18. Contacts to general practice and antidepressant treatment initiation after screening for anxiety and depression in patients with heart disease.

    PubMed

    Larsen, Karen Kjær; Vestergaard, Claus Høstrup; Schougaard, Liv Marit Valen; Larsen, Louise Pape; Jessen, Anne; May, Ole; Hjøllund, Niels Henrik

    2016-02-01

    Anxiety and depression are found in 20-30% of all persons with heart disease, and depression is known to impact mortality. This paper aimed to describe the effect of systematic screening of this population in terms of use of general practice, psychological therapy and antidepressant treatment. A population-based cohort study was conducted in 2011-2013 comprising 1,658 people with heart disease treated at a Danish regional hospital. Collected data were based on Danish national registers and patient questionnaires. Patients with heart disease and anxiety or depressive symptoms had more general practitioner (GP) contact rates than patients without anxiety or depressive symptoms both before and after the screening. Furthermore, patients with depressive symptoms increased their GP contact rate significantly in the first month after the screening, while this was not the case for patients with anxiety symptoms. Finally, patients with heart disease and anxiety or depressive symptoms more frequently initiated treatment with antidepressants than patients with heart disease without anxiety or depressive symptoms, whereas therapy sessions with a psychologist were rarely used. Heart patients with depressive symptoms may benefit from screening for depression, information about the screening result and a subsequent recommendation to consult their GP in case of signs of depression. -However, the observed effect seems to be modest. The study was supported by an unrestricted grant from the Lundbeck Foundation (grant number: R155-2012-11280). none.

  19. Process evaluation of a primary healthcare validation study of a culturally adapted depression screening tool for use by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: study protocol.

    PubMed

    Farnbach, Sara; Evans, John; Eades, Anne-Marie; Gee, Graham; Fernando, Jamie; Hammond, Belinda; Simms, Matty; DeMasi, Karrina; Hackett, Maree

    2017-11-03

    Process evaluations are conducted alongside research projects to identify the context, impact and consequences of research, determine whether it was conducted per protocol and to understand how, why and for whom an intervention is effective. We present a process evaluation protocol for the Getting it Right research project, which aims to determine validity of a culturally adapted depression screening tool for use by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In this process evaluation, we aim to: (1) explore the context, impact and consequences of conducting Getting It Right, (2) explore primary healthcare staff and community representatives' experiences with the research project, (3) determine if it was conducted per protocol and (4) explore experiences with the depression screening tool, including perceptions about how it could be implemented into practice (if found to be valid). We also describe the partnerships established to conduct this process evaluation and how the national Values and Ethics: Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research is met. Realist and grounded theory approaches are used. Qualitative data include semistructured interviews with primary healthcare staff and community representatives involved with Getting it Right. Iterative data collection and analysis will inform a coding framework. Interviews will continue until saturation of themes is reached, or all participants are considered. Data will be triangulated against administrative data and patient feedback. An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group guides this research. Researchers will be blinded from validation data outcomes for as long as is feasible. The University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee, Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of New South Wales and six state ethics committees have approved this research. Findings will be submitted to academic journals and presented at conferences. ACTRN12614000705684. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  20. An Objective Screening Method for Major Depressive Disorder Using Logistic Regression Analysis of Heart Rate Variability Data Obtained in a Mental Task Paradigm.

    PubMed

    Sun, Guanghao; Shinba, Toshikazu; Kirimoto, Tetsuo; Matsui, Takemi

    2016-01-01

    Heart rate variability (HRV) has been intensively studied as a promising biological marker of major depressive disorder (MDD). Our previous study confirmed that autonomic activity and reactivity in depression revealed by HRV during rest and mental task (MT) conditions can be used as diagnostic measures and in clinical evaluation. In this study, logistic regression analysis (LRA) was utilized for the classification and prediction of MDD based on HRV data obtained in an MT paradigm. Power spectral analysis of HRV on R-R intervals before, during, and after an MT (random number generation) was performed in 44 drug-naïve patients with MDD and 47 healthy control subjects at Department of Psychiatry in Shizuoka Saiseikai General Hospital. Logit scores of LRA determined by HRV indices and heart rates discriminated patients with MDD from healthy subjects. The high frequency (HF) component of HRV and the ratio of the low frequency (LF) component to the HF component (LF/HF) correspond to parasympathetic and sympathovagal balance, respectively. The LRA achieved a sensitivity and specificity of 80.0 and 79.0%, respectively, at an optimum cutoff logit score (0.28). Misclassifications occurred only when the logit score was close to the cutoff score. Logit scores also correlated significantly with subjective self-rating depression scale scores ( p  < 0.05). HRV indices recorded during a MT may be an objective tool for screening patients with MDD in psychiatric practice. The proposed method appears promising for not only objective and rapid MDD screening but also evaluation of its severity.

  1. Development and inter-rater reliability of a standardized verbal instruction manual for the Chinese Geriatric Depression Scale-short form.

    PubMed

    Wong, M T P; Ho, T P; Ho, M Y; Yu, C S; Wong, Y H; Lee, S Y

    2002-05-01

    The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is a common screening tool for elderly depression in Hong Kong. This study aimed at (1) developing a standardized manual for the verbal administration and scoring of the GDS-SF, and (2) comparing the inter-rater reliability between the standardized and non-standardized verbal administration of GDS-SF. Two studies were reported. In Study 1, the process of developing the manual was described. In Study 2, we compared the inter-rater reliabilities of GDS-SF scores using the standardized verbal instructions and the traditional non-standardized administration. Results of Study 2 indicated that the standardized procedure in verbal administration and scoring improved the inter-rater reliabilities of GDS-SF. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Patient-perceived barriers to a screening program for depression: a patient opinion survey of hemodialysis patients

    PubMed Central

    Beanlands, Heather; Logan, Alexander; Kurdyak, Paul; Jassal, Sarbjit Vanita

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background Depression is a prevalent, yet underdiagnosed, psychiatric disorder among patients with end-stage renal disease. Active case identification through routine screening is suggested; however, patient-related barriers may reduce the effectiveness of screening for, and treating, depression. This study aimed to explore the perceived barriers that limit patients from participating in screening and treatment programs for depression. Methods In a cross-sectional study of chronic maintenance hemodialysis patients, the Perceived Barriers to Psychological Treatment questionnaire, adapted to include screening, was used to measure perceived barriers. The two-item Patient Health Questionnaire was used to identify patients with depressive symptoms. Results Of 160 participants, 73.1% reported at least one barrier preventing them from participation [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 66.2–80.0%]. Patients with depressive symptoms were more likely to perceive at least one barrier to a screening program for depression compared with those without depressive symptoms (96% versus 68.9%, respectively; odds ratio = 10.8; 95% CI 1.4–82.8; P = 0.005). The association of the barrier scores with depressive symptoms remained significant after adjustment for patient’s characteristics. The most common barriers that patients expressed were concerns about the side effects of any antidepressant medications that may be prescribed (40%), concerns about having more medications (32%), feeling that the problem is not severe enough (23%) and perceiving no risk of depression (23%). Conclusions Negative perceptions about depression and its treatment among hemodialysis patients constitute an important barrier to identifying this condition and first need to be addressed before implementing a screening program in this population. PMID:29225813

  3. Externalizing depression symptoms among Canadian males with recent suicidal ideation: A focus on young men.

    PubMed

    Rice, Simon M; Kealy, David; Oliffe, John L; Ogrodniczuk, John S

    2018-04-30

    The primary aim was to quantify, relative to older men, young men's externalizing of depression symptoms and past-month suicidal ideation. A non-probability national sample of 1000 Canadian men self-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms of depression and past-month suicidal ideation. Stratification quotas reflected Canadian census data to age and region. Young men (18-25 years) were at markedly higher risk of past-month suicidal ideation than were older men. When controlling for internalizing depression, a multivariate age × recent suicidal ideation interaction indicated higher externalizing of depression symptoms in young men relative to older men, especially for those reporting recent suicidal ideation (P < .001). Interactions were observed for drug use, anger and aggression, and risk-taking domains. A sizable proportion of younger men were uniquely identified by the MDRS-22. Screening tools that include assessment of externalizing symptoms may assist in improving detection of distress and suicide risk in young men. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  4. Burden on informal caregivers of elderly cancer survivors: risk versus resilience.

    PubMed

    Jones, Simeon B W; Whitford, Hayley S; Bond, Melissa J

    2015-01-01

    This study assessed psychological morbidity and resilience, including the subjective burden of 76 caregivers of elderly cancer survivors utilizing a cross-sectional questionnaire. Participants were mainly elderly female spouses, sole-caregiving > 35 hours per week; 19.1% and 23.6% reported moderate or greater anxiety and depression, respectively. A significant regression model found depression, emotion-focused coping, and greater years since diagnosis as significant predictors of subjective caregiver burden. Thus, caregiving appears a dominant role for this group and the Brief Assessment Scale for Caregivers of the Medically Ill (BASC) appears to be an efficient screening tool for psychological morbidity in this under-supported group.

  5. Psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Depressive Cognition Scale in Brazilian adults with diabetes mellitus.

    PubMed

    Sousa, Valmi D; Zanetti, Maria L; Zauszniewski, Jaclene A; Mendes, Isabel A C; Daguano, Michelle O

    2008-01-01

    Identifying depressive cognitions in Brazilians with diabetes can be important step to prevent the development of clinical depression, which is negatively associated with diabetes self-management. This study focused on the psychometric testing of the Portuguese version of the Depressive Cognition Scale, the Escala Cognitiva de Depressão (ECD), among 82 Brazilian adults with diabetes mellitus. The questionnaire was assessed for internal consistency, homogeneity, and construct validity using factor analysis and convergent validity assessment with the Portuguese version of the Beck Depression Inventory, the Inventário de Depressão Beck (IDB). Cronbach's alpha for the ECD was .88. The homogeneity of the instrument was supported by item-to-total correlations between .30 and .70. Factor extraction generated only one factor with eigenvalues greater than 1, which is consistent with the English version. The ECD's total score had a weak but significant correlation with the IDB's total score (r = .24, p < .05), indicating convergent validity. Evidence for the reliability and construct validity of the ECD was provided by this study. This scale has the potential to become a useful screening tool for depressive cognitions among Brazilians with diabetes.

  6. Reliability and validity of the Haitian Creole PHQ-9.

    PubMed

    Marc, Linda G; Henderson, Whitney R; Desrosiers, Astrid; Testa, Marcia A; Jean, Samuel E; Akom, Eniko Edit

    2014-12-01

    There is limited information on depression in Haitians and this is partly attributable to the absence of culturally and linguistically adapted measures for depression. To perform a psychometric evaluation of the Haitian-Creole version of the PHQ-9 administered to men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Republic of Haiti. This study uses a cross-sectional design and data are from the Integrated Behavioral and Biological HIV Survey (IBBS) for MSM in Haiti. Inclusion criteria required that participants be male, ≥ 18 years, report sexual relations with a male partner in the last 12 months, and lived in Haiti during the past 3 months. Respondent Driven Sampling was used for participant recruitment. A structured questionnaire was verbally administered in Haitian-Creole capturing information on sociodemographics, sexual behaviors, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status and depressive symptomatology using the PHQ-9. Psychometric analyses of the translated PHQ-9 assessed unidimensionality, factor structure, reliability, construct validity, and differential item functioning (DIF) across subgroups (age, educational level, sexual orientation and HIV status). In a study population of 1,028 MSM, the Haitian-Creole version of the PHQ-9 is unidimensional, has moderately high internal consistency reliability (α = 0.78), and shows evidence of construct validity where HIV-positive subjects have greater depression (p = 0.002). There is no evidence of DIF across age, education, sexual orientation or HIV status. HIV-positive MSM are twice as likely to screen positive for moderately severe and severe depressive symptoms compared to their HIV-negative counterparts. There is strong evidence for the psychometric adequacy of the translated PHQ-9 screening tool as a measure of depression with MSM in Haiti. Future research is necessary to examine the predictive validity of depression for subsequent health behaviors or clinical outcomes among Haitian MSM.

  7. Are 2 Questions Enough to Screen for Depression and Anxiety in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain?

    PubMed Central

    Lie, Stein Atle; Eriksen, Hege R.

    2014-01-01

    Study Design. Cross-sectional study. Objective. To examine the sensitivity of 2 single-item questions compared with 2 longer questionnaires for screening depression and anxiety among patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Summary of Background Data. Psychosocial factors are frequently identified as risk factors for developing CLBP and as predictors for treatment, and questionnaires are often used to screen for this. Shorter instruments may be easier to use in clinical practice settings. Methods. A total of 564 patients with 2 to 10 months of at least 50% sickness absence due to nonspecific low back pain were assessed for depression and anxiety with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Single-item questions for depression and anxiety from the Subjective Health Complaint Inventory and 2 longer questionnaires, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Hopkins Symptom Checklist–25, were compared with MINI results, considered the “gold standard” in this study. Sensitivity and specificity of single-item and longer questionnaires and receiver operating characteristic curves were compared. Results. According to MINI, the prevalence of anxiety disorders was 12% whereas that of depressive disorders was 4%. The screening questions showed 95% sensitivity and 56% specificity for depressive disorders and 68% sensitivity and 85% specificity for anxiety disorders. The longer questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, showed 91% sensitivity and 85% specificity for depressive disorders and 58% sensitivity and 83% specificity for anxiety disorders. Hopkins Symptom Checklist–25 showed 86% sensitivity and 74% specificity for depressive disorders and 67% sensitivity and 87% specificity for anxiety disorders. For 3 of the anxiety disorders and 2 of the depressive disorders, a perfect sensitivity was found between the screening questions and MINI. Conclusions. A single-item screening question was sensitive for depression but less sensitive for anxiety. The screening questions further performed equal to 2 widely used questionnaires. Validation of these results in other populations and compared with other short-item screeners is needed. Level of Evidence: 3 PMID:24480946

  8. Agreement for depression diagnosis between DSM-IV-TR criteria, three validated scales, oncologist assessment, and psychiatric clinical interview in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

    PubMed

    Rhondali, Wadih; Freyer, Gilles; Adam, Virginie; Filbet, Marilène; Derzelle, Martine; Abgrall-Barbry, Gaelle; Bourcelot, Sophie; Machavoine, Jean-Louis; Chomat-Neyraud, Muriel; Gisserot, Olivier; Largillier, Rémi; Le Rol, Annick; Priou, Frank; Saltel, Pierre; Falandry, Claire

    2015-01-01

    Depression, a major outcome in cancer patients, is often evaluated by physicians relying on their clinical impressions rather than patient self-report. Our aim was to assess agreement between patient self-reported depression, oncologist assessment (OA), and psychiatric clinical interview (PCI) in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). This analysis was a secondary endpoint of the Elderly Women AOC Trial 3 (EWOT3), designed to assess the impact of geriatric covariates, notably depression, on survival in patients older than 70 years of age. Depression was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-30 (GDS), the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, the distress thermometer, the mood thermometer, and OA. The interview guide for PCI was constructed from three validated scales: the GDS, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, revised (DSM) criteria for depression were used as a gold standard. Out of 109 patients enrolled at 21 centers, 99 (91%) completed all the assessments. Patient characteristics were: mean age 78, performance status ≥2: 47 (47%). Thirty six patients (36%) were identified as depressed by the PCI versus 15 (15%) identified by DSM. We found moderate agreement for depression identification between DSM and GDS (κ=0.508) and PCI (κ=0.431) and high agreement with MADRS (κ=0.663). We found low or no agreement between DSM with the other assessment strategies, including OA (κ=-0.043). Identification according to OA (yes/no) resulted in a false-negative rate of 87%. As a screening tool, GDS had the best sensitivity and specificity (94% and 80%, respectively). The use of validated tools, such as GDS, and collaboration between psychologists and oncologists are warranted to better identify emotional disorders in elderly women with AOC.

  9. Agreement for depression diagnosis between DSM-IV-TR criteria, three validated scales, oncologist assessment, and psychiatric clinical interview in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer

    PubMed Central

    Rhondali, Wadih; Freyer, Gilles; Adam, Virginie; Filbet, Marilène; Derzelle, Martine; Abgrall-Barbry, Gaelle; Bourcelot, Sophie; Machavoine, Jean-Louis; Chomat-Neyraud, Muriel; Gisserot, Olivier; Largillier, Rémi; Le Rol, Annick; Priou, Frank; Saltel, Pierre; Falandry, Claire

    2015-01-01

    Background Depression, a major outcome in cancer patients, is often evaluated by physicians relying on their clinical impressions rather than patient self-report. Our aim was to assess agreement between patient self-reported depression, oncologist assessment (OA), and psychiatric clinical interview (PCI) in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). Methods This analysis was a secondary endpoint of the Elderly Women AOC Trial 3 (EWOT3), designed to assess the impact of geriatric covariates, notably depression, on survival in patients older than 70 years of age. Depression was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-30 (GDS), the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, the distress thermometer, the mood thermometer, and OA. The interview guide for PCI was constructed from three validated scales: the GDS, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, revised (DSM) criteria for depression were used as a gold standard. Results Out of 109 patients enrolled at 21 centers, 99 (91%) completed all the assessments. Patient characteristics were: mean age 78, performance status ≥2: 47 (47%). Thirty six patients (36%) were identified as depressed by the PCI versus 15 (15%) identified by DSM. We found moderate agreement for depression identification between DSM and GDS (κ=0.508) and PCI (κ=0.431) and high agreement with MADRS (κ=0.663). We found low or no agreement between DSM with the other assessment strategies, including OA (κ=−0.043). Identification according to OA (yes/no) resulted in a false-negative rate of 87%. As a screening tool, GDS had the best sensitivity and specificity (94% and 80%, respectively). Conclusion The use of validated tools, such as GDS, and collaboration between psychologists and oncologists are warranted to better identify emotional disorders in elderly women with AOC. PMID:26203235

  10. Health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression related to mammography screening in Norway.

    PubMed

    Hafslund, Bjorg; Espehaug, Birgitte; Nortvedt, Monica Wammen

    2012-11-01

    To measure health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression ahead of mammography screening and to assess any differences in health-related quality of life compared to reference population. The study of health-related quality of life among attendees prior to mammography screening has received little attention, and increased knowledge is needed to better understand the overall health benefits of participation. A two-group cross-sectional comparative study was performed. The samples comprised 4,249 attendees to mammography screening and a comparison group of 943 women. We used the SF-36 Health Survey to assess health-related quality of life. Linear regression was used to study any differences between the groups with adjustment for age, level of education, occupation, having children and smoking status. Other normative data were also used. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Attendees scored statistically significant higher on the SF-36 than the comparison group but were in line with normative data. Attendees had anxiety mean 4·1 and depression mean 2·6. The majority of the attendees have a high health-related quality of life, low anxiety and depression ahead of screening. Anxiety and depression were less than shown in normative data from Norway. Despite a high health-related quality of life, low anxiety and depression among the majority, healthcare workers should pay special attention to the few women who are anxious and depressed, and have a lower health-related quality of life. Omitted from mammography screening may be women who are unemployed, have lower socioeconomic status, are anxious and are depressed. Further research should be performed with non-attendees and subgroups to improve the screening programme. It is important to identify which patients have the greatest need for support and caring in an organised mammography screening and who may be overlooked. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  11. Cognitive impairment as measured by the THINC-integrated tool (THINC-it): Association with psychosocial function in major depressive disorder.

    PubMed

    Cha, Danielle S; Carmona, Nicole E; Subramaniapillai, Mehala; Mansur, Rodrigo B; Lee, Yena; Hon Lee, Jae; Lee, JungGoo; Rosenblat, Joshua D; Shekotikhina, Margarita; Park, Caroline; Rong, Carola; Greer, Tracy L; Lam, Raymond; Baune, Bernhard T; Harrison, John; McIntyre, Roger S

    2017-11-01

    Psychosocial impairment represents an important treatment target in major depressive disorder (MDD). The majority of patients with MDD do not regain premorbid levels of psychosocial functioning despite the resolution of core depressive symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the respective effects of cognitive function and depression severity on impaired psychosocial function in MDD. Adults aged 18-65 with moderate-to-severe MDD (n = 100) and age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls participated in a cross-sectional study validating the THINC-integrated tool (THINC-it), a cognitive screening tool comprised of objective and subjective measures of cognitive function. Depression severity was assessed using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale and psychosocial function was assessed using the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). Subjects with MDD reported greater impairment in psychosocial function than healthy controls, with significant differences in SDS total and domain scores (ps < .01) after controlling for age, sex, and education. Generalized linear models indicated that subjective cognitive function was most strongly associated with SDS total score (RR = .14, p = .01) and SDS domains of work/school (RR = .15, p = .03), family and home responsibilities (RR = .15, p = .02), and economic days lost (RR = .18, p =.03). Depression severity was most strongly associated with SDS social life (RR = .08, p < .01) and economic days underproductive (RR = .07, p < .01). Objective cognitive function was not significantly associated with any SDS outcomes. The cross-sectional, observational study design limits temporal inferences. The self-report nature of measures included may have influenced associations observed. Potential medication effects are not noted. Cognitive deficits, as measured by the THINC-it, are associated with significant psychosocial impairment in MDD. These results provide empirical support for the assessment of both subjective and objective measures of cognition, as they are not associated with each other and have differential effects on functional trajectory. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Collaborative care for depression symptoms in an outpatient cardiology setting: A randomized clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Carney, Robert M; Freedland, Kenneth E; Steinmeyer, Brian C; Rubin, Eugene H; Ewald, Gregory

    2016-09-15

    Depression is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality in patients with coronary heart disease. Finding effective methods for identifying and treating depression in these patients is a high priority. The purpose of this study was to determine whether collaborative care (CC) for patients who screen positive for depression during an outpatient cardiology visit results in greater improvement in depression symptoms and better medical outcomes than seen in patients who screen positive for depression but receive only usual care (UC). Two hundred-one patients seen in an outpatient cardiology clinic who screened positive for depression during an outpatient visit were randomized to receive either CC or UC. Recommendations for depression treatment and ongoing support and monitoring of depression symptoms were provided to CC patients and their primary care physicians (PCPs) for up to 6months. There were no differences between the arms in mean Beck Depression Inventory-II scores(CC, 15.9; UC, 17.4; p=.45) or in depression remission rates(CC, 32.5%; UC, 26.2%; p=0.34) after 6months, or in the number of hospitalizations after 12months (p=0.73). There were fewer deaths among the CC (1/100) than UC patients (8/101) (p=0.03). This trial did not show that CC produces better depression outcomes than UC. Screening led to a higher rate of depression treatment than was expected in the UC group, and delays in obtaining depression treatment from PCPs may have reduced treatment effectiveness for the CC patients. A different strategy for depression treatment following screening in outpatient cardiology services is needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Identification of Psychological Dysfunctions and Eating Disorders in Obese Women Seeking Weight Loss: Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Panchaud Cornut, Maude; Szymanski, Jennifer; Marques-Vidal, Pedro; Giusti, Vittorio

    2014-01-01

    Objective. The aim of this study is to analyse associations between eating behaviour and psychological dysfunctions in treatment-seeking obese patients and identify parameters for the development of diagnostic tools with regard to eating and psychological disorders. Design and Methods. Cross-sectional data were analysed from 138 obese women. Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh and Eating Disorder Inventory-2 assessed eating behaviours. Beck Depression Inventory II, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, form Y, Rathus Assertiveness Schedule, and Marks and Mathews Fear Questionnaire assessed psychological profile. Results. 61% of patients showed moderate or major depressive symptoms and 77% showed symptoms of anxiety. Half of the participants presented with a low degree of assertiveness. No correlation was found between psychological profile and age or anthropometric measurements. The prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, and assertiveness increased with the degree of eating disorders. The feeling of ineffectiveness explained a large degree of score variance. It explained 30 to 50% of the variability of assertiveness, phobias, anxiety, and depression. Conclusion. Psychological dysfunctions had a high prevalence and their severity is correlated with degree of eating disorders. The feeling of ineffectiveness constitutes the major predictor of the psychological profile and could open new ways to develop screening tools. PMID:24737999

  14. Risk factors for positive postpartum depression screen in women with private health insurance and access to care.

    PubMed

    Soffer, Marti D; Adams, Zoe M; Chen, Yiting S; Fox, Nathan S

    2018-05-31

    To determine risk factors for a positive postpartum depression screen among women with private health insurance and 24/7 access to care. Retrospective cohort study of all patients delivered by a single MFM practice from April 2015-September 2016. All patients had private health insurance and 24/7 access to care. All patients were scheduled to undergo the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at their 6-week postpartum visit and a positive screen was defined as a score of 10 or higher, or a score greater than zero on question 10 (thoughts of selfharm). Using logistic regression, risk factors for postpartum depression were compared between women with and without a positive screen. Of the 1237 patients delivered, 1113 (90%) were screened with the EPDS. 81 patients (7.3, 95% CI 5.9-9.0%) of those tested had a positive screen. On regression analysis, risk factors associated with a positive screen were nulliparity (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1, 2.9), cesarean delivery (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1, 2.8), nonwhite race (aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1, 3.5), and a history of depression or anxiety (aOR 4.6, 95% CI 2.6, 8.1). Among the 100 women with a history of depression or anxiety, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use in the postpartum period was not associated with a reduced risk of a positive screen (25.5% in those taking an SSRI versus 18.4% of those not taking an SSRI, p = 0.39). Among women with private health insurance and access to care, the incidence of a positive screen for postpartum depression is approximately 7%. The use of an SSRI did not eliminate this risk. All women should be screened for postpartum depression.

  15. Depression Screening Patterns for Women in Rural Health Clinics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tudiver, Fred; Edwards, Joellen Beckett; Pfortmiller, Deborah T.

    2010-01-01

    Context: Rates and types of screening for depression in rural primary care practices are unknown. Purpose: To identify rates of depression screening among rural women in a sample of rural health clinics (RHCs). Methods: A chart review of 759 women's charts in 19 randomly selected RHCs across the nation. Data were collected from charts of female…

  16. Association of Antenatal Depression Symptoms and Antidepressant Treatment With Preterm Birth.

    PubMed

    Venkatesh, Kartik K; Riley, Laura; Castro, Victor M; Perlis, Roy H; Kaimal, Anjali J

    2016-05-01

    To evaluate the association of antenatal depression symptoms with preterm birth and small for gestational age (SGA). This was an observational cohort study conducted among women who completed Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale screening and delivered at 20 weeks of gestation or greater. The primary outcomes were preterm birth and an SGA neonate at birth (less than 10th percentile for gestational age); the primary predictor was an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale antepartum score of 10 or greater, indicating symptoms of depression. Logistic regression models were used with and without consideration of antidepressant exposure during pregnancy. Among 7,267 women, 831 (11%) screened positive for depression. In multivariable analyses adjusting for maternal age, race, income, body mass index, tobacco use, lifetime diagnosis of major depression and anxiety, diabetes, hypertension, and preeclampsia, women who screened positive for depression experienced an increased risk of preterm birth (less than 37 weeks of gestation) (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.55) and very preterm birth (less than 32 weeks of gestation) (adjusted OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.09-3.02) as well as of having an SGA neonate (adjusted OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.04-1.58). In secondary analyses, among women who were treated with an antidepressant during pregnancy (19% of those who screened positive and 5% of those who screened negative), depressive symptoms were not associated with a significantly increased risk of preterm and very preterm birth or an SGA neonate. In a large cohort of women screened for depression antepartum, those with depressive symptoms had an increased likelihood of preterm and very preterm delivery as well having an SGA neonate. Such risk was not apparent among women who were treated with an antidepressant medication.

  17. Bilingual Computerized Speech Recognition Screening for Depression Symptoms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gonzalez, Gerardo; Carter, Colby; Blanes, Erika

    2007-01-01

    The Voice-Interactive Depression Assessment System (VIDAS) is a computerized speech recognition application for screening depression based on the Center for Epidemiological Studies--Depression scale in English and Spanish. Study 1 included 50 English and 47 Spanish speakers. Study 2 involved 108 English and 109 Spanish speakers. Participants…

  18. Implementing Universal Maternal Depression Screening in Home Visiting Programs: A Pragmatic Overview

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Segre, Lisa S.; Taylor, Darby

    2014-01-01

    Maternal depression, although prevalent in low-income women, is not an inevitable consequence of poverty. Nevertheless, depression is a double burden for impoverished women: compromising infant development and diminishing mothers' ability to benefit from or effectively use home visiting services. Without universal screening, depression is often…

  19. The need for psycho-oncological support for melanoma patients: Central role of patients' self-evaluation.

    PubMed

    Mayer, Simone; Teufel, Martin; Schaeffeler, Norbert; Keim, Ulrike; Garbe, Claus; Eigentler, Thomas Kurt; Zipfel, Stephan; Forschner, Andrea

    2017-09-01

    Despite an increasing number of promising treatment options, only a limited number of studies concerning melanoma patients' psycho-oncological distress have been carried out. However, multiple screening tools are in use to assess the need for psycho-oncological support. This study aimed first to identify parameters in melanoma patients that are associated with a higher risk for being psycho-oncologically distressed and second to compare patients' self-evaluation concerning the need for psycho-oncological support with the results of established screening tools.We performed a cross-sectional study including 254 melanoma patients from the Center for Dermatooncology at the University of Tuebingen. The study was performed between June 2010 and February 2013. Several screening instruments were included: the Distress Thermometer (DT), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the patients' subjective evaluation concerning psycho-oncological support. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify factors that indicate the need for psycho-oncological support.Patients' subjective evaluation concerning the need for psycho-oncological support, female gender, and psychotherapeutic or psychiatric treatment at present or in the past had the highest impact on values above threshold in the DT. The odds ratio of patients' self-evaluation (9.89) was even higher than somatic factors like female gender (1.85), duration of illness (0.99), or increasing age (0.97). Patients' self-evaluation concerning the need for psycho-oncological support indicated a moderate correlation with the results of the screening tools included.In addition to the results obtained by screening tools like the DT, we could demonstrate that patients' self-evaluation is an important instrument to identify patients who need psycho-oncological support.

  20. Get Your Teen Screened for Depression

    MedlinePlus

    ... Depression Print This Topic En español Get Your Teen Screened for Depression Browse Sections The Basics Overview ... 8 of 9 sections Take Action: Support Your Teen Find resources for your teen. If your child ...

  1. Adult depression screening in Saudi primary care: prevalence, instrument and cost

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background By the year 2020 depression would be the second major cause of disability adjusted life years lost, as reported by the World Health Organization. Depression is a mental illness which causes persistent low mood, a sense of despair, and has multiple risk factors. Its prevalence in primary care varies between 15.3-22%, with global prevalence up to 13% and between 17-46% in Saudi Arabia. Despite several studies that have shown benefit of early diagnosis and cost-savings of up to 80%, physicians in primary care setting continue to miss out on 30-50% of depressed patients in their practices. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted at three large primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia aiming at estimating point prevalence of depression and screening cost among primary care adult patients, and comparing Patient Health Questionnaires PHQ-2 with PHQ-9. Adult individuals were screened using Arabic version of PHQ-2 and PHQ-9. PHQ-2 scores were correlated with PHQ-9 scores using linear regression. A limited cost-analysis and cost saving estimates of depression screening was done using the Human Capital approach. Results Patients included in the survey analysis were 477, of whom 66.2% were females, 77.4% were married, and nearly 20% were illiterate. Patients exhibiting depressive symptoms on the basis of PHQ9 were 49.9%, of which 31% were mild, 13.4% moderate, 4.4% moderate-severe and 1.0% severe cases. Depression scores were significantly associated with female gender (p-value 0.049), and higher educational level (p-value 0.002). Regression analysis showed that PHQ-2 & PHQ-9 were strongly correlated R = 0.79, and R2 = 0.62. The cost-analysis showed savings of up to 500 SAR ($133) per adult patient screened once a year. Conclusion The point prevalence of screened depression is high in primary care visitors in Saudi Arabia. Gender and higher level of education were found to be significantly associated with screened depression. Majority of cases were mild to moderate, PHQ-2 was equivocal to PHQ 9 in utility and that screening for depression in primary care setting is cost saving. PMID:24992932

  2. Women's use of online resources and acceptance of e-mental health tools during the perinatal period.

    PubMed

    Fonseca, Ana; Gorayeb, Ricardo; Canavarro, Maria Cristina

    2016-10-01

    The women's professional help-seeking rate for perinatal depression is low, despite the prevalent and disabling nature of this condition. Therefore, new approaches should be implemented to increase women's access and utilization of treatment resources, namely e-mental health tools. This study aimed to characterize women's current pattern of use of online resources for mental heal issues and women's acceptance of e-mental health tools during the perinatal period, and to investigate its main determinants. This study used an online cross-sectional survey that was completed by 546 women during the perinatal period. 31.3% had prior knowledge of websites targeting mental health illness. Women presenting an actual need for help (i.e., a positive screen for depression) reported greater use of online resources and greater engagement in e-health behaviors related to mental health (d=0.46-0.61), and being more accepting of e-mental health tools, particularly of informative websites. Women's perceptions concerning the e-mental tools were found to predict their intentions to use them. The results seem to globally support Portuguese women's acceptance of e-mental health tools. To improve the level of acceptance, women should be involved as stakeholders in the development of new e-mental health tools and provided with specific information before their utilization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Routine screening for depression and quality of life in outpatients with congestive heart failure.

    PubMed

    Holzapfel, Nicole; Zugck, Christian; Müller-Tasch, Thomas; Löwe, Bernd; Wild, Beate; Schellberg, Dieter; Nelles, Manfred; Remppis, Andrew; Katus, Hugo; Herzog, Wolfgang; Jünger, Jana

    2007-01-01

    The influence of depression and perceived quality of life (QoL) on symptom perception and prognosis in congestive heart failure is well known. The authors therefore introduced routine questionnaire screening for these parameters in patients attending their outpatient heart failure clinic (N=320). The authors found QoL to be significantly reduced, and almost every third patient screened positive for a depressive disorder. These patients got a clearly-defined treatment offer. The present study demonstrates that screening for depression and QoL is feasible without being too complex or time-consuming and easily implementable in an interdisciplinary outpatient setting.

  4. Late Life Depression Detection: An Evidence-Based Guideline

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Marianne; Haedtke, Christine; Shibley, Deborah

    2015-01-01

    The disability associated with late life depression makes it an important target for screening. Identifying clinically significant depression symptoms in older adults who have known risk factors provides an important opportunity for early evaluation and treatment. Screening that leads to evaluation and treatment is critical to both preventing depression, and reducing the associated disability, symptom burden, and costs of major depressive disorders (MDD). The guideline described here recommends the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for screening because it is based on diagnostic criteria for MDD and has the advantages of being brief, self-administered, easily scored and interpreted, and reliable and valid in diverse populations and care settings. Nurses and allied health professionals who provide care to older adults across the continuum of care are uniquely positioned to identify at risk older adults, use depression screening scales, make needed referrals for evaluation and treatment, and monitor outcomes across time. PMID:25633861

  5. Onset timing, thoughts of self-harm, and diagnoses in postpartum women with screen-positive depression findings.

    PubMed

    Wisner, Katherine L; Sit, Dorothy K Y; McShea, Mary C; Rizzo, David M; Zoretich, Rebecca A; Hughes, Carolyn L; Eng, Heather F; Luther, James F; Wisniewski, Stephen R; Costantino, Michelle L; Confer, Andrea L; Moses-Kolko, Eydie L; Famy, Christopher S; Hanusa, Barbara H

    2013-05-01

    The period prevalence of depression among women is 21.9% during the first postpartum year; however, questions remain about the value of screening for depression. To screen for depression in postpartum women and evaluate positive screen findings to determine the timing of episode onset, rate and intensity of self-harm ideation, and primary and secondary DSM-IV disorders to inform treatment and policy decisions. Sequential case series of women who recently gave birth. Urban academic women's hospital. During the maternity hospitalization, women were offered screening at 4 to 6 weeks post partum by telephone. Screen-positive women were invited to undergo psychiatric evaluations in their homes. A positive screen finding was an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score of 10 or higher. Self-harm ideation was assessed on EPDS item 10: "The thought of harming myself has occurred to me" (yes, quite often; sometimes; hardly ever; never). Screen-positive women underwent evaluation with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV for Axis I primary and secondary diagnoses. Ten thousand mothers underwent screening, with positive findings in 1396 (14.0%); of these, 826 (59.2%) completed the home visits and 147 (10.5%) completed a telephone diagnostic interview. Screen-positive women were more likely to be younger, African American, publicly insured, single, and less well educated. More episodes began post partum (40.1%), followed by during pregnancy (33.4%) and before pregnancy (26.5%). In this population, 19.3% had self-harm ideation. All mothers with the highest intensity of self-harm ideation were identified with the EPDS score of 10 or higher. The most common primary diagnoses were unipolar depressive disorders (68.5%), and almost two-thirds had comorbid anxiety disorders. A striking 22.6% had bipolar disorders. The most common diagnosis in screen-positive women was major depressive disorder with comorbid generalized anxiety disorder. Strategies to differentiate women with bipolar from unipolar disorders are needed. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00282776.

  6. Heart Disease and Depression: Is Culture a Factor?

    PubMed

    Gholizadeh, Leila; Davidson, Patricia M; Heydari, Mehrdad; Salamonson, Yenna

    2014-07-01

    This article seeks to review and discuss the evidence linking depression, coronary heart disease (CHD), and culture. PsychInfo, CINAHL, PubMed, and Google were searched for pertinent evidence linking depression, culture, and CHD, and retrieved articles were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Identified themes were the followings: depression is a factor in development and prognosis of CHD and affects the capacity to self-manage and adhere to treatment recommendations; culture mediates mental health/illness representations and treatment-seeking behaviors; screening and assessment of depression can be affected by cultural factors; and there is a need for culturally appropriate screening and therapeutic strategies. As depression is a predictor and moderating variable in the genesis and progression of CHD, understanding how factors such as culture affect screening and management of the disease is important to inform the development of culturally and linguistically competent strategies that ensure accurate screening, detection, and treatment of depression in cardiac patients in clinical practice. © The Author(s) 2014.

  7. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7) and the anxiety module of the Hospital and Depression Scale (HADS-A) as screening tools for generalized anxiety disorder among cancer patients.

    PubMed

    Esser, Peter; Hartung, Tim J; Friedrich, Michael; Johansen, Christoffer; Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich; Faller, Hermann; Koch, Uwe; Härter, Martin; Keller, Monika; Schulz, Holger; Wegscheider, Karl; Weis, Joachim; Mehnert, Anja

    2018-06-01

    Anxiety in cancer patients may represent a normal psychological reaction. To detect patients with pathological levels, appropriate screeners with established cut-offs are needed. Given that previous research is sparse, we investigated the diagnostic accuracy of 2 frequently used screening tools in detecting generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). We used data of a multicenter study including 2141 cancer patients. Diagnostic accuracy was investigated for the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7) and the anxiety module of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A). GAD, assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview for Oncology, served as a reference standard. Overall accuracy was measured with the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). The AUC of the 2 screeners were statistically compared. We also calculated accuracy measures for selected cut-offs. Diagnostic accuracy could be interpreted as adequate for both screeners, with an identical AUC of .81 (95% CI: .79-.82). Consequently, the 2 screeners did not differ in their performance (P = .86). The best balance between sensitivity and specificity was found for cut-offs ≥7 (GAD-7) and ≥8 (HADS-A). The officially recommended thresholds for the GAD-7 (≥ 10) and the HADS-A (≥11) showed low sensitivities of 55% and 48%, respectively. The GAD-7 and HADS-A showed AUC of adequate diagnostic accuracy and hence are applicable for GAD screening in cancer patients. Nevertheless, the choice of optimal cut-offs should be carefully evaluated. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. Using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale to Screen for Depression in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

    PubMed Central

    Julian, Laura J.; Gregorich, Steven E.; Tonner, Chris; Yazdany, Jinoos; Trupin, Laura; Criswell, Lindsey A.; Yelin, ED; Katz, Patricia P.

    2013-01-01

    Objective Identifying persons with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at risk for depression would facilitate the identification and treatment of an important comorbidity conferring additional risk for poor outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of a brief screening measure, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), in detecting mood disorders in persons with SLE. Methods This cross-sectional study examined 150 persons with SLE. Screening cut points were empirically derived using threshold selection methods, and receiver operating characteristic curves were estimated. The empirically derived cut points of the CES-D were used as the screening measures and were compared to other commonly used CES-D cut points in addition to other commonly used methods to screen for depression. Diagnoses of major depressive disorder or other mood disorders were determined using a “gold standard” structured clinical interview. Results Of the 150 persons with SLE, 26% of subjects met criteria for any mood disorder and 17% met criteria for major depressive disorder. Optimal threshold estimations suggested a CES-D cut score of 24 and above, which yielded adequate sensitivity and specificity in detecting major depressive disorder (88% and 93%, respectively) and correctly classified 92% of participants. To detect the presence of any mood disorder, a cut score of 20 and above was suggested, yielding sensitivity and specificity of 87% and correctly classifying 87%. Conclusion These results suggest the CES-D may be a useful screening measure to identify patients at risk for depression. PMID:21312347

  9. Depression in Aboriginal men in central Australia: adaptation of the Patient Health Questionnaire 9

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background While Indigenous Australians are believed to be at a high risk of psychological illness, few screening instruments have been designed to accurately measure this burden. Rather than simply transposing western labels of symptoms, this paper describes the process by which a screening tool for depression was specifically adapted for use across multiple Indigenous Australian communities. Method Potential depression screening instruments were identified and interrogated according to a set of pre-defined criteria. A structured process was then developed which relied on the expertise of five focus groups comprising of members from primary Indigenous language groups in central Australia. First, focus group participants were asked to review and select a screening measure for adaptation. Bi-lingual experts then translated and back translated the language within the selected measure. Focus group participants re-visited the difficult items, explored their meaning and identified potential ways to achieve equivalence of meaning. Results All five focus groups independently selected the Primary Health Questionnaire 9, several key conceptual differences were exposed, largely related to the construction of hopelessness. Together with translated versions of each instrument for each of the five languages, a single, simplified English version for use across heterogeneous settings was negotiated. Importantly, the ‘code’ and specific conceptually equivalent words that could be used for other Indigenous language groups were also developed. Conclusions The extensive process of adaptation used in this study has demonstrated that within the context of Indigenous Australian communities, across multiple language groups, where English is often a third or fourth language, conceptual and linguistic equivalence of psychological constructs can be negotiated. A validation study is now required to assess the adapted instrument’s potential for measuring the burden of disease across all Indigenous Australian populations. PMID:24139186

  10. Comparing the distress thermometer (DT) with the patient health questionnaire (PHQ)-2 for screening for possible cases of depression among patients newly diagnosed with advanced cancer.

    PubMed

    Lazenby, Mark; Dixon, Jane; Bai, Mei; McCorkle, Ruth

    2014-02-01

    Distress screening guidelines call for rapid screening for emotional distress at the time of cancer diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the distress thermometer's (DT) ability to screen in patients in treatment for advanced cancer who may be depressed. Using cross-sectional data collected from patients within 30 days of diagnosis with advanced cancer, this study used ROC analysis to determine the optimal-cutoff point of the distress thermometer (DT) for screening for depression as measured by the physician health questionnaire (PHQ)-9; inter-test reliability analysis to compare the DT with the PHQ-2 for screening in possible cases of depression, and multivariate analysis to examine associations among the DT emotional problem list (EPL) items with cases of depression. The average age of the 123 patients in the study was 59.9 (12.9) years. Seventy (56.9%) were female. All had Stage 3 or 4 cancers (40% gastrointestinal, 19% gynecologic, 20% head and neck, 21% lung). The mean DT score was 4 (2.7)/10; and 56 (43%) were depressed as measured by the PHQ-9 ≥ 5. The optimal DT cut-off score to screen in possible cases of depression was ≥ 2/10, with a sensitivity of .96, compared to a sensitivity of .32 of the PHQ-2 ≥ 2. Correlation coefficients for the DT ≥ 2 and the PHQ-2 with the PHQ-9 ≥ 5 were 0.4 and -0.2, respectively. EPL items associated with cases of depression were Depression (OR = 0.15, 0.02-0.85) and Sadness (OR = 0.21, 0.06-0.72). The optimal DT threshold for identifying possible cases of depression at the time of diagnosis is ≥ 2; this threshold is more sensitive than the PHQ-2 ≥ 2. EPL items may be used with the DT score to triage patients for evaluation.

  11. Postnatal depression screening in a paediatric primary care setting in Italy.

    PubMed

    Clavenna, Antonio; Seletti, Elena; Cartabia, Massimo; Didoni, Anna; Fortinguerra, Filomena; Sciascia, Teresa; Brivio, Luca; Malnis, Daniela; Bonati, Maurizio

    2017-01-25

    Postnatal depression is a non-psychotic depressive disorder that begins within 4 weeks of childbirth and occurs in 13% of mothers and 10% of fathers. A prospective study with the aim to evaluate the prevalence of postnatal depression by screening parents with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in the Italian paediatric primary care setting was performed. Mothers and fathers of infants born between 1 February and 31 July 2012, living in Italy's Milan-1 local health unit area, represented the target population of this pilot study. Parents attending well-child visits at any of the family paediatricians' offices between 60 to 90 days postpartum were asked to participate in the screening and to fill out the EPDS questionnaire. A cut-off score of 12 was used to identify parents with postnatal depression symptoms. Maternal and paternal socio-demographic variables and information concerning pregnancy and delivery were also collected. To investigate the association between screening positivity (dependent variable) and socio-demographic variables and factors related to pregnancy and delivery, a Pearson's χ2 test was used. Moreover, a stepwise multivariate logistic regression was carried out to evaluate the risk factors that most influence the probability of suffering from postnatal depression. In all, 126 out of 2706 (4.7%, 95% CI 3.9-5.5%) mothers and 24 out of 1420 (1.7%, 95% CI 1.0-2.4%) fathers were found to be positive for depressive symptoms. Women with mood disorders and anxiety during pregnancy were at increased risk of postpartum depression (OR 22.9, 95% CI 12.1-43.4). Only 11 mothers (8.7%) positive to EPDS screening attended a psychiatric service, and for 8 of them the diagnosis of postnatal depression was confirmed. The prevalence of postnatal depression was lower than previously reported. Routine screening resulted ineffective, since few mothers found positive for depression symptoms decided to attend psychiatric services.

  12. [Aggression and related factors in elementary school students].

    PubMed

    Ji, Eun Sun; Jang, Mi Heui

    2010-10-01

    This study was done to explore the relationship between aggression and internet over-use, depression-anxiety, self-esteem, all of which are known to be behavior and psychological characteristics linked to "at-risk" children for aggression. Korean-Child Behavior Check List (K-CBCL), Korean-Internet Addiction Self-Test Scale, and Self-Esteem Scale by Rosenberg (1965) were used as measurement tools with a sample of 743, 5th-6th grade students from 3 elementary schools in Jecheon city. Chi-square, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation and stepwise multiple regression with SPSS/Win 13.0 version were used to analyze the collected data. Aggression for the elementary school students was positively correlated with internet over-use and depression-anxiety, whereas self-esteem was negatively correlated with aggression. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that 68.4% of the variance for aggression was significantly accounted for by internet over-use, depression-anxiety, and self-esteem. The most significant factor influencing aggression was depression-anxiety. These results suggest that earlier screening and intervention programs for depression-anxiety and internet over-use for elementary student will be helpful in preventing aggression.

  13. Psychological distress screening in cancer patients: psychometric properties of tools available in Italy.

    PubMed

    Muzzatti, Barbara; Annunziata, Maria Antonietta

    2012-01-01

    The main national and international organisms recommend continuous monitoring of psychological distress in cancer patients throughout the disease trajectory. The reasons for this concern are the high prevalence of psychological distress in cancer patients and its association with a worse quality of life, poor adherence to treatment, and stronger assistance needs. Most screening tools for psychological distress were developed in English-speaking countries. To be fit for use in different cultural contexts (like the Italian), they need to undergo accurate translation and specific validation. In the present work we summarized the validation studies for psychological distress screening tools available in Italian that are most widely employed internationally, with the aim of helping clinicians choose the adequate instrument. With knowledge of the properties of the corresponding Italian versions, researchers would be better able to identify the instruments that deserve further investigation. We carried out a systematic review of the literature. Results. Twenty-nine studies of eight different instruments (five relating to psychological distress, three to its depressive component) were identified. Ten of these studies involved cancer patients and 19 referred to the general population or to non-cancer, non-psychiatric subjects. For seven of the eight tools, data on concurrent and discriminant validity were available. For five instruments data on criterion validity were available, for four there were data on construct validity, and for one tool divergent and cross-cultural validity data were provided. For six of the eight tools the literature provided data on reliability (mostly about internal consistency). Since none of the eight instruments for which we found validation studies relative to the Italian context had undergone a complete and organic validation process, their use in the clinical context must be cautious. Italian researchers should be proactive and make a valid and reliable screening tool for Italian patients available.

  14. Depression Screening at a Community Health Fair: Descriptives and Treatment Linkage.

    PubMed

    Opperman, Kiel J; Hanson, Devin M; Toro, Paul A

    2017-08-01

    Health fairs are a cost-efficient platform for dissemination of preventive services to vulnerable populations. Effectiveness of depression screenings and associated treatment linkage via community health fairs warrants investigation. This study offers the first examination of a depression screening at a community health fair in 261 adult men (18-87years). The PHQ-9 was administered via interview by graduate students and on-site psychiatric nurses were available for a brief consultation for those interested. Over a quarter of participants screened positive for at least moderate depressive symptomatology. Of those who screened positive, 35.8% met with an on-site psychiatric nurse for a consultation. At six-month follow-up, none of the participants given a referral made an appointment at the community mental health agency. This suggests the importance of providing on-site clinician consultations at health fairs and the need for a more coordinated system to schedule future appointments while at the event. Community health fairs reach vulnerable populations, such as those who are uninsured and who have not spoken with a professional about mental health concerns. By conducting depression screening and providing onsite access to a mental health consultation at community health fairs, participants are better able to identify their depressive symptoms and are introduced to ways to treat depression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Depression and Anxiety Screens as Simultaneous Predictors of 10-Year Incidence of Diabetes Mellitus in Older Adults in Primary Care.

    PubMed

    Khambaty, Tasneem; Callahan, Christopher M; Perkins, Anthony J; Stewart, Jesse C

    2017-02-01

    To examine depression and anxiety screens and their individual items as simultaneous predictors of incident diabetes mellitus. Ten-year follow-up study of individuals screened for the Improving Mood-Promoting Access to Collaborative Treatment (IMPACT) trial. Two large urban primary care clinics in Indianapolis, Indiana. Diverse sample (53% African American, 80% of lower socioeconomic status) of 2,156 older adults initially free of diabetes mellitus. Depression and anxiety screens were completed during routine primary care visits between 1999 and 2001. Incident diabetes mellitus data were obtained from an electronic medical record system and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services analytical files though 2009. Over the 10-year period, 558 (25.9%) participants had diabetes mellitus onset. Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for demographic and diabetes mellitus risk factors revealed that a positive screen for anxiety, but not for depression, predicted incident diabetes mellitus when entered into separate models (anxiety: hazard ratio (HR) = 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.15-1.61, P < .001; depression: HR = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.95-1.46, P = .13) and when entered simultaneously into one model (anxiety: HR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.12-1.61, P < .001; depression: HR = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.83-1.31, P = .73). The feeling anxious (P = .03) and the worry (P = .02) items predicted incident diabetes mellitus independent of the depression screen. These findings suggest that screening positive for anxiety is a risk factor for diabetes mellitus in older adults independent of depression and traditional diabetes mellitus risk factors. Anxiety requires greater consideration and awareness in the context of diabetes mellitus risk assessment and primary prevention. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

  16. Early identification of women at risk of postpartum depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in a sample of Lebanese women.

    PubMed

    El-Hachem, Charline; Rohayem, Jihane; Bou Khalil, Rami; Richa, Sami; Kesrouani, Assaad; Gemayel, Rima; Aouad, Norma; Hatab, Najat; Zaccak, Eliane; Yaghi, Nancy; Salameh, Salimé; Attieh, Elie

    2014-09-07

    During the postpartum period, women are vulnerable to depression affecting about 10 to 20% of mothers during the first year after delivery. However, only 50% of women with prominent symptoms are diagnosed with postpartum depression (PPD). The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is the most widely used screening instrument for PPD . The main objectives of this study are to assess whether an EPDS score of 9 or more on day 2 (D2) postpartum is predictive of a depressive episode between days 30 and 40 postpartum (D30-40), to determine the risk factors as well as the prevalence of PPD in a sample of Lebanese women and to determine a threshold score of EPDS predictive of PPD. A sample of 228 women were administered the EPDS on D2. An assessment for PPD was done on D30-40 during a telephone interview. On D2, the average score on EPDS was 7.1 (SD = 5.2) and 33.3% of women had an EPDS score ≥ 9. On D30-40 postpartum, the average score was 6.5 (SD = 4.7) and 19 women (12.8%) presented with PPD. A positive correlation was shown between scores on EPDS on D2 and D30-40 (r = 0.5091, p < 0.0001). A stepwise regression shows that an EPDS score ≥9 on D2 (p < 0.001) and a personal history of depression (p = 0.008) are significantly associated with the diagnosis of PPD on D30-40. The EPDS may be considered as a reliable screening tool on as early as D2 after delivery. Women with EPDS score ≥ 9 and/or a positive personal history of major depressive disorder should benefit from a closer follow-up during the rest of the post-partum period.

  17. The Preschool Feelings Checklist: A Brief and Sensitive Screening Measure for Depression in Young Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luby, Joan L.; Heffelfinger, Amy; Koenig-McNaught, Amy L.; Brown, Kathy; Spitznagel, Edward

    2004-01-01

    Objective: Childhood depression is widely underrecognized in primary health care settings. This phenomenon appears to increase with younger age. Evidence has been provided for a valid depressive syndrome among preschool children. Based on the need for the earliest possible identification of depression, the development of a brief screening measure…

  18. Validating the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children in Rwanda

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Betancourt, Theresa; Scorza, Pamela; Meyers-Ohki, Sarah; Mushashi, Christina; Kayiteshonga, Yvonne; Binagwaho, Agnes; Stulac, Sara; Beardslee, William R.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: We assessed the validity of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) as a screen for depression in Rwandan children and adolescents. Although the CES-DC is widely used for depression screening in high-income countries, its validity in low-income and culturally diverse settings, including sub-Saharan…

  19. Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Caregivers of People with Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Kwon, Oh-Young; Ahn, Hyeong Sik; Kim, Hyun Jung

    2017-01-01

    Background and Purpose Caregivers endure tremendous physical, emotional, and financial burdens while caring for people with dementia. The current study aimed to estimate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for caregivers of people with dementia (CGPWD). Methods Studies in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases were screened. Studies with a randomized controlled design and which produced CBT outcomes for CGPWD were included in this study, and we investigated these outcomes. Results The screening of abstracts of 263 studies resulted in 12 randomized controlled trials being included in this study. The mean age of the CGPWD ranged from 51.5 to 66.2 years. The caregiver role was most frequently adopted by a female spouse or daughter. CBT for the CGPWD resulted in positive effects on various conditions, including depression, anxiety, stress, and dysfunctional thoughts. Depression was the most commonly evaluated condition, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was most frequently used as an inventory for depressive symptoms. The mean differences between the baseline and postintervention CES-D scores were compared between the CBT-intervention and control groups. The CES-D score decreased significantly more in the CBT-intervention group than in the control group. The difference in pooled mean differences between the two groups was −4.98. Conclusions CBT is an efficient intervention tool for reducing the various emotional burdens experienced by CGPWD. This meta-analysis found that CBT significantly improved the depressive symptoms of CGPWD. PMID:29057632

  20. Integration of geriatric mental health screening into a primary care practice: a patient satisfaction survey.

    PubMed

    Samuels, S; Abrams, R; Shengelia, R; Reid, M C; Goralewicz, R; Breckman, R; Anderson, M A; Snow, C E; Woods, E C; Stern, A; Eimicke, J P; Adelman, R D

    2015-05-01

    Colocation of mental health screening, assessment, and treatment in primary care reduces stigma, improves access, and increases coordination of care between mental health and primary care providers. However, little information exists regarding older adults' attitudes about screening for mental health problems in primary care. The objective of this study was to evaluate older primary care patients' acceptance of and satisfaction with screening for depression and anxiety. The study was conducted at an urban, academically affiliated primary care practice serving older adults. Study patients (N = 107) were screened for depression/anxiety and underwent a post-screening survey/interview to assess their reactions to the screening experience. Most patients (88.6%) found the length of the screening to be "just right." A majority found the screening questions somewhat or very acceptable (73.4%) and not at all difficult (81.9%). Most participants did not find the questions stressful (84.9%) or intrusive (91.5%); and a majority were not at all embarrassed (93.4%), upset (93.4%), or uncomfortable (88.8%) during the screening process. When asked about frequency of screening, most patients (72.4%) desired screening for depression/anxiety yearly or more. Of the 79 patients who had spoken with their physicians about mental health during the visit, 89.8% reported that it was easy or very easy to talk with their physicians about depression/anxiety. Multivariate results showed that patients with higher anxiety had a lower positive reaction to the screen when controlling for gender, age, and patient-physician communication. These results demonstrate strong patient support for depression and anxiety screening in primary care. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Depressive symptoms and depression in people screened positive for dementia in primary care - results of the DelpHi-study.

    PubMed

    Thyrian, Jochen René; Eichler, Tilly; Reimann, Melanie; Wucherer, Diana; Dreier, Adina; Michalowsky, Bernhard; Hoffmann, Wolfgang

    2016-06-01

    Dementia and depression are common syndromes in the elderly. There is lack of knowledge concerning the frequency of depressive symptoms in people with dementia (PWD) and factors associated with depression. The aim of this analysis is to (a) describe the frequency of depressive symptoms in people screened positive for dementia, (b) describe differences between PWD with and without depressive symptoms, and (c) analyze associations between depressive symptoms and other dementia-related variables. Analyses are based on data of the GP-based intervention trial DelpHi-MV. A sample of 430 (6.29%) people screened positive for dementia in primary care was analyzed regarding depression according to the German version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS, 15-items), demographic variables, and dementia/depression-related variables. Multivariate analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms. The mean GDS-score of depressive symptoms in n = 430 PWD was m = 3.21 (SD 2.45) with 67 PWD (15.55%) showing clinically relevant depression (GDS < 5) m = 7.71 (SD = 1.92). A total of n = 72 (16.74%) received a formal diagnosis of depression and n = 62 (14.42%) received antidepressive drug treatment. Depressive symptoms are significantly associated with age (OR = 0.93), functional impairment (OR = 1.36), and quality of life (OR = 0.01, CI: 0.00-0.06). Our results support previous findings that clinically relevant depressive symptoms are more common in people screened positive for dementia than in the general population and are often missed or mismanaged. Our findings underline the importance of managing quality of life, functional status, or depressive symptoms. Also, the results highlight the benefit of including the partner (and probably other carers) for adequate treatment of PWD.

  2. Co-occurring psychiatric symptoms in opioid-dependent women: the prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression.

    PubMed

    Holbrook, Amber; Kaltenbach, Karol

    2012-11-01

    Despite the high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in substance-dependent women, little evidence is available on postpartum depression in this population. To determine whether demographic variables and prenatal depression predict postpartum depression and select substance abuse treatment outcomes in a sample of pregnant women. A retrospective chart review was conducted on 125 pregnant women enrolled in a comprehensive substance abuse treatment program. Data on demographic variables, prenatal care attendance, urine drug screen (UDS) results, and psychiatric symptoms were abstracted from patient medical and substance abuse treatment charts. The Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) was administered 6 weeks post-delivery. Multiple linear regression was conducted to identify predictors of prenatal care attendance and total PDSS scores at 6 weeks postpartum. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine predictors of positive UDS at delivery. Nearly one-third (30.4%) of the sample screened positive for moderate or severe depression at treatment entry. Psychiatric symptoms did not predict either prenatal care compliance or UDS results at delivery. Almost half of the sample (43.7%) exhibited postpartum depression at 6 weeks post-delivery. No demographic variables correlated with incidence of postnatal depression. Only antenatal depression at treatment entry predicted PDSS scores. Prevalence of antenatal psychiatric disorders and postpartum depression was high in this sample of women seeking substance abuse treatment. Results support prior history of depression as a predictor of risk for developing postpartum depression. Routine screening for perinatal and postpartum depression is indicated for women diagnosed with substance abuse disorders.

  3. Web-based depression screening and psychiatric consultation for college students: a feasibility and acceptability study.

    PubMed

    Williams, Aya; Larocca, Rachel; Chang, Trina; Trinh, Nhi-Ha; Fava, Maurizio; Kvedar, Joseph; Yeung, Albert

    2014-01-01

    Background. A steady rise in the prevalence of depression among college students has negatively affected student quality of life. This study investigates the feasibility and acceptability of a Web-based model, including Skype, to screen and provide psychiatric consultation to depressed college students. Methods. Students completed the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) online; those who screened positive (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) or endorsed any level of suicidal ideation were offered Web-based psychiatric consultation using Skype. After the consultation, students filled out a 7-item satisfaction questionnaire to report on the acceptability of this Web-based method. Results. A total of 972 students consented to the online depression screening and 285 screened positive. Of those, 69 students consented and 17 students successfully completed the psychiatric consultation via Skype. Thirteen (76.4%) students found the interview useful in helping them understand their depression. Fifteen (88.2%) students thought that psychologists and psychiatrists could successfully see patients via videoconferencing. Conclusions. Current online technologies can provide depression screening and psychiatric consultation to college students; those who participated reported a positive experience. Future studies will need to address the low levels of participation among college students and attract students who are underserved, as well as use a videoconferencing platform that adequately protects data confidentiality.

  4. Web-Based Depression Screening and Psychiatric Consultation for College Students: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study

    PubMed Central

    Williams, Aya; LaRocca, Rachel; Chang, Trina; Trinh, Nhi-Ha; Fava, Maurizio

    2014-01-01

    Background. A steady rise in the prevalence of depression among college students has negatively affected student quality of life. This study investigates the feasibility and acceptability of a Web-based model, including Skype, to screen and provide psychiatric consultation to depressed college students. Methods. Students completed the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) online; those who screened positive (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) or endorsed any level of suicidal ideation were offered Web-based psychiatric consultation using Skype. After the consultation, students filled out a 7-item satisfaction questionnaire to report on the acceptability of this Web-based method. Results. A total of 972 students consented to the online depression screening and 285 screened positive. Of those, 69 students consented and 17 students successfully completed the psychiatric consultation via Skype. Thirteen (76.4%) students found the interview useful in helping them understand their depression. Fifteen (88.2%) students thought that psychologists and psychiatrists could successfully see patients via videoconferencing. Conclusions. Current online technologies can provide depression screening and psychiatric consultation to college students; those who participated reported a positive experience. Future studies will need to address the low levels of participation among college students and attract students who are underserved, as well as use a videoconferencing platform that adequately protects data confidentiality. PMID:24799895

  5. A STUDY OF HOPELESSNESS, SUICIDAL INTENT AND DEPESSION IN CASES OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

    PubMed Central

    Jain, V.; Singh, H.; Gupta, S.C.; Kumar, S.

    1999-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to determine the severity and relationship of depression, hopelessness & sucide intent in individuals attempting suicides. Individuals admitted to a northern India hospital emergency services between 1st Jan. ′94 to 31st Dec. ′94 with suicide attempt were taken up for study and assessed with the help of different tools. 79 patients were screened for the study and 56 patients were included (33 male & 23 female). Majority of the sample was below 30 years of age (82.1%). Organophosphorus consumption and drug overdose was most common (75%) psychiatric illness was present in 57% cases, depression being most common 37.5% (p< 0.001) 22 subjects showed mild to moderate suicide intent (39.28%) & 16% subjects showed hopelessness score above 9. Variables taken up for the study have a highly significan correlation with each other i.e. suicidal intent, hopelessness and depression. PMID:21455374

  6. Depression, chronic pain, and suicide by overdose: on the edge.

    PubMed

    Cheatle, Martin D

    2011-06-01

    Comorbid conditions that pose risks for suicide, especially depression, are prevalent in people living with chronic pain. The true numbers of failed attempts and successful suicides are unknown and may never be determined. Yet, risk factors for suicidal ideation are so high in this population that it must be assumed that some proportion of those who die of drug overdoses might have intended to end their lives, not just temporarily relieve their pain. The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight to clinicians the important association between chronic pain and intentional self-harm. Contemporary understanding of the epidemiology of depression and suicide and the relationship to chronic pain will be reviewed. Recommendations for the use of validated and practical screening tools as part of a comprehensive clinical assessment and for approaches to suicide prevention and interventions as crucial components of chronic pain management are outlined. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Validation of the Greek version of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E).

    PubMed

    Zis, Panagiotis; Yfanti, Paraskevi; Siatouni, Anna; Tavernarakis, Antonios; Gatzonis, Stylianos

    2013-12-01

    The Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) was developed as a screening tool for symptoms of major depressive episodes in people with epilepsy. Our study describes the development, validation, and psychometric properties of the Greek version of the NDDI-E. A consecutive sample of 101 patients with epilepsy, eligible to participate in the study, has been assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview version 5.0.0 and the NDDI-E. All patients had no major difficulties in understanding or answering the questions of the Greek version. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.74. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed an area under the curve of 91% (95% CI=83%-99%; SE: 0.040, p<0.001). At a cutoff score of greater than 15, the NDDI-E showed a sensitivity of 91%, a specificity of 81%, and a negative predictive value of 97%. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Pediatric-based intervention to motivate mothers to seek follow-up for depression screens: The Motivating Our Mothers (MOM) trial.

    PubMed

    Fernandez y Garcia, Erik; Joseph, Jill; Wilson, Machelle D; Hinton, Ladson; Simon, Gregory; Ludman, Evette; Scott, Fiona; Kravitz, Richard L

    2015-01-01

    To determine the initial effectiveness of a novel, pediatric office-based intervention in motivating mothers to seek further assessment of positive depression screens. In this pilot randomized controlled trial, English-speaking mothers (n = 104) with positive 2-question depression screens and presenting with children 0 to 12 years old for well-child care to a general pediatric training clinic received interventions from a trained research assistant. The Motivating Our Mothers (MOM) intervention included office-based written and verbal targeted depression education and motivational messages encouraging further depression assessment and a semistructured telephone booster delivered 2 days later. The control intervention included nontargeted written and verbal messages and 2 days later, an attention control telephone survey. Both groups received a list of depression care resources. The primary outcome was the proportion of mothers in each group who reported trying to contact any of 6 types of resources to discuss the positive screen at 2 weeks after intervention (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01453790). Despite 6 contact attempts, 10 MOM and 9 control mothers were lost to follow-up. More mothers in the MOM intervention tried to contact a resource compared to control (73.8% vs 53.5%, difference 20.3%, 95% confidence interval for difference -0.1 to 38.5, P = .052). Mothers receiving the MOM intervention made more attempts to contact a resource for follow-up of positive depression screens. If found effective in larger studies, MOM may prove a promising approach for motivating depression screen-positive mothers identified in general pediatric settings within and beyond the postpartum period to seek further depression assessment and support. Copyright © 2015 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Translation of EPDS Questionnaire into Kiswahili: Understanding the Cross-Cultural and Translation Issues in Mental Health Research

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, Manasi; Ongeri, Linnet; Mathai, Muthoni; Mbwayo, Anne

    2015-01-01

    The need for a suitable tool for assessing postpartum depression in Kenya led to the process of translation of the 10 items Edinburgh Postnatal Scale into Kiswahili. The idea was to seek semantic, conceptual as well as normative equivalence in this translation. The paper discusses issues and the process of translation and provides in depth discussions around translation from the point of view of cross-cultural mental health research and practice. The English version of the EPDS screening tool was finally successfully translated into Kiswahili and the translated version is attached with this paper. PMID:25893218

  10. Diagnostic accuracy for major depression in multiple sclerosis using self-report questionnaires.

    PubMed

    Fischer, Anja; Fischer, Marcus; Nicholls, Robert A; Lau, Stephanie; Poettgen, Jana; Patas, Kostas; Heesen, Christoph; Gold, Stefan M

    2015-09-01

    Multiple sclerosis and major depressive disorder frequently co-occur but depression often remains undiagnosed in this population. Self-rated depression questionnaires are a good option where clinician-based standardized diagnostics are not feasible. However, there is a paucity of data on diagnostic accuracy of self-report measures for depression in multiple sclerosis (MS). Moreover, head-to-head comparisons of common questionnaires are largely lacking. This could be particularly relevant for high-risk patients with depressive symptoms. Here, we compare the diagnostic accuracy of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and 30-item version of the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Rated (IDS-SR30) for major depressive disorder (MSS) against diagnosis by a structured clinical interview. Patients reporting depressive symptoms completed the BDI, the IDS-SR30 and underwent diagnostic assessment (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, M.I.N.I.). Receiver-Operating Characteristic analyses were performed, providing error estimates and false-positive/negative rates of suggested thresholds. Data from n = 31 MS patients were available. BDI and IDS-SR30 total score were significantly correlated (r = 0.82). The IDS-SR30total score, cognitive subscore, and BDI showed excellent to good accuracy (area under the curve (AUC) 0.86, 0.91, and 0.85, respectively). Both the IDS-SR30 and the BDI are useful to quantify depressive symptoms showing good sensitivity and specificity. The IDS-SR30 cognitive subscale may be useful as a screening tool and to quantify affective/cognitive depressive symptomatology.

  11. Assessment of depression in epilepsy: the utility of common and disease-specific self-report depression measures.

    PubMed

    Strober, Lauren B; Chapin, Jessica; Spirou, Angela; Tesar, George; Viguera, Adele; Najm, Imad; Busch, Robyn M

    2018-05-01

    Depression is common in epilepsy, with rates ranging from 20 to 55% in most samples and reports as high as 70% in patients with intractable epilepsy. However, some contend that depression may be over- and/or under-reported and treated in this population. This may be due to the use of common self-report depression measures that fail to take into account the overlap of disease and depressive symptoms and also the host of side effects associated with antiepileptic medication, which may also be construed as depression. The present study examined the utility of common self-report depression measures and those designed specifically for the medically ill, including a proposed new measure, to determine which may be more appropriate for use among people with epilepsy. We found that common self-report depression measures are useful for screening depression in epilepsy, particularly with a raised cutoff for one, with sensitivities ranging from .91 to .96. A measure designed for the medically ill obtained the greatest specificity of .91, suggesting its use as a diagnostic tool with a slightly raised cutoff. The positive likelihood ratio of this latter measure was 8.76 with an overall classification accuracy of 88%. Assessment of depression in epilepsy can be improved when utilizing self-report measures that better differentiate disease symptoms from neurovegetative symptoms of depression (e.g. fatigue, sleep disturbance). This was demonstrated in the present study. Clinical implications are discussed.

  12. Screening for depressive disorders using the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire Anhedonic Depression Scale: a receiver-operating characteristic analysis.

    PubMed

    Bredemeier, Keith; Spielberg, Jeffery M; Silton, Rebecca Levin; Berenbaum, Howard; Heller, Wendy; Miller, Gregory A

    2010-09-01

    The present study examined the utility of the anhedonic depression scale from the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (MASQ-AD scale) as a way to screen for depressive disorders. Using receiver-operating characteristic analysis, we examined the sensitivity and specificity of the full 22-item MASQ-AD scale, as well as the 8- and 14-item subscales, in relation to both current and lifetime Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) depressive disorder diagnoses in two nonpatient samples. As a means of comparison, the sensitivity and specificity of a measure of a relevant personality dimension, Neuroticism, was also examined. Results from both samples support the clinical utility of the MASQ-AD scale as a means of screening for depressive disorders. Findings were strongest for the MASQ-AD 8-item subscale and when predicting current depression status. Furthermore, the MASQ-AD 8-item subscale outperformed the Neuroticism measure under certain conditions. The overall usefulness of the MASQ-AD scale as a screening device is discussed, as are possible cutoff scores for use in research.

  13. Screening for depressive disorders using the MASQ anhedonic depression scale: A receiver-operator characteristic analysis

    PubMed Central

    Bredemeier, Keith; Spielberg, Jeffrey M.; Silton, Rebecca Levin; Berenbaum, Howard; Heller, Wendy; Miller, Gregory A.

    2010-01-01

    The present study examined the utility of the anhedonic depression scale from the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (MASQ-AD) as a way to screen for depressive disorders. Using receiver-operator characteristic analysis, the sensitivity and specificity of the full 22-item MASQ-AD scale, as well as the 8 and 14-item subscales, were examined in relation to both current and lifetime DSM-IV depressive disorder diagnoses in two nonpatient samples. As a means of comparison, the sensitivity and specificity of a measure of a relevant personality dimension, neuroticism, was also examined. Results from both samples support the clinical utility of the MASQ-AD scale as a means of screening for depressive disorders. Findings were strongest for the MASQ-AD 8-item subscale and when predicting current depression status. Furthermore, the MASQ-AD 8-item subscale outperformed the neuroticism measure under certain conditions. The overall usefulness of the MASQ-AD scale as a screening device is discussed, as well as possible cutoff scores for use in research. PMID:20822283

  14. Onset Timing, Thoughts of Self-harm, and Diagnoses in Postpartum Women With Screen-Positive Depression Findings

    PubMed Central

    Wisner, Katherine L.; Sit, Dorothy K. Y.; McShea, Mary C.; Rizzo, David M.; Zoretich, Rebecca A.; Hughes, Carolyn L.; Eng, Heather F.; Luther, James F.; Wisniewski, Stephen R.; Costantino, Michelle L.; Confer, Andrea L.; Moses-Kolko, Eyclie L.; Famy, Christopher S.; Hanusa, Barbara H.

    2015-01-01

    Importance The period prevalence of depression among women is 21.9% during the first postpartum year; however, questions remain about the value of screening for depression. Objectives To screen for depression in postpartum women and evaluate positive screen findings to determine the timing of episode onset, rate and intensity of self-harm ideation, and primary and secondary DSM-IV disorders to inform treatment and policy decisions. Design Sequential case series of women who recently gave birth. Setting Urban academic women’s hospital. Participants During the maternity hospitalization, women were offered screening at 4 to 6 weeks post parturn by telephone. Screen-positive women were invited to undergo psychiatric evaluations in their homes. Main Outcomes and Measures A positive screen finding was an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score of 10 or higher. Self-harm ideation was assessed on EPDS item 10: “The thought of harming myself has occurred to me” (yes, quite often; sometimes; hardly ever; never). Screen-positive women underwent evaluation with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV for Axis I primary and secondary diagnoses. Results Ten thousand mothers underwent screening, with positive findings in 1396 (14.0%); of these, 826 (59.2%) completed the home visits and 147 (10.5%) completed a telephone diagnostic interview. Screen-positive women were more likely to be younger, African American, publicly insured, single, and less well educated. More episodes began post partum (40.1%), followed by during pregnancy (33.4%) and before pregnancy (26.5%). In this population, 19.3% had self-harm ideation. All mothers with the highest intensity of self-harm ideation were identified with the EPDS score of 10 or higher. The most common primary diagnoses were unipolar depressive disorders (68.5%), and almost two-thirds had co-morbid anxiety disorders. A striking 22.6% had bipolar disorders. Conclusions and Relevance The most common diagnosis in screen-positive women was major depressive disorder with comorbid generalized anxiety disorder. Strategies to differentiate women with bipolar from unipolar disorders are needed. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00282776 PMID:23487258

  15. Women׳s help-seeking behaviours for depressive symptoms during the perinatal period: Socio-demographic and clinical correlates and perceived barriers to seeking professional help.

    PubMed

    Fonseca, Ana; Gorayeb, Ricardo; Canavarro, Maria Cristina

    2015-12-01

    This study aims to characterize the help-seeking behaviours of women who were screened positive for perinatal depression, to investigate its sociodemographic and clinical correlates, and to characterize the perceived barriers that prevent women from seeking professional help. Cross-sectional internet survey. Participants were recruited through advertisements published in pamphlets and posted on social media websites (e.g., Facebook) and websites and forums that focused on pregnancy and childbirth. 656 women (currently pregnant or who had a baby during the last 12 months) completed the survey. Participants were assessed with the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, and were questioned about sociodemographic and clinical data, help-seeking behaviours and perceived barriers to help-seeking. Different pathways of help-seeking were found, with only 13.6% of women with a perinatal depression seeking help for their emotional problems. Married women, currently pregnant women, and women without history of psychological problems had a higher likelihood of not engaging in any type of help-seeking behaviour. The majority of women who had not sought professional assistance identified several barriers to help-seeking, particularly knowledge barriers. Strategies to increase women׳s help-seeking behaviours should be implemented, namely improving mental health literacy, introducing screening procedures for mental health problems in pre/postnatal health care settings, and offering women innovative opportunities (e.g., web-based tools) that allow them to overcome the practical barriers to help-seeking. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Provider report of the existence of detection and care of perinatal depression: quantitative evidence from public obstetric units in Mexico.

    PubMed

    Castro, Filipa de; Place, Jean Marie; Allen-Leigh, Betania; Rivera-Rivera, Leonor; Billings, Deborah

    2016-08-01

    To provide evidence on perinatal mental healthcare in Mexico. Descriptive and bivariate analyses of data from a cross-sectional probabilistic survey of 211 public obstetric units. Over half (64.0%) of units offer mental healthcare; fewer offer perinatal depression (PND) detection (37.1%) and care (40.3%). More units had protocols/guidelines for PND detection and for care, respectively, in Mexico City-Mexico state (76.7%; 78.1%) than in Southern (26.5%; 36.4%), Northern (27.3%; 28.1%) and Central Mexico (50.0%; 52.7%). Protocols and provider training in PND, implementation of brief screening tools and psychosocial interventions delivered by non-clinical personnel are needed.

  17. Influence of socio-economic factors on emotional changes during the postnatal period.

    PubMed

    Wszołek, Katarzyna; Żak, Ewa; Żurawska, Joanna; Olszewska, Jolanta; Pięta, Beata; Bojar, Iwona

    2018-03-14

    The aim of the study was to identify socio-economic factors that may influence the emotional changes which occur among new mothers in the first days postpartum. A group of 541 women completed a questionnaire consisting of 30 multiple-choice questions, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Statistical calculations were performed with the use of Statistica v.10 and Cytel Studio v. 9.0.0. The findings revealed the presence of factors which might increase the risk of mood disorders during the postpartum period. Women who demonstrate warning symptoms should be screened for postnatal emotional changes and mood swings during their hospitalization after delivery. EPDS seems to be a suitable tool for early detection of emotional disturbances.

  18. High school Bullying as a Risk for Later Depression and Suicidality

    PubMed Central

    Klomek, Anat Brunstein; Kleinman, Marjorie; Altschuler, Elizabeth; Marrocco, Frank; Amakawa, Lia; Gould, Madelyn S.

    2011-01-01

    This is the first study to examine whether high-school students experiencing frequent bullying behaviors are at risk for later depression and suicidality. 236 students who reported frequent bullying behavior without depression or suicidality during a suicide screening were interviewed four years later to reassess depression, suicidal ideation, attempts, substance problems, and functional impairment and were compared to “at-risk” youth identified during the screen, including 96 youth who also experienced bullying behavior. Youth who only reported frequent bullying behaviors (as bullies, victims or both) did not develop later depression or suicidality and continued to have fewer psychiatric problems than students identified as at-risk for suicide. Students who experienced bullying behaviors and depression or suicidality were more impaired four years later than those who had only reported depression or suicidality. Thus, assessment of bullying behaviors in screening protocols is recommended. PMID:21793875

  19. High school bullying as a risk for later depression and suicidality.

    PubMed

    Klomek, Anat Brunstein; Kleinman, Marjorie; Altschuler, Elizabeth; Marrocco, Frank; Amakawa, Lia; Gould, Madelyn S

    2011-10-01

    This is the first study to examine whether high school students experiencing frequent bullying behaviors are at risk for later depression and suicidality. A total of 236 students who reported frequent bullying behavior without depression or suicidality during a suicide screening were interviewed 4 years later to reassess depression, suicidal ideation, attempts, substance problems, and functional impairment and were compared to at-risk youth identified during the screen, including 96 youth who also experienced bullying behavior. Youth who only reported frequent bullying behaviors (as bullies, victims, or both) did not develop later depression or suicidality and continued to have fewer psychiatric problems than students identified as at-risk for suicide. Students who experienced bullying behaviors and depression or suicidality were more impaired 4 years later than those who had only reported depression or suicidality. Thus, assessment of bullying behaviors in screening protocols is recommended. © 2011 The American Association of Suicidology.

  20. Intimate partner violence: office screening for victims and perpetrators of IPV.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ping-Hsin; Jacobs, Abbie; Rovi, Susan L D

    2013-09-01

    Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects more than 12 million individuals annually. Power and control are central concepts underlying abusive relationships. Physicians may see IPV victims, perpetrators, and their children for annual examinations, as well as for injuries and health conditions associated with abuse. In 2013, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended that women of childbearing age (ie, 14 to 46 years) be screened for IPV. Brief, validated screening tools, such as the 4-item Hurt, Insult, Threaten, and Scream (HITS), can be used to facilitate screening. Physicians should always assess patients whose medical histories or presenting symptoms or injuries are consistent with abuse. Risk factors for IPV and consequences of abuse include general health conditions (eg, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome), reproductive issues (eg, gynecologic disorders, unintended pregnancies), psychological conditions (eg, depression, sleep disturbances), and risky health behaviors (eg, substance use, poor health care adherence). Tools for identifying perpetrators are under investigation. To prepare the practice to address IPV, physicians should educate themselves and staff and learn about community and national resources. By identifying and responding to IPV, clinicians may be able to reduce IPV and interrupt the intergenerational cycle of violence. Written permission from the American Academy of Family Physicians is required for reproduction of this material in whole or in part in any form or medium.

  1. Screening for Depressive Disorders Using the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire Anhedonic Depression Scale: A Receiver-Operating Characteristic Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bredemeier, Keith; Spielberg, Jeffery M.; Silton, Rebecca Levin; Berenbaum, Howard; Heller, Wendy; Miller, Gregory A.

    2010-01-01

    The present study examined the utility of the anhedonic depression scale from the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (MASQ-AD scale) as a way to screen for depressive disorders. Using receiver-operating characteristic analysis, we examined the sensitivity and specificity of the full 22-item MASQ-AD scale, as well as the 8- and 14-item…

  2. Screening for depression in people with epilepsy: comparative study among neurological disorders depression inventory for epilepsy (NDDI-E), hospital anxiety and depression scale depression subscale (HADS-D), and Beck depression inventory (BDI).

    PubMed

    de Oliveira, Guilherme Nogueira; Lessa, João Marcelo K; Gonçalves, Ana Paula; Portela, Eduardo Jardel; Sander, Josemir W; Teixeira, Antonio Lucio

    2014-05-01

    We aimed to assess and compare the psychometric properties of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Depression Subscale (HADS-D), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) as screening instruments for depression and suicidality in people with epilepsy. One hundred twenty-six people (54% women) diagnosed with epilepsy were recruited and evaluated on their sociodemographic and clinical features. Depression and suicide risk were assessed with a structured psychiatric interview, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-Plus), and the performance of NDDI-E, HADS-D, and BDI was evaluated. The sensitivity and specificity of BDI for the diagnosis of depression was around 90%; HADS-D and NDDI-E have sensitivity higher than 80%, and specificity was greater than 75%. For identifying suicide risk, the NDDI-E sensitivity was 92.9%, and HADS-D sensitivity was 85.7%, and a reasonable specificity (68%) was observed for both instruments. All instruments showed a negative predictive value of over 90%. Comparisons of the areas under the ROC curve for these instruments were not significantly different regarding depression or moderate/severe risk of suicide. All three instruments evaluated have clinical utility in the screening of depression in people with epilepsy. Both NDDI-E and HADS-D are brief efficient screening instruments to identify depression in people with epilepsy. The BDI is a more robust instrument, but it takes longer to apply, which hampers its use by busy clinicians and by people with cognitive impairment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Should Screening for Depression among Children and Adolescents Be Demedicalized?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horwitz, Allan V.; Wakefield, Jerome C.

    2009-01-01

    The criteria for diagnosing depressive disorders fails to place the symptoms of intense sadness in the context of major losses in life, and separating normal sadness from depressive disorder among adolescents is especially difficult. Suggested modifications to the screening of suicidal ideation among adolescents are also presented.

  4. Utilization of Professional Mental Health Services Related to Population-Level Screening for Anxiety, Depression, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Among Public High School Students.

    PubMed

    Prochaska, John D; Le, Vi Donna; Baillargeon, Jacques; Temple, Jeff R

    2016-08-01

    This study examines results from three mental health screening measures in a cohort of adolescent public school students in seven public schools in Southeast Texas affiliated with the Dating it Safe study. We estimated the odds of receiving professional mental health treatment in the previous year given results from different mental health screening batteries: the CES-D 10 battery for depression screening, the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders, and the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder screen. Overall, students with higher scores on screening instruments for depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and combinations of screening instruments were more likely to have sought past-year professional mental health treatment than non-symptomatic youth. However, the proportion of students screening positive and receiving professional treatment was low, ranging from 11 to 16 %. This study emphasizes the need for broader evaluation of population-based mental health screening among adolescents.

  5. Utilization of Professional Mental Health Services Related to Population-Level Screening for Anxiety, Depression, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder among Public High School Students

    PubMed Central

    Prochaska, John D.; Le, Vi Donna; Baillargeon, Jacques; Temple, Jeff R.

    2016-01-01

    This study examines results from three mental health screening measures in a cohort of adolescent public school students in seven public schools in Southeast [State removed for peer review] affiliated with the [name of study removed for blind review]. We estimated the odds of receiving professional mental health treatment in the previous year given results from different mental health screening batteries: the CES-D 10 battery for depression screening, the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED), and the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder screen (PC-PTSD). Overall, students with higher scores on screening instruments for depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and combinations of screening instruments were more likely to have sought past-year professional mental health treatment than non-symptomatic youth. However, the proportion of students screening positive and receiving professional treatment was low, ranging from 11 to 16%. This study emphasizes the need for broader evaluation of population-based mental health screening among adolescents. PMID:26733335

  6. Screen time is associated with depression and anxiety in Canadian youth.

    PubMed

    Maras, Danijela; Flament, Martine F; Murray, Marisa; Buchholz, Annick; Henderson, Katherine A; Obeid, Nicole; Goldfield, Gary S

    2015-04-01

    This study examined the relationships between screen time and symptoms of depression and anxiety in a large community sample of Canadian youth. Participants were 2482 English-speaking grade 7 to 12 students. Cross-sectional data collected between 2006 and 2010 as part of the Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyles (REAL) study were used. Mental health status was assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory and the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children-10. Screen time (hours/day of TV, video games, and computer) was assessed using the Leisure-Time Sedentary Activities questionnaire. Linear multiple regressions indicated that after controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, parental education, geographic area, physical activity, and BMI, duration of screen time was associated with severity of depression (β=0.23, p<0.001) and anxiety (β=0.07, p<0.01). Video game playing (β=0.13, p<.001) and computer use (β=0.17, p<0.001) but not TV viewing were associated with more severe depressive symptoms. Video game playing (β=0.11, p<0.001) was associated with severity of anxiety. Screen time may represent a risk factor or marker of anxiety and depression in adolescents. Future research is needed to determine if reducing screen time aids the prevention and treatment of these psychiatric disorders in youth. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. An Exploratory Analysis of Work Engagement, Satisfaction, and Depression in Psychiatry Residents.

    PubMed

    Agarwal, Gaurava; Karpouzian, Tatiana

    2016-02-01

    This exploratory study aims to measure work engagement levels in psychiatry residents at three psychiatry residency programs using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). In addition, the study investigates the relationship between total engagement and its subscales, resident satisfaction, and a depression screen. Recruitment of 53/79 residents from three psychiatry residency programs in Illinois was completed. The residents were administered a questionnaire consisting of the UWES, the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (Prime-MD) depression screen, and a residency satisfaction scale. Statistical analysis using independent samples t test and a one-way analysis of variance was used to assess differences on engagement total score and subscales and satisfaction scale. A logistic regression was used with the engagement subscales and the satisfaction scale as predictors of belonging to the depressed or non-depressed group. Psychiatry residents scored in the high range for total engagement and all its subscales except for vigor which was in the moderate range. Residents who screened positive for depression reported lower total engagement than those who were negative on the depression screen. Vigor was the only significant predictor (p = .004) of being in the depressed group after logistic regression. Total engagement and the subscale of dedication significantly predicted overall residency satisfaction (β = .473, p = .016). Higher total UWES-15 and its subscales of vigor and dedication are correlated with a lower rate of screening positive for depression and higher residency satisfaction. This exploratory study lends support for further study of this psychological construct in medical training programs, but replication is needed.

  8. Uneven implementation of the National Perinatal Depression Initiative: findings from a survey of Australian women's hospitals.

    PubMed

    Fisher, Jane; Chatham, Elizabeth; Haseler, Sally; McGaw, Beth; Thompson, Jane

    2012-12-01

    Australia is a leader in recognising that perinatal mental health problems are prevalent and constitute a significant burden of disease among women. In 2009, the Australian government launched the National Perinatal Depression Initiative (NPDI) to address this. To investigate implementation of Australia's NPDI. Data were collected by a structured online survey assessing: screening for depression and depression risk in women receiving antenatal and postnatal care; staff training about perinatal depression; barriers and enablers to implementing the NPDI recommendations. All Australian members of Women's Healthcare Australasia (WHA) were invited to complete the survey in March 2011. Of 30 Australian WHA members, 14 (46.6%) completed the survey. The sample included a representative distribution of small, medium and large hospitals. All respondents had introduced some NPDI recommendations. Most (80%) reported using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to screen for antenatal depression and for risk of developing depression but at varied gestational ages, and with differing cut-off scores for follow-up or referral. Only one assessed depression status postpartum. Responsibility for screening and feedback was predominantly assigned to midwives, most of whom were offered <4 h training. Implementation barriers included insufficient personnel; per-client time requirements; insufficient clarity about screening protocols; difficulties modifying the medical record; few referral options and a lack of training resources. Implementation of the NPDI is uneven among Australian maternity hospitals. Little is known about perinatal mental health screening practices in the private sector and hospitals with <1000 births annually. © 2012 The Authors ANZJOG © 2012 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

  9. The Columbia SuicideScreen: Validity and Reliability of a Screen for Youth Suicide and Depression.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaffer, David; Scott, Michelle; Wilcox, Holly; MasLow, Carey; Hicks, Roger; Lucas, Christopher P.; Garfinkel, Robin; Greenwald, Steven

    2004-01-01

    Objective: This study reports on the psychometric properties of a brief, self-administered screening questionnaire, the Columbia SuicideScreen[R] (CSS), intended to identify high school students at risk for suicide. Method: Seventeen hundred twenty-nine 9th- to 12th-grade students completed the CSS and Beck Depression Inventory during school hours…

  10. Depressive symptoms in adolescence: the association with multiple health risk behaviors.

    PubMed

    Katon, Wayne; Richardson, Laura; Russo, Joan; McCarty, Carolyn A; Rockhill, Carol; McCauley, Elizabeth; Richards, Julie; Grossman, David C

    2010-01-01

    Although multiple studies of adolescents have examined the association of depression with individual health risk behaviors such as obesity or smoking, this is one of the few studies that examined the association between depression and multiple risk behaviors. A brief mail questionnaire, which screened for age, gender, weight, height, sedentary behaviors, physical activity, perception of general health, functional impairment and depressive symptoms, was completed by a sample of 2291 youth (60.7% response rate) aged 13-17 enrolled in a health care plan. A subset of youth who screened positive on the two-item depression screen and a random sample of those screening negative were approached to participate in a telephone interview with more in-depth information obtained on smoking and at-risk behaviors associated with drug and alcohol use. Youth screening positive for high levels of depressive symptoms compared to those with few or no depressive symptoms were significantly more likely to meet criteria for obesity, had a poorer perception of health, spent more time on the computer, got along less well with parents and friends, had more problems completing school work and were more likely to have experimented with smoking and a wide array of behaviors associated with drug and alcohol use. Because many adverse health behaviors that develop in adolescence continue into adulthood, the association of depressive symptoms with multiple risk behaviors and poor functioning suggest that early interventions are needed at an individual, school, community and primary care level. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. The acute social defeat stress and nest-building test paradigm: A potential new method to screen drugs for depressive-like symptoms.

    PubMed

    Otabi, Hikari; Goto, Tatsuhiko; Okayama, Tsuyoshi; Kohari, Daisuke; Toyoda, Atsushi

    2017-02-01

    Psychosocial stress can cause mental conditions such as depression in humans. To develop drug therapies for the treatment of depression, it is necessary to use animal models of depression to screen drug candidates that exhibit anti-depressive effects. Unfortunately, the present methods of drug screening for antidepressants, the forced-swim test and tail-suspension test, are limiting factors in drug discovery because they are not based on the constructive validity of objective phenotypes in depression. Previously, we discovered that the onset of nest building is severely delayed in mice exposed to subchronic mild social defeat stress (sCSDS). Therefore, a novel paradigm combining acute social defeat stress (ASDS) and the nest-building test (SNB) were established for the efficient screening of drugs for depressive-like symptoms. Since ASDS severely delayed the nest-building process as shown in chronically social defeated mice, we sought to rescue the delayed nest-building behavior in ASDS mice. Injecting a specific serotonin 2a receptor antagonist (SR-46349B), the nest-building deficit exhibited by ASDS mice was partially rescued. On the other hand, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (fluoxetine) did not rescue the nest-building deficit in ASDS mice. Therefore, we conclude that the SNB paradigm is an another potential behavioral method for screening drugs for depressive-like symptoms including attention deficit, anxiety, low locomotion, and decreased motivation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) on patients with epilepsy: Confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch models.

    PubMed

    Lin, Chung-Ying; Pakpour, Amir H

    2017-02-01

    The problems of mood disorders are critical in people with epilepsy. Therefore, there is a need to validate a useful tool for the population. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) has been used on the population, and showed that it is a satisfactory screening tool. However, more evidence on its construct validity is needed. A total of 1041 people with epilepsy were recruited in this study, and each completed the HADS. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch analysis were used to understand the construct validity of the HADS. In addition, internal consistency was tested using Cronbachs' α, person separation reliability, and item separation reliability. Ordering of the response descriptors and the differential item functioning (DIF) were examined using the Rasch models. The HADS showed that 55.3% of our participants had anxiety; 56.0% had depression based on its cutoffs. CFA and Rasch analyses both showed the satisfactory construct validity of the HADS; the internal consistency was also acceptable (α=0.82 in anxiety and 0.79 in depression; person separation reliability=0.82 in anxiety and 0.73 in depression; item separation reliability=0.98 in anxiety and 0.91 in depression). The difficulties of the four-point Likert scale used in the HADS were monotonically increased, which indicates no disordering response categories. No DIF items across male and female patients and across types of epilepsy were displayed in the HADS. The HADS has promising psychometric properties on construct validity in people with epilepsy. Moreover, the additive item score is supported for calculating the cutoff. Copyright © 2016 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Neurophysiological correlates of depressive symptoms in young adults: A quantitative EEG study.

    PubMed

    Lee, Poh Foong; Kan, Donica Pei Xin; Croarkin, Paul; Phang, Cheng Kar; Doruk, Deniz

    2018-01-01

    There is an unmet need for practical and reliable biomarkers for mood disorders in young adults. Identifying the brain activity associated with the early signs of depressive disorders could have important diagnostic and therapeutic implications. In this study we sought to investigate the EEG characteristics in young adults with newly identified depressive symptoms. Based on the initial screening, a total of 100 participants (n = 50 euthymic, n = 50 depressive) underwent 32-channel EEG acquisition. Simple logistic regression and C-statistic were used to explore if EEG power could be used to discriminate between the groups. The strongest EEG predictors of mood using multivariate logistic regression models. Simple logistic regression analysis with subsequent C-statistics revealed that only high-alpha and beta power originating from the left central cortex (C3) have a reliable discriminative value (ROC curve >0.7 (70%)) for differentiating the depressive group from the euthymic group. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the single most significant predictor of group (depressive vs. euthymic) is the high-alpha power over C3 (p = 0.03). The present findings suggest that EEG is a useful tool in the identification of neurophysiological correlates of depressive symptoms in young adults with no previous psychiatric history. Our results could guide future studies investigating the early neurophysiological changes and surrogate outcomes in depression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Physical activity and depression in older adults with and without cognitive impairment.

    PubMed

    Yuenyongchaiwat, Kornanong; Pongpanit, Khajonsak; Hanmanop, Somrudee

    2018-01-01

    Low physical activity and depression may be related to cognitive impairment in the elderly. To determine depression and physical activity (PA) among older adults with and without cognitive impairment. 156 older adults, both males and females, aged ≥60 years, were asked to complete the Thai Mini-Mental State Examination (Thai-MMSE), a global cognitive impairment screening tool. Seventy-eight older adults with cognitive impairment and 78 older adults without cognitive impairment were then separately administered two questionnaires (i.e., the Thai Geriatric Depression Scale; TGDS and Global Physical Activity Questionnaire; GPAQ). Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk of developing cognitive impairment in the groups of older individuals with and without cognitive impairment. A cross-sectional study of elderly with a mean age of 74.47 ± 8.14 years was conducted. There were significant differences on the depression scale and in PA between older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Further, participants with low PA and high level of depressive symptoms had an increased risk of cognitive impairment (Odds ratio = 4.808 and 3.298, respectively). Significant differences were noted in PA and on depression scales between older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Therefore, increased PA and decreased depressive symptoms (i.e., having psychological support) are suggested to reduce the risks of cognitive impairment in older adults.

  15. Do Sleep Problems Mediate the Relationship between Traumatic Brain Injury and Development of Mental Health Symptoms after Deployment?

    PubMed Central

    Macera, Caroline A.; Aralis, Hilary J.; Rauh, Mitchell J.; MacGregor, Andrew J.

    2013-01-01

    Study Objectives: Military members screening positive for blast-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) may subsequently screen positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. The role of sleep as a mediating factor in the development of mental health symptoms was explored. Design: Prospective study with symptoms evaluated at two time points. Setting: Postdeployment service in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Kuwait during 2008 and 2009. Participants: There were 29,640 US Navy and Marine Corps men (29,019 who did not screen positive for PTSD at baseline, 27,702 who did not screen positive for depression at baseline, and 27,320 who did not screen positive at baseline for either condition). Measurements and Results: After controlling for sleep problems, the adjusted odds of receiving a positive PTSD screening at follow-up decreased from 1.61 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21–2.14) to 1.32 (95% CI 0.99–1.77) for a subject screening positive for TBI relative to a subject screening negative, suggesting that sleep problems mediated 26% of TBI's effect on development of PTSD. Likewise, after controlling for sleep problems, the adjusted odds of receiving a positive depression screening decreased from 1.41 (95% CI 1.11–1.80) to 1.15 (95% CI 0.90–1.47), suggesting that sleep problems mediated 41% of TBI's effect on development of depression. Results were similar for those with either PTSD or depression (37% mediated). Conclusions: These results suggest that sleep problems mediate the effect of a positive TBI screening on the development of mental health disorders, and sleep problems may be an early indicator of risk for PTSD or depression. Citation: Macera CA; Aralis HJ; Rauh MJ; MacGregor AJ. Do sleep problems mediate the relationship between traumatic brain injury and development of mental health symptoms after deployment? SLEEP 2013;36(1):83–90. PMID:23288974

  16. Primary Care Screening of Depression and Treatment Engagement in a University Health Center: A Retrospective Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klein, Michael C.; Ciotoli, Carlo; Chung, Henry

    2011-01-01

    Objectives: This retrospective study analyzed a primary care depression screening initiative in a large urban university health center. Depression detection, treatment status, and engagement data are presented. Participants: Participants were 3,713 graduate and undergraduate students who presented consecutively for primary care services between…

  17. Multiple-Stage Screening of Youth Depression in Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morey, Melissa E.; Arora, Prerna; Stark, Kevin D.

    2015-01-01

    Schools present a unique environment in which to conduct universal screenings for youth depression. The present study examines the efficiency of a multiple-stage assessment procedure assessing youth depression in the schools by calculating hit rates and establishing diagnostic accuracy for the measures used. Girls (N = 3318) aged 8 to 13,…

  18. Psychiatric screening and interventions for minor refugees in Europe: an overview of approaches and tools.

    PubMed

    Horlings, Annerieke; Hein, Irma

    2018-02-01

    Currently hundreds of thousands of minor refugees entered Europe. This group has been exposed to traumatic events pre-, during, and post-migration and is at increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders. In this article, we describe the results of our literature search on screening and interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in minor refugees, in order to make recommendations for clinical practice. Results show that studies on diagnostic accuracy of assessment instruments and efficacy of mental healthcare interventions in this population are lacking. Traumatic experiences pre-flight, during the flight and at resettlement, superimposed by parental PTSD, and other contextual factors, might lead to more than 25% of minor refugees developing PTSD. To enhance the number of minor refugees recognized with PTSD, we recommend the use of a brief screening instrument. A public health approach, focusing on environmental supportive factors is the first step in treatment for this group, followed by short-term psychological group interventions focusing on psycho-education and stress reduction. Minor refugees with no improvement in PTSD symptoms by these interventions need referral to specialized mental health care services. Mental health providers should be culturally competent. What is Known: • Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, sleeping problems, and depression are the most common psychiatric disorders in minor refugees. • Evidence based methods on screening and interventions in minor refugees with psychiatric disorders are lacking. What is New: • In the absence of validated screening tools a best practice reliable, quick and child-friendly tool is presented. • A layered system for mental health care and psychosocial support in minor refugees is explained.

  19. Routine screening for postnatal depression in a public health family service unit: a retrospective study of self-excluding women.

    PubMed

    Grussu, Pietro; Quatraro, Rosa Maria

    2015-01-01

    At this time, there is limited scientific knowledge about women who exclude themselves from screening programs for postnatal depression. In this retrospective descriptive study, we have sought to investigate the socio-demographic and psycho-social factors of women who withdraw from PND screening of their own accord. Study participants were 525 women attending antenatal classes who later took part in institutional routine screening for PND at the Consultorio Familiare Service of the National Health Service, Italy. The PND screening program consisted of the completion of the postpartum depression predictors inventory-revised and psychological well-being (PWB) questionnaires within eight to nine months of pregnancy, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, GHQ-12 and PWB within six to eight weeks after childbirth. The Responders group was made up of 346 subjects - 65.9% of the total sample - who completed the entire program of screening for PND. The Non-Responders group, on the other hand, consisted of 179 subjects - 34.1% of the total sample - who, after childbirth, withdrew from the screening program. Compared to the Responders group, the Non-Responders group showed a greater number of subjects with marital dissatisfaction, and with unemployment as a stressful event. Health professionals who detect marital dissatisfaction and/or unemployment as a stressful event in pregnant women should bear in mind that these individuals, besides being at high risk for depression after delivery, will also tend to exclude themselves from screening for PND.

  20. Anxiety and Depression Screening for Youth in a Primary Care Population

    PubMed Central

    Katon, Wayne; Joan, Russo; Richardson, Laura; McCauley, Elizabeth; Lozano, Paula

    2008-01-01

    Objective Prior studies have shown a low rate of accurate identification by primary care physicians of mental health disorders in youth. This study tested the psychometric properties of two brief mental health screening questionnaires, the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire – Short Form (MFQ-SF) and Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), in a large sample of youth. Methods In a sample of 1375 youth age 11 to 17 (779 with asthma, 596 randomly selected controls) enrolled in an HMO, the psychometric properties (optimum cutoffs on Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) curves, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values) of two brief anxiety and depression screens were examined versus a “gold standard” structured psychiatric interview. Results Both the MFQ-SF and ASI performed well on ROC analysis for screening youth for one or more DSM-IV anxiety or depressive disorders. The MFQ-SF performed better on ROC analysis than the ASI for youth with major depression (area under the curve of 0.84 vs 0.77). For screening youth with anxiety disorders ROC curves showed that both the MFQ-SF and ASI only performed in the fair range (area under the curve of 0.76). Conclusion The MFQ-SF and ASI are two relatively brief questionnaires that performed well for screening youth for one or more DSM-IV anxiety or depressive disorders. The MFQ-SF performed better than the ASI for screening youth with major depression. Use of these instruments could increase the accuracy of identification of mental health disorders in youth by primary care physicians. PMID:18501865

  1. Screening of depression in adolescents through the Internet : sensitivity and specificity of two screening questionnaires.

    PubMed

    Cuijpers, Pim; Boluijt, Petra; van Straten, Annemieke

    2008-02-01

    The Internet may offer new opportunities for treating depressed adolescents. However, before such treatments are possible, well-validated screening instruments are needed. In the current study, we validate two Internet-based screening instruments for depression among adolescents, the major depression inventory (MDI), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). A total of 1,392 adolescents, recruited through high schools and the Internet, filled in the online questionnaires. Of these, 243 (17%) were interviewed with the MINI diagnostic interview to assess the presence of a mood disorder. Cronbach's alpha was high for both the CES-D (0.93) and the MDI (0.88), and both correlated highly with each other (0.88; P < .001). The scores on both instruments were significantly increased in all subjects with a mood disorder, whether current or lifetime, except for lifetime minor depression. In the ROC analyses, high areas under the curve were found for the MDI (0.89) and CES-D (0.90). The best cut-off point for the MDI was 19 (sensitivity: 90.48; specificity: 71.53), and for the CES-D it was 22 (sensitivity: 90.48; specificity: 74.31). We conclude that the MDI and CES-D are reliable and valid instruments that can be used for this screening.

  2. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale is an adequate screening instrument for depression and anxiety disorder in adults with congential heart disease.

    PubMed

    Moon, Ju Ryoung; Huh, June; Song, Jinyoung; Kang, I-Seok; Park, Seung Woo; Chang, Sung-A; Yang, Ji-Hyuk; Jun, Tae-Gook

    2017-09-05

    The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) is an instrument that is commonly used to screen for depression in patients with chronic disease, but the characteristics of the CES-D in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) have not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the criterion validities and the predictive powers of the CES-D for depression and anxiety disorders in adults with CHD. Two hundred patients were screened with the CES-D and secondarily interviewed with a diagnostic instrument, i.e., the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Instrument. The sensitivity and specificity values of the CES-D were calculated by cross-tabulation at different cutoff scores. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the optimal cutoff point for each disorder and to assess the predictive power of the instrument. The CES-D exhibited satisfactory criterion validities for depression and for all combinations of depression and/or anxiety. With a desired sensitivity of at least 80%, the optimal cutoff scores were 18. The predictive power of the CES-D in the patients was best for major depression and dysthymia (area under the ROC curve: 0.92) followed by the score for any combination of depression and/or anxiety (0.88). The use of CES-D to simultaneously screen for both depression and anxiety disorders may be useful in adults with CHD. CESDEP 212. Registered 2 March 2014 (retrospectively registered).

  3. Is screening for depression in the perinatal period enough? The co-occurrence of depression, substance abuse, and intimate partner violence in culturally diverse pregnant women.

    PubMed

    Connelly, Cynthia D; Hazen, Andrea L; Baker-Ericzén, Mary J; Landsverk, John; Horwitz, Sarah McCue

    2013-10-01

    The perinatal period provides unique opportunities to identify and intervene with the co-occurrence of perinatal depression, intimate partner violence (IPV), and substance use problems. Psychosocial screening recommended for women seen in maternal child health settings tends to target single rather than multiple risk factors; there is limited research examining the co-occurrence of these issues especially in racially and ethnically diverse women across the perinatal period. These analyses explore the relationships of sociodemographic, psychosocial, and behavioral characteristics in a large, diverse sample of women. Women receiving perinatal services at routinely scheduled visits, including the 6-week postpartum visit, were recruited from 10 community obstetric/gynecologic clinics. Data were collected on perinatal depression, IPV, maternal substance use, and sociodemographic characteristics by bilingual, bicultural research assistants. A total of 1868 women were screened, 1526 (82%) Latina, 1099 (58.8%) interviewed in Spanish; 20.4% (n=382) screened positive for depressive symptoms based on an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of 10 or above, 20.9% reported harmful drinking, 4.3% reported drug use, 23% reported substance use problems, and 3.5% reported current or recent IPV. Women who were Black, Asian, Pacific Islander, or other race/ethnicity had greater odds for depressive symptoms relative to women who were Hispanic or Latino (odds ratio [OR]=1.81, p=0.005). Women reporting substance use problems (OR=2.37, p<0.0001) and IPV (OR=3.98, p<0.0001) had higher odds for depressive symptoms. In a predominately Latina sample, 1 in 5 mothers (20.4%) screened positive for depressive symptoms and over one third (36.7%) reported one or more psychosocial issues during the perinatal period. Screening for multiple risk factors rather than just one can help clinicians tailor interventions for the successful management of psychosocial issues.

  4. Is Screening for Depression in the Perinatal Period Enough? The Co-Occurrence of Depression, Substance Abuse, and Intimate Partner Violence in Culturally Diverse Pregnant Women

    PubMed Central

    Hazen, Andrea L.; Baker-Ericzén, Mary J.; Landsverk, John; Horwitz, Sarah McCue

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Background The perinatal period provides unique opportunities to identify and intervene with the co-occurrence of perinatal depression, intimate partner violence (IPV), and substance use problems. Psychosocial screening recommended for women seen in maternal child health settings tends to target single rather than multiple risk factors; there is limited research examining the co-occurrence of these issues especially in racially and ethnically diverse women across the perinatal period. These analyses explore the relationships of sociodemographic, psychosocial, and behavioral characteristics in a large, diverse sample of women. Method Women receiving perinatal services at routinely scheduled visits, including the 6-week postpartum visit, were recruited from 10 community obstetric/gynecologic clinics. Data were collected on perinatal depression, IPV, maternal substance use, and sociodemographic characteristics by bilingual, bicultural research assistants. Results A total of 1868 women were screened, 1526 (82%) Latina, 1099 (58.8%) interviewed in Spanish; 20.4% (n=382) screened positive for depressive symptoms based on an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of 10 or above, 20.9% reported harmful drinking, 4.3% reported drug use, 23% reported substance use problems, and 3.5% reported current or recent IPV. Women who were Black, Asian, Pacific Islander, or other race/ethnicity had greater odds for depressive symptoms relative to women who were Hispanic or Latino (odds ratio [OR]=1.81, p=0.005). Women reporting substance use problems (OR=2.37, p<0.0001) and IPV (OR=3.98, p<0.0001) had higher odds for depressive symptoms. Conclusion In a predominately Latina sample, 1 in 5 mothers (20.4%) screened positive for depressive symptoms and over one third (36.7%) reported one or more psychosocial issues during the perinatal period. Screening for multiple risk factors rather than just one can help clinicians tailor interventions for the successful management of psychosocial issues. PMID:23931153

  5. Psychological Factors Associated With Painful Versus Non-Painful HIV-Associated Sensory Neuropathy.

    PubMed

    Pillay, Prinisha; Wadley, Antonia L; Cherry, Catherine L; Karstaedt, Alan S; Kamerman, Peter R

    2018-05-01

    HIV-associated sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN) is a common, and frequently painful complication of HIV, but factors that determine the presence of pain are unresolved. We investigated: (i) if psychological factors associated with painful (n = 125) versus non-painful HIV-SN (n = 72), and (ii) if pain and psychological factors affected quality of life (QoL). We assessed anxiety and depression using the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25. Pain catastrophizing and QoL were assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and Euroqol-5D, respectively. Presence of neuropathy was detected using the Brief Neuropathy Screening Tool, and pain was characterised using the Wisconsin Brief Pain Questionnaire. Overall, there was a high burden of pain, depression and anxiety in the cohort. None of the psychological variables associated with having painful HIV-SN. Greater depressive symptoms and presence of pain were independently associated with lower QoL. In those participants with painful HIV-SN, greater depressive symptom scores were associated with increased pain intensity. In conclusion, in a cohort with high background levels of psychological dysfunction, psychological factors do not predict the presence of pain, but both depression and presence of pain are associated with poor quality of life.

  6. Factor structure of the Japanese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in the postpartum period.

    PubMed

    Kubota, Chika; Okada, Takashi; Aleksic, Branko; Nakamura, Yukako; Kunimoto, Shohko; Morikawa, Mako; Shiino, Tomoko; Tamaji, Ai; Ohoka, Harue; Banno, Naomi; Morita, Tokiko; Murase, Satomi; Goto, Setsuko; Kanai, Atsuko; Masuda, Tomoko; Ando, Masahiko; Ozaki, Norio

    2014-01-01

    The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely used screening tool for postpartum depression (PPD). Although the reliability and validity of EPDS in Japanese has been confirmed and the prevalence of PPD is found to be about the same as Western countries, the factor structure of the Japanese version of EPDS has not been elucidated yet. 690 Japanese mothers completed all items of the EPDS at 1 month postpartum. We divided them randomly into two sample sets. The first sample set (n = 345) was used for exploratory factor analysis, and the second sample set was used (n = 345) for confirmatory factor analysis. The result of exploratory factor analysis indicated a three-factor model consisting of anxiety, depression and anhedonia. The results of confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the anxiety and anhedonia factors existed for EPDS in a sample of Japanese women at 1 month postpartum. The depression factor varies by the models of acceptable fit. We examined EPDS scores. As a result, "anxiety" and "anhedonia" exist for EPDS among postpartum women in Japan as already reported in Western countries. Cross-cultural research is needed for future research.

  7. Diagnostic accuracy for major depression in multiple sclerosis using self-report questionnaires

    PubMed Central

    Fischer, Anja; Fischer, Marcus; Nicholls, Robert A; Lau, Stephanie; Poettgen, Jana; Patas, Kostas; Heesen, Christoph; Gold, Stefan M

    2015-01-01

    Objective Multiple sclerosis and major depressive disorder frequently co-occur but depression often remains undiagnosed in this population. Self-rated depression questionnaires are a good option where clinician-based standardized diagnostics are not feasible. However, there is a paucity of data on diagnostic accuracy of self-report measures for depression in multiple sclerosis (MS). Moreover, head-to-head comparisons of common questionnaires are largely lacking. This could be particularly relevant for high-risk patients with depressive symptoms. Here, we compare the diagnostic accuracy of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and 30-item version of the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Rated (IDS-SR30) for major depressive disorder (MSS) against diagnosis by a structured clinical interview. Methods Patients reporting depressive symptoms completed the BDI, the IDS-SR30 and underwent diagnostic assessment (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, M.I.N.I.). Receiver-Operating Characteristic analyses were performed, providing error estimates and false-positive/negative rates of suggested thresholds. Results Data from n = 31 MS patients were available. BDI and IDS-SR30 total score were significantly correlated (r = 0.82). The IDS-SR30total score, cognitive subscore, and BDI showed excellent to good accuracy (area under the curve (AUC) 0.86, 0.91, and 0.85, respectively). Conclusion Both the IDS-SR30 and the BDI are useful to quantify depressive symptoms showing good sensitivity and specificity. The IDS-SR30 cognitive subscale may be useful as a screening tool and to quantify affective/cognitive depressive symptomatology. PMID:26445703

  8. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: Factor Structure, Internal Consistency and Convergent Validity in Patients with Dizziness.

    PubMed

    Piker, Erin G; Kaylie, David M; Garrison, Douglas; Tucci, Debara L

    2015-01-01

    Psychiatric comorbidities, particularly anxiety-related pathologies, are often observed in dizzy patients. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is a widely used self-report instrument used to screen for anxiety and depression in medical outpatient settings. The purpose of this study was to assess the factor structure, internal consistency and convergent validity of the HADS in an unselected group of patients with dizziness. The HADS and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) were administered to 205 dizzy patients. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted and indicated a 3-factor structure, inconsistent with the 2-subscale structure (i.e. anxiety and depression) of the HADS. The total scale was found to be internally consistent, and convergent validity, as assessed using the DHI, was acceptable. Overall findings suggest that the HADS should not be used as a tool for psychiatric differential diagnosis, but rather as a helpful screener for general psychiatric distress in the two domains of psychiatric illness most germane in dizzy patients. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  9. The distress thermometer predicts subjective, but not objective, cognitive complaints six months after treatment initiation in cancer patients.

    PubMed

    Lycke, Michelle; Lefebvre, Tessa; Pottel, Lies; Pottel, Hans; Ketelaars, Lore; Stellamans, Karin; Eygen, Koen Van; Vergauwe, Philippe; Werbrouck, Patrick; Goethals, Laurence; Schofield, Patricia; Boterberg, Tom; Debruyne, Philip R

    2017-01-01

    Research has indicated that cancer-related cognitive impairments (CRCI) may be influenced by psychosocial factors such as distress, worry and fatigue. Therefore, we aimed to validate the distress thermometer (DT) as a screening tool to detect CRCI six months post-treatment-initiation in a group of general cancer patients. Patients (≥18 years, n = 125) with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of a solid cancer or hematological malignancy, scheduled for a curative treatment, were evaluated at baseline (T0) and six months post-treatment-initiation (T1) for CRCI by a neuropsychological assessment, including patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Assessed cognitive domains included premorbid intelligence, attention, processing speed, flexibility, verbal and visual episodic memory and verbal fluency. PROMs entailed distress (DT, cut-off ≥4, range 0-10), anxiety and depression, fatigue (FACIT-fatigue scale) and subjective cognitive complaints. At T0, 60.4% of patients showed a DT score of ≥4, whereas 50% met this criterion at T1. According to the definition of the International Cognition and Cancer Task Force, 25.5% and 28.3% of patients presented with a CRCI at T0 and T1, respectively. When evaluating the DT as a screening tool for CRCI at T1, data showed an inverse relationship between the DT and CRCI. ROC-curve analysis revealed an AUC <0.5. ROC-curve analyses evaluating the DT and FACIT-fatigue scale as screening tools for subjective cognitive complaints showed an AUC ± SE of, respectively, 0.642 ± 0.067 and 0.794 ± 0.057. The DT at T0 cannot be used to screen for objective CRCI at T1, but both the DT and FACIT-fatigue scale at T0 showed potential as screening tools for subjective cognitive complaints at T1.

  10. Patient Experiences of Depression and Anxiety with Chronic Disease

    PubMed Central

    DeJean, D; Giacomini, M; Vanstone, M; Brundisini, F

    2013-01-01

    Background Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent in patients with chronic disease, but remain undertreated despite significant negative consequences on patient health. A number of clinical groups have developed recommendations for depression screening practices in the chronic disease population. Objectives The objective of this analysis was to review empirical qualitative research on the experiences of patients with chronic disease (e.g., COPD, diabetes, heart disease, stroke) and comorbid depression or anxiety, and to highlight the implications of the screening and management of anxiety and/or depression on chronic disease outcomes. Review Methods We performed literature searches for studies published from January 2002 to May 2012. We applied a qualitative mega-filter to nine condition-specific search filters. Titles and abstracts were reviewed by two reviewers and, for the studies that met the eligibility criteria, full-text articles were obtained. Qualitative meta-synthesis was used to integrate findings across relevant published primary research studies. Qualitative meta-synthesis produced a synthesis of evidence that both retained the original meaning of the authors and offered a new, integrative interpretation of the phenomenon through a process of comparing and contrasting findings across studies. Results The findings of 20 primary qualitative studies were synthesized. Patients tended to experience their chronic conditions and anxiety or depression as either independent or inter-related (i.e., the chronic disease lead to depression/anxiety, the depression/anxiety lead to the chronic disease, or the two conditions exacerbated each other). Potential barriers to screening for depression or anxiety were also identified. Limitations A wider array of issues might have been captured if the analysis had focused on broader psychological responses to the chronic disease experience. However, given the objective to highlight implications for screening for anxiety or depression, the more narrow focus seemed most relevant. Conclusions Chronic disease and anxiety or depression can be independent or inter-related. Patients may be reluctant to acknowledge depression or anxiety as a separate condition, or may not recognize that the conditions are separate because of overlapping physical symptoms. More qualitative research is needed to specifically address screening for depression or anxiety. Plain Language Summary Depression is a common complication of chronic disease. It may worsen the disease, and it may also affect the self-management of the disease. Screening for depression earlier, and then treating it, may reduce distress and improve symptoms of the chronic disease, leading to better quality of life. PMID:24228079

  11. Two-question depression-screeners - the solution to all problems?

    PubMed

    Albani, Cornelia; Bailer, Harald; Blaser, Gerd; Brähler, Elmar; Geyer, Michael; Grulke, Norbert

    2006-04-01

    Depression constitutes a considerable issue in medicine and it is anticipated that the amount of people suffering from affective disorders will increase significantly. It would be useful to have a simple, fast screening procedure which would help detect depression. In four recently published articles a two-question depression-screener is recommended. Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, negative and positive predictive values were compared. For four different clinical samples and one sample that was representative of the German population the prevalence for depression ranged from 6.9 % to 18.1 %. Sensitivity and specificity reached values from 72.6 % to 96.6 % and from 56.9 % to 90.0 % respectively. All negative predictive values were high (< 97 %) opposed to positive predictive values (17.8 % to 38.5 %). Overall, it seems that the two-question screenings are well suited for the exclusion of a major depression. It is possible that regular screening could further lower the percentage of undiagnosed cases.

  12. Identifying depression severity risk factors in persons with traumatic spinal cord injury.

    PubMed

    Williams, Ryan T; Wilson, Catherine S; Heinemann, Allen W; Lazowski, Linda E; Fann, Jesse R; Bombardier, Charles H

    2014-02-01

    Examine the relationship between demographic characteristics, health-, and injury-related characteristics, and substance misuse across multiple levels of depression severity. 204 persons with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) volunteered as part of screening efforts for a randomized controlled trial of venlafaxine extended release for major depressive disorder (MDD). Instruments included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) depression scale, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and the Substance Abuse in Vocational Rehabilitation-Screener (SAVR-S), which contains 3 subscales: drug misuse, alcohol misuse, and a subtle items scale. Each of the SAVR-S subscales contributes to an overall substance use disorder (SUD) outcome. Three proportional odds models were specified, varying the substance misuse measure included in each model. 44% individuals had no depression symptoms, 31% had mild symptoms, 16% had moderate symptoms, 6% had moderately severe symptoms, and 3% had severe depression symptoms. Alcohol misuse, as indicated by the AUDIT and the SAVR-S drug misuse subscale scores were significant predictors of depression symptom severity. The SAVR-S substance use disorder (SUD) screening outcome was the most predictive variable. Level of education was only significantly predictive of depression severity in the model using the AUDIT alcohol misuse indicator. Likely SUD as measured by the SAVR-S was most predictive of depression symptom severity in this sample of persons with traumatic SCI. Drug and alcohol screening are important for identifying individuals at risk for depression, but screening for both may be optimal. Further research is needed on risk and protective factors for depression, including psychosocial characteristics. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  13. Postpartum Depressive symptomatology: results from a two-stage US national survey.

    PubMed

    Tatano Beck, Cheryl; Gable, Robert K; Sakala, Carol; Declercq, Eugene R

    2011-01-01

    Up to 19% of new mothers have major or minor depression sometime during the first 3 months after birth. This article reports on the prevalence of postpartum depressive symptoms and risk factors obtained from a 2-stage US national survey conducted by Childbirth Connection: Listening to Mothers II (LTM II) and Listening to Mothers II Postpartum Survey. The weighted survey results are based on an initial sample of 1573 women (1373 online, 200 telephone interviews) who had given birth in the year prior to the survey and repeat interviews with 902 women (859 online, 44 telephone) 6 months later. Three main instruments were used to collect data: the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS), the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale-Self Report (PSS-SR). Sixty-three percent of the women in the LTM II sample screened positive for elevated postpartum depressive symptoms with the PDSS, and 6 months later 42% of the women in this sample screened positive for elevated postpartum depressive symptoms with the PHQ-2. A stepwise, multiple regression revealed 2 variables that significantly explained 54% of the variance in postpartum depressive symptom scores: posttraumatic stress symptom scores on the PSS-SR and health promoting behaviors of healthy diet, managing stress, rest, and exercise. The high percentage of mothers who screened positive for elevated postpartum depressive symptoms in this 2-stage national survey highlights the need for prevention and routine screening during the postpartum period and follow-up treatment. © 2011 by the American College of Nurse‐Midwives.

  14. Development of the psychometric property of a Minimum Data-Set-Based Depression Rating Scale for use in long-term care facilities in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Hsiao, C Y; Lan, C F; Chang, P L; Li, I C

    2015-01-01

    Our aim is to develop the psychometric property of the Minimum Data-Set-Based Depression Rating Scale (MDS-DRS) to ensure its use to assess service needs and guide care plans for institutionalized residents. 378 residents were recruited from the Haoran Senior Citizen Home in northern Taiwan. The MDS-DRS and GDS-SF were used to identify observable features of depression symptoms in the elderly residents. A total of 378 residents participated in this study. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve indicated that the MDS-DRS has a 43.3% sensitivity and a 90.6% specificity when screening for depression symptoms. The total variance, explained by the two factors 'sadness' and 'distress,' was 58.1% based on the factor analysis. Reliable assessment tools for nurses are important because they allow the early detection of depression symptoms. The MDS-DRS items perform as well as the GDS-SF items in detecting depression symptoms. Furthermore, the MDS-DRS has the advantage of providing information to staff about care process implementation, which can facilitate the identification of areas that need improvement. Further research is needed to validate the use of the MDS-DRS in long-term care facilities.

  15. Do psychological interventions reduce depression in hemodialysis patients?: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials following PRISMA.

    PubMed

    Xing, Lu; Chen, Ruiqi; Diao, Yongshu; Qian, Jiahui; You, Chao; Jiang, Xiaolian

    2016-08-01

    Depression is highly prevalent in hemodialysis patients and results in poor patient outcomes. Although psychological interventions are being developed and used for these patients, there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of these interventions. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the effects of psychological interventions on depression treatment in hemodialysis patients. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) relevant to the depression treatment of hemodialysis patients through psychological interventions were retrieved from the following databases: Embase, Pubmed, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The reference lists of identified RCTs were also screened. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to evaluate the quality of the studies, RevMan (5.3) was used to analyze the data, and the evidence quality of the combined results was evaluated using GRADE (3.6.1). Eight RCTs were included. The combined results showed that psychological interventions significantly reduced the scores of the Beck Depression Inventory (P<0.001) and interdialysis weight gain (P<0.001). However, due to the high heterogeneity, effect size combinations of sleep quality and quality of life were not performed. Psychological interventions may reduce the degree of depression and improve fluid intake restriction adherence. More rigorously designed research is needed.

  16. Sensitivity and specificity of the Akena Visual Depression Inventory (AViDI-18) in Kampala (Uganda) and Cape Town (South Africa).

    PubMed

    Akena, Dickens; Joska, John; Stein, Dan J

    2018-05-01

    Visual scales may be particularly useful in screening for depression in patients with low literacy. However, few have been validated and none are in common use.AimModification and validation of a visual scale to screen for depression in low literacy settings. We assessed the validity, reliability and factor loading of a 28-item visual depression inventory using pictorial items depicting depression signs and symptoms. We validated a revised scale comprised of 18 items known as the Akena Visual Depression Inventory (AViDI-18) against a structured diagnostic interview (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Inventory) in 343 patients in Kampala (Uganda) and Cape Town (South Africa). The 18 pictorial items had acceptable validity and reliability. The area under the curve (AUC) score of the AViDI-18 was 0.9. AUC scores were not significantly associated with sociodemographic variables. The AViDI-18 is a valid screen for depression in patients with low literacy.Declaration of interestNone.

  17. Impact of depression on the intensity of patient navigation for women with abnormal cancer screenings.

    PubMed

    De La Cruz, Ignacio I; Freund, Karen M; Battaglia, Tracy A; Chen, Clara A; Bak, Sharon; Kalish, Richard; Lottero, Barbara; Egan, Patrick; Heeren, Tim; Kronman, Andrea C

    2014-02-01

    Patient navigation is increasingly being used to support vulnerable patients to receive timely and quality medical care. We sought to understand whether patients with depression utilize additional patient navigation services after abnormal cancer screening. We compared depressed and non-depressed women using three different measures of intensity of patient navigation: number of patient-navigator encounters, encounter time, and number of unique barriers to care. The study population consisted of 1,455 women who received navigation after abnormal screening for breast or cervical cancer at one of six community health centers in Boston. Navigators spent a median of 60-75 minutes over one or two encounters per participant, with 49% of participants having one or more documented barrier to care. Depressed women did not differ in total numbers of encounters, encounter time, or unique barriers compared with non-depressed women. Our findings suggest that pre-existing depression does not predict which women will utilize additional navigation services.

  18. [Study on depressive disorder and related factors in surgical inpatients].

    PubMed

    Ge, Hong-min; Liu, Lan-fen; Han, Jian-bo

    2008-03-01

    To investigate the prevalence and possible influencing factors of depressive disorder in surgical inpatients. Two hundred and sixty-six surgical inpatients meeting the inclusion criteria were first screened with the self rating depression scale (SDS), and then the subjects screened positive and 20% of those screened negative were evaluated with Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID) as a gold standard for diagnosis of depressive disorder. Possible influencing factors were also analyzed by experienced psychiatrists. The standard score of SDS in the surgical inpatients were significantly higher than those in the Chinese norm, and the incidence of depressive disorder in the surgical inpatients was 37.2%. Unvaried analysis showed that depressive disorder were associated with gender, education, economic condition, variety of diseases, hospitalization duration, and treatment methods. Logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, economic condition, treatment methods and previous history were the main influencing factors. The incidence of depressive disorder in the surgical inpatients is high, and it is mainly influenced by gender, economic condition, treatment methods and previous history.

  19. Feasibility of integrating mental health screening and services into routine elder abuse practice to improve client outcomes.

    PubMed

    Sirey, Jo Anne; Berman, Jacquelin; Salamone, Aurora; DePasquale, Alyssa; Halkett, Ashley; Raeifar, Elmira; Banerjee, Samprit; Bruce, Martha L; Raue, Patrick J

    2015-01-01

    The goal of this pilot program was to test the feasibility of mental health screening among elder abuse victims and of offering those victims a brief psychotherapy for depression and anxiety. Elder abuse victims who sought assistance from a large, urban elder abuse service were screened for depression and anxiety using standardized measures. Clients with clinically significant depression (PHQ-9) or anxiety (GAD-7) were randomized to receive one of three different interventions concurrent with abuse resolution services. Staff were able to screen 315 individuals, with 34% of clients scoring positive for depression or anxiety. Of those with mental health needs, only 15% refused all services. The mental health intervention (PROTECT) was successfully implemented in two different formats with collaboration between staff workers. These findings support both the need for mental health care among elder abuse victims and the feasibility of integrating mental health screening and treatment into routine elder abuse practice.

  20. A qualitative study of primary care professionals’ views of case finding for depression in patients with diabetes or coronary heart disease in the UK

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Routinely conducting case finding (also commonly referred to as screening) in patients with chronic illness for depression in primary care appears to have little impact. We explored the views and experiences of primary care nurses, doctors and managers to understand how the implementation of case finding/screening might impact on its effectiveness. Methods Two complementary qualitative focus group studies of primary care professionals including nurses, doctors and managers, in five primary care practices and five Community Health Partnerships, were conducted in Scotland. Results We identified several features of the way case finding/screening was implemented that may lead to systematic under-detection of depression. These included obstacles to incorporating case finding/screening into a clinical review consultation; a perception of replacing individualised care with mechanistic assessment, and a disconnection for nurses between management of physical and mental health. Far from being a standardised process that encouraged detection of depression, participants described case finding/screening as being conducted in a way which biased it towards negative responses, and for nurses, it was an uncomfortable task for which they lacked the necessary skills to provide immediate support to patients at the time of diagnosis. Conclusion The introduction of case finding/screening for depression into routine chronic illness management is not straightforward. Routinized case finding/screening for depression can be implemented in ways that may be counterproductive to engagement (particularly by nurses), with the mental health needs of patients living with long term conditions. If case finding/screening or engagement with mental health problems is to be promoted, primary care nurses require more training to increase their confidence in raising and dealing with mental health issues and GPs and nurses need to work collectively to develop the relational work required to promote cognitive participation in case finding/screening. PMID:23557512

  1. A qualitative study of primary care professionals' views of case finding for depression in patients with diabetes or coronary heart disease in the UK.

    PubMed

    Maxwell, Margaret; Harris, Fiona; Hibberd, Carina; Donaghy, Eddie; Pratt, Rebekah; Williams, Chris; Morrison, Jill; Gibb, Jennifer; Watson, Philip; Burton, Chris

    2013-04-04

    Routinely conducting case finding (also commonly referred to as screening) in patients with chronic illness for depression in primary care appears to have little impact. We explored the views and experiences of primary care nurses, doctors and managers to understand how the implementation of case finding/screening might impact on its effectiveness. Two complementary qualitative focus group studies of primary care professionals including nurses, doctors and managers, in five primary care practices and five Community Health Partnerships, were conducted in Scotland. We identified several features of the way case finding/screening was implemented that may lead to systematic under-detection of depression. These included obstacles to incorporating case finding/screening into a clinical review consultation; a perception of replacing individualised care with mechanistic assessment, and a disconnection for nurses between management of physical and mental health. Far from being a standardised process that encouraged detection of depression, participants described case finding/screening as being conducted in a way which biased it towards negative responses, and for nurses, it was an uncomfortable task for which they lacked the necessary skills to provide immediate support to patients at the time of diagnosis. The introduction of case finding/screening for depression into routine chronic illness management is not straightforward. Routinized case finding/screening for depression can be implemented in ways that may be counterproductive to engagement (particularly by nurses), with the mental health needs of patients living with long term conditions. If case finding/screening or engagement with mental health problems is to be promoted, primary care nurses require more training to increase their confidence in raising and dealing with mental health issues and GPs and nurses need to work collectively to develop the relational work required to promote cognitive participation in case finding/screening.

  2. Screening for depression in adolescent paediatric patients: validity of the new Depression Screener for Teenagers (DesTeen).

    PubMed

    Pietsch, Kathrin; Allgaier, Antje-Kathrin; Frühe, Barbara; Rohde, Sabine; Hosie, Stuart; Heinrich, Martina; Schulte-Körne, Gerd

    2011-09-01

    Depression in adolescents is often hard to detect. In many cases paediatricians are the first point of contact. In order to increase recognition rates, screening instruments may be a helpful support for health care professionals. However, there is a lack of valid and economical screening instruments for primary care patients. Thus, the aim of the study was the development of the new Depression Screener for Teenagers (DesTeen) and its validation in a paediatric sample. 326 patients between 13 and 16 years old completed the DesTeen and a diagnostic interview, serving as gold standard. Prevalence rate for any depressive disorder (minor depression, major depression and dysthymia) was 12.6%. Psychometric properties were calculated. For validity measures, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for any depressive disorder and the diagnostic subgroups was computed. DesTeen showed a high reliability (Cronbach's α=.87) and a high validity (AUC=.91). For the diagnostic subgroups AUC values did not significantly differ from overall accuracy of any depressive disorder (major depression: AUC=.95, p=.179; dysthymia: AUC=.88, p=.605; minor depression: AUC=.87, p=.327). The optimal cut-off point for any depressive disorder according to the Youden-Index yielded a sensitivity of .90 and a specificity of .80. An abbreviated 5-item version of DesTeen showed no loss in validity (AUC=.90, p=.695). Overall, DesTeen can be regarded as a valid screening instrument for adolescent paediatric patients. For practical use, the 5-item version is even more promising. A replication of these results is essential. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Screening mixed depression and bipolarity in the postpartum period at a primary health care center.

    PubMed

    Çelik, Sercan Bulut; Bucaktepe, Gamze Erten; Uludağ, Ayşegül; Bulut, İbrahim Umud; Erdem, Özgür; Altınbaş, Kürşat

    2016-11-01

    Mixed depression is a clinical condition accompanied by the symptoms of (hypo)mania and is considered to be a predictor for bipolar disorder. Compared to pure major depression, mixed depression is worse in progress. There are limited data on the prevalence of mixed depression since it is a relatively new entity. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of mixed depression during the postpartum period which is risky for mood disorders. The study included 63 postpartum women. The participants were administered Beck Depression Scale, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ), and Modified Hypomania Symptom Checklist-32 (mHCL-32). The MDQ scores of the women with expected depression according to the EPDS cut-off scores, were significantly higher than the women with lower EPDS scores (t=-4.968; p<0.001). The modified hypomania scores were significantly higher in the women with higher depression scores compared to the women under EPDS cut-off scores (t=-4.713; p<0.001). According to the EPDS and BDS results, 27 (42.9%) and 14 (22.2%) women needed additional clinical examination for depression, respectively. In addition, 3 (4.8%) women require additional clinical examination for bipolar disorder. The scores for the first item of MDQ were above the cut-off value in 11 (17.5%) women. According to the mHCL-32 results, 50 (79.4%) women had at least 1 symptom, 45 (71.4%) women had at least 3 symptoms, and 43 (68.3%) women had at least 5 symptoms of mixed depression. Postpartum mixed depression should be promptly diagnosed by using appropriate diagnostic tools, particularly by primary health care physicians. Patients with mixed depression should be closely monitored to avoid manic switch. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Examining Depression in Patients on Dialysis.

    PubMed

    Treadwell, Allison A

    2017-01-01

    This study measured the prevalence of depression in 39 patients on hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis in two urban outpatient facilities in the southeastern United States. Additionally, it evaluated the number of patients who sought and scheduled a mental health evaluation after screening and education. The prevalence of mild to severely depressed individuals among participants in this study was 36%, affirming previous findings of depressive symptoms in the ESRD population. Results suggest that patients with ESRD are at a higher risk for depression than the general population. The effects of depression may exacerbate ESRD symptoms, affect treatment adherence, and increase hospitalizations and morbidity. It is likely that screening, diagnosing, and treating depression will be associated with improvement in quality and quantity of life. The practicality of using the screening procedure may improve the detection of depression in this population. However, only a fraction of identified patients in this study pursued further mental health evaluation within the 45-day period. Continued research is needed to identify barriers to seeking mental health consultation and treatment in this community. Copyright© by the American Nephrology Nurses Association.

  5. Comparing the accuracy of brief versus long depression screening instruments which have been validated in low and middle income countries: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Akena, Dickens; Joska, John; Obuku, Ekwaro A; Amos, Taryn; Musisi, Seggane; Stein, Dan J

    2012-11-01

    Given the high prevalence of depression in primary health care (PHC), the use of screening instruments has been recommended. Both brief and long depression screening instruments have been validated in low and middle income countries (LMIC), including within HIV care settings. However, it remains unknown whether the brief instruments validated in LMIC are as accurate as the long ones. We conducted a search of PUBMED, the COCHRANE library, AIDSLINE, and PSYCH-Info from their inception up to July 2011, for studies that validated depression screening instruments in LMIC. Data were extracted into tables and analyzed using RevMan 5.0 and STATA 11.2 for the presence of heterogeneity. Nineteen studies met our inclusion criteria. The reported prevalence of depression in LMIC ranged from 11.1 to 53%. The area under curve (AUC) scores of the validated instruments ranged from 0.69-0.99. Brief as well as long screening instruments showed acceptable accuracy (AUC≥0.7). Five of the 19 instruments were validated within HIV settings. There was statistically significant heterogeneity between the studies, and hence a meta-analysis could not be conducted to completion. Heterogeneity chi-squared = 189.23 (d.f. = 18) p<.001. Brief depression screening instruments in both general and HIV-PHC are as accurate as the long ones. Brief scales may have an edge over the longer instruments since they can be administered in a much shorter time. However, because the ultra brief scales do not include the whole spectrum of depression symptoms including suicide, their use should be followed by a detailed diagnostic interview.

  6. Delivering perinatal depression care in a rural obstetric setting: a mixed methods study of feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness.

    PubMed

    Bhat, Amritha; Reed, Susan; Mao, Johnny; Vredevoogd, Mindy; Russo, Joan; Unger, Jennifer; Rowles, Roger; Unützer, Jürgen

    2017-09-07

    Universal screening for depression during pregnancy and postpartum is recommended, yet mental health treatment and follow-up rates among screen-positive women in rural settings are low. We studied the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of perinatal depression treatment integrated into a rural obstetric setting. We conducted an open treatment study of a screening and intervention program modified from the Depression Attention for Women Now (DAWN) Collaborative Care model in a rural obstetric clinic. Depression screen-positive pregnant and postpartum women received problem-solving therapy (PST) with or without antidepressants. A care manager coordinated communication between patient, obstetrician and psychiatric consultant. We measured change in the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) score. We used surveys and focus groups to measure patient and provider satisfaction and analyzed focus groups using qualitative analysis. The intervention was well accepted by providers and patients, based on survey and focus group data. Feasibility was also evidenced by recruitment (87.1%) and retention (92.6%) rates and depression outcomes (64% with >50% improvement in PHQ 9) which were comparable to clinical trials in similar urban populations. Conclusions for practice: DAWN Collaborative Care modified for treatment of perinatal depression in a rural obstetric setting is feasible and acceptable. Behavioral health services integrated into rural obstetric settings could improve care for perinatal depression.

  7. Symptoms of major depression in people with spinal cord injury: implications for screening.

    PubMed

    Bombardier, Charles H; Richards, J Scott; Krause, James S; Tulsky, David; Tate, Denise G

    2004-11-01

    To provide psychometric data on a self-report measure of major depressive disorder (MDD) and to determine whether somatic symptoms are nonspecific or count toward the diagnosis. Survey. Data from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center representing 16 Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems. Eight hundred forty-nine people with spinal cord injury who completed a standardized follow-up evaluation 1 year after injury. Not applicable. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a measure of MDD as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition . We computed descriptive statistics on rates of depressive symptoms and probable MDD, evaluated internal consistency and construct validity, and analyzed the accuracy of individual items as predictors of MDD. Exactly 11.4% of participants met criteria for probable MDD. Probable MDD was associated with poorer subjective health, lower satisfaction with life, and more difficulty in daily role functioning. Probable MDD was not related to most demographic or injury-related variables. Both somatic and psychologic symptoms predicted probable MDD. The PHQ-9 has promise as a tool with which to identify probable MDD in people with SCI. Somatic symptoms should be counted toward the diagnosis and should alert health care providers to the likelihood of MDD. More efficient screening is only one of the quality improvement efforts needed to enhance management of MDD.

  8. Inadequate Sleep and Exercise Associated with Burnout and Depression Among Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Wolf, Megan R; Rosenstock, Jason B

    2017-04-01

    The authors studied whether low levels of exercise or inadequate sleep correlated with higher levels of burnout and depression in medical students. Medical students of all years at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey in Fall 2012 and Winter 2013. Validated measures were used to assess exercise, sleep, burnout, and depression. Response rates were 28.7 % at the beginning of the school year and 22.6 % at the middle of the school year. Burnout rates overall were 22.4 % at the beginning of the year and 19.2 % in the middle of the year. Eight percent of students screened positive for depression at the beginning of the year and 9.3 % in the middle of the year. Decreased exercise frequency was significantly correlated with lower professional efficacy. Pathological sleepiness was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of burnout. Inadequate sleep correlated with significantly lower professional efficacy and higher exhaustion scores. Burnout was associated with a positive depression screen. Positive depression screening, pathological sleepiness, and sleeping less than 7 h a night were independent predictors of burnout. Sleep habits, exercise, and a positive depression screen were associated with burnout risk within the medical student population.

  9. Free mobile apps on depression for Indian users: A brief overview and critique.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Satish; Mehrotra, Seema

    2017-08-01

    The present study aimed at identifying the nature of mobile apps available to Indian android phone users who might search for free apps to help them deal with depression. The specific objectives were to examine the available interactive self-care apps in terms of guidance provided to users to make decisions regarding use of app, inclusion of elements that encourage professional help-seeking, guidance regarding managing psychological crisis and the range of therapeutic strategies incorporated. Using the search term 'depression', 278 apps were identified in the first step and these spanned a wide range of categories. Information on coping with depression and stand alone screening tools formed the two largest types of free apps. Features of interactive self-care apps (N = 33) were reviewed further and this exercise showed that less than 10% of the apps incorporated explicit delineation of their scope or initial screening for suitability. Guidance regarding managing suicidal crisis were incorporated in only about 12% of the interactive apps. Slightly more than one third of these apps included content aimed at encouraging professional help seeking when needed or an explicit mention of their theoretical or empirical basis. Monitoring moods, thoughts and behaviors were the commonest therapeutic strategies incorporated in these apps, in addition, to a wide range of other strategies such as behavioral activation, identifying and correcting cognitive errors, mindfulness exercises, cultivation of gratitude, and medication management. The challenges for a potential user of these apps are discussed and ways to address the same are highlighted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Screening and Predicting Posttraumatic Stress and Depression in Children Following Single-Incident Trauma

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nixon, Reginald D. V.; Ellis, Alicia A.; Nehmy, Thomas J.; Ball, Shelley-Anne

    2010-01-01

    Three screening methods to predict posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms in children following single-incident trauma were tested. Children and adolescents (N = 90; aged 7-17 years) were assessed within 4 weeks of an injury that led to hospital treatment and followed up 3 and 6 months later. Screening methods were adapted…

  11. Negotiating policy in practice: child and family health nurses' approach to the process of postnatal psychosocial assessment.

    PubMed

    Rollans, Mellanie; Schmied, Virginia; Kemp, Lynn; Meade, Tanya

    2013-04-08

    There is growing recognition internationally of the need to identify women with risk factors for poor perinatal mental health in pregnancy and following birth. In the state of New South Wales, Australia the Supporting Families Early policy provides a framework of assessment and support for women and families and includes routine psychosocial assessment and depression screening. This study investigated the approach taken by Child and Family Health Nurses (CFHNs) following birth to assessment and screening as recommended by state policy. This was a qualitative ethnographic study that included 83 CFHN and 20 women. Observations occurred with thirteen nurses; with 20 women, in the home or the clinic environment. An additional 70 nurses participated in discussion groups. An observational tool (4D&4R) and field notes were used to record observations and analysed descriptively using frequencies. Field notes, interview data and discussion group transcripts were analysed thematically. This was a qualitative ethnographic study that included 83 CFHN and 20 women. Observations occurred with thirteen nurses; with 20 women, in the home or the clinic environment. An additional 70 nurses participated in discussion groups. An observational tool (4D&4R) and field notes were used to record observations and analysed descriptively using frequencies. Field notes, interview data and discussion group transcripts were analysed thematically. CFHNs demonstrated a range of approaches to assessment and screening. Psychosocial assessment was conducted in 50% (10 out of the 20) of the interactions observed; however, all the women were screened using the Edinburgh Depression Scale. Four major themes that represent the approach taken to the assessment process were identified: 'Engagement: getting that first bit right', 'Doing some paperwork', 'Creating comfort' and 'Psychosocial assessment: doing it another way'. Nurses utilised other skills such as observing the women interacting with their baby, taking note of non verbal communication and using intuition to develop a clinical decision. Overall, nurses' took a sensitive and caring approach to assessment and screening, however, there were differences in interpretations of the policy recommendations across the two sites. Nurses adopt a flexible, relationship-based approach to the assessment process; however, they experience tension when required to incorporate structured psychosocial assessment processes. To undertake assessment and screening effectively, CFHNs require ongoing support, training and supervision to maintain this sensitive and emotionally challenging work.

  12. Patients' and caregivers' beliefs about depression screening and referral in the emergency department.

    PubMed

    Pailler, Megan E; Cronholm, Peter F; Barg, Frances K; Wintersteen, Matthew B; Diamond, Guy S; Fein, Joel A

    2009-11-01

    To explore patients' and parents'/caregivers' beliefs about the acceptability of universal depression screening in the emergency department (ED) and their perceptions of the barriers and facilitators to a mental health referral following a positive screen. We conducted semistructured interviews with 60 patients seeking care and 59 caregivers in the ED of an urban children's hospital. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, coded, and entered into N6 (version 6.0; QSR, Thousand Oaks, Calif) for coding and content analysis. Patients and caregivers supported the idea of depression screening in the ED, generally viewing screening as a reflection of care and concern. Respondents reported apprehension about stigma, privacy, and provider sensitivity. Introducing the screening concept early in the visit and as part of routine care was believed to reduce stigma. Respondents generally indicated that although they would likely follow through with a referral if given, stigma and denial were viewed as significant barriers. Caregivers also reported that logistical problems such as transportation, insurance, and agency hours created barriers to help seeking, but this could be offset by social supports and information about the agency and the provider. Patients and caregivers generally support depression screening in the pediatric ED but identified several barriers to screening and referral for treatment. Recommendations include introduction of universal screening early in the ED visit, provision of specific information about the meaning of screening results, and support from family and health care providers to help reduce stigma and increase referral acceptability.

  13. Impact of terrorism on health and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale screening in medical students, Karachi, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Nasim, Sara; Khan, Mahjabeen; Aziz, Sina

    2014-03-01

    To determine the association of terrorism with psychiatric morbidity by Hospital Anxiety Depression scale among medical students in Karachi, Pakistan. The questionnaire based cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to March 2011 and comprised students of the Institute of Physical and Medical Rehabilitation and the Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi. The study tool was a validated Hospital Anxiety Depression scale questionnaire. The data was analysed on SPSS 16. Factor analysis was performed to check which factors had the most influence. Overall there were 1036 respondents. The impact of terrorism on physical, social and mental health was 40 (3.9%), 178 (17.2%) and 818 (79%) respectively. There was an association of terrorism in 980 (84.6%) respondents with psychiatric morbidity. There was an association of terrorism with psychiatric morbidity in majority of respondents. The significant risk factors were age, gender, physical, mental and social health and the desire to live in Pakistan.

  14. Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21): Factor Structure in Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation.

    PubMed

    Randall, Diane; Thomas, Matt; Whiting, Diane; McGrath, Andrew

    To confirm the construct validity of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) by investigating the fit of published factor structures in a sample of adults with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (posttraumatic amnesia > 24 hours). Archival data from 504 patient records at the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit at Liverpool Hospital, Australia. Participants were aged between 16 and 71 years and were engaged in a specialist rehabilitation program. The DASS-21. Two of the 6 models had adequate fit using structural equation modeling. The data best fit Henry and Crawford's quadripartite model, which comprised a Depression, Anxiety and Stress factor, as well as a General Distress factor. The data also adequately fit Lovibond and Lovibond's original 3-factor model, and the internal consistencies of each factor were very good (α = 0.82-0.90). This study confirms the structure and construct validity of the DASS-21 and provides support for its use as a screening tool in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.

  15. Subgrouping For Patients With Low Back Pain: A Multidimensional Approach Incorporating Cluster Analysis & The STarT Back Screening Tool

    PubMed Central

    Beneciuk, Jason M.; Robinson, Michael E.; George, Steven Z.

    2014-01-01

    Early screening for psychological distress has been suggested to improve patient management for individuals experiencing low back pain. This study compared two approaches to psychological screening (i.e., multidimensional and unidimensional) so that preliminary recommendations on which approach may be appropriate for use in clinical settings other than primary care could be provided. Specifically, this study investigated STarT Back Screening Tool (SBT): 1) discriminant validity by evaluating its relationship with unidimensional psychological measures and 2) construct validity by evaluating how SBT risk categories compared to empirically derived subgroups using unidimensional psychological and disability measures. Patients (n = 146) receiving physical therapy for LBP were administered the SBT and a battery of unidimensional psychological measures at initial evaluation. Clinical measures consisted of pain intensity and self-reported disability. Several SBT risk dependent relationships (i.e., SBT low < medium < high risk) were identified for unidimensional psychological measure scores with depressive symptom scores associated with the strongest influence on SBT risk categorization. Empirically derived subgroups indicated that there was no evidence of distinctive patterns amongst psychological or disability measures other than high or low profiles, therefore two groups may provide a more clear representation of the level of pain associated psychological distress, maladaptive coping and disability in this setting, as compared to three groups which have been suggested when using the SBT in primary care settings. PMID:25451622

  16. Validation of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for screening of major depressive episode among adults from the general population.

    PubMed

    Matijasevich, Alicia; Munhoz, Tiago N; Tavares, Beatriz Franck; Barbosa, Ana Paula Pereira Neto; da Silva, Diego Mello; Abitante, Morgana Sonza; Dall'Agnol, Tatiane Abreu; Santos, Iná S

    2014-10-08

    Standardized questionnaires designed for the identification of depression are useful for monitoring individual as well as population mental health. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) has originally been developed to assist primary care health professionals to detect postnatal depression, but several authors recommend its use outside of the postpartum period. In Brazil, the use of the EPDS for screening depression outside the postpartum period and among non-selected populations has not been validated. The present study aimed to assess the validity of the EPDS as a screening instrument for major depressive episode (MDE) among adults from the general population. This is a validation study that used a population-based sampling technique to select the participants. The study was conducted in the city of Pelotas, Brazil. Households were randomly selected by two stage conglomerates with probability proportional to size. EPDS was administered to 447 adults (≥20 years). Approximately 17 days later, participants were reinterviewed by psychiatrics and psychologists using a structured diagnostic interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, MINI). We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of each cutoff point of EPDS, and values were plotted as a receiver operator characteristic curve. The best cutoff point for screening depression was ≥8, with 80.0% (64.4 - 90.9%) sensitivity and 87.0% (83.3 - 90.1%) specificity. Among women the best cutoff point was ≥8 too with values of sensitivity and specificity of 84.4% (67.2 - 94.7%) and 81.3% (75.5 - 86.1%), respectively. Among men, the best cutoff point was ≥7 (75% sensitivity and 89% specificity). The EPDS was shown to be suitable for screening MDE among adults in the community.

  17. Depression screening with patient-targeted feedback in cardiology: The cost-effectiveness of DEPSCREEN-INFO.

    PubMed

    Brettschneider, Christian; Kohlmann, Sebastian; Gierk, Benjamin; Löwe, Bernd; König, Hans-Helmut

    2017-01-01

    Although depression is common in patients with heart disease, screening for depression is much debated. DEPSCREEN-INFO showed that a patient-targeted feedback in addition to screening results in lower depression level six months after screening. The purpose of this analysis was to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of DEPSCREEN-INFO. Patients with coronary heart disease or arterial hypertension were included. Participants in both groups were screened for depression. Participants in the intervention group additionally received a patient-targeted feedback of their result and recommended treatment options. A cost-utility analysis using quality-adjusted life years (QALY) based on the EQ-5D was performed. The time horizon was 6 months. Resource utilization was assessed by a telephone interview. Multiple imputation using chained equations was used. Net-benefit regressions controlled for prognostic variables at baseline were performed to construct cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. Different sensitivity analyses were performed. 375 participants (intervention group: 155; control group: 220) were included at baseline. After 6 months, in the intervention group adjusted total costs were lower (-€2,098; SE: €1,717) and more QALY were gained (0.0067; SD: 0.0133); yet differences were not statistically significant. The probability of cost-effectiveness was around 80% independent of the willingness-to-pay (range: €0/QALY-€130,000/QALY). The results were robust. A patient-targeted feedback in addition to depression screening in cardiology is cost-effective with a high probability. This underpins the use of the patient-targeted feedbacks and the PHQ-9 that are both freely available and easy to implement in routine care.

  18. Introducing mental health and substance use screening into a community-based health service in Australia: usefulness and implications for service change.

    PubMed

    Thomas, Anna C; Staiger, Petra K

    2012-11-01

    Mental health issues such as depression or anxiety and alcohol or other drug (AOD) problems often remain undiagnosed and untreated despite their prevalence in the community. This paper reports on the implementation and evaluation of an AOD and depression/anxiety screening programme within two Community Health Services (CHS) in Australia. Study 1 examined results from 5 weeks of screening (March-April 2008) using the Patient Health Questionnaire (two- and nine-item, Kroenke et al. 2001, 2003), the Conjoint Screen for Alcohol and other Drug Problems (Brown et al. 2001) and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (Humeniuk & Ali 2006). Of the 55 clients screened, 33% were at risk of depression or anxiety, 22% reporting moderate-severe depression. Thirteen per cent were at risk of substance use disorders. A substantial proportion of at-risk clients were not currently accessing help for these issues from the CHS and therefore screening can facilitate identification and treatment referral. However, the majority of eligible clients were not screened, limiting screening reach. A second study evaluated the screening implementation from a process perspective via thematic analysis of focus group data from six managers and 14 intake/assessment workers (April 2008). This showed that when screening occurred, it facilitated opportunities for education and intervention with at-risk clients, although cultural mores, privacy concerns and shame/stigma could affect accuracy of screen scores at times. Importantly, the evaluation revealed that most decisions not to screen were made by workers, not by clients. Reasons for non-screening related to worker discomfort in asking sensitive questions and/or managing client distress, and a reluctance to spend long periods of time screening in time-pressured environments. The evaluation suggested that these problems could be resolved by splitting screening responsibilities, enhancing worker training and expanding follow-up screening. Findings will inform any community-based health system considering introducing screening. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  19. Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale - Second Edition: initial validation of the Korean version.

    PubMed

    Hyun, Myung-Sun; Nam, Kyoung-A; Kang, Hee Sun; Reynolds, William M

    2009-03-01

    This paper is a report of a study conducted to test the validity and reliability of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale - Second Edition in Korean culture. Depression is a significant mental health problem in adolescents. The Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale - Second Edition has been shown to be a useful tool to assess depression in adolescents, with extensive research on this measure having been conducted in western cultures. Measures developed in western cultures need to be tested and validated before being used in Asian cultures. The participants were a convenience sample of 440 Korean adolescents with a mean age of 13.78 years (sd = 0.95) from grades 7 to 9 in three public middle schools in South Korea. A cross-sectional design was used. Back-translation was used to create the Korean version, with additional testing for cultural meaning and comprehension. The data were collected at the end of 2004. Internal consistency reliability for the Korean version of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale - Second Edition was 0.89, with subscale reliability ranging from 0.66 to 0.81. Evidence for criterion-related, convergent and discriminant validity for the Korean version of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale - Second Edition was found. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the 4-factor structure of Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale - Second Edition. Our results support the validity and reliability for the Korean version of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale - Second Edition as a measure of depression and suggest that it can be used to screen students and to evaluate the effectiveness of preventive interventions in school settings.

  20. Changes in 5-hydroxytryptamine and cortisol plasma levels in menopausal women after inhalation of clary sage oil.

    PubMed

    Lee, Kyung-Bok; Cho, Eun; Kang, Young-Sook

    2014-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the antidepressant-like effects of clary sage oil on human beings by comparing the neurotransmitter level change in plasma. The voluntary participants were 22 menopausal women in 50's. Subjects were classified into normal and depression tendency groups using each of Korean version of Beck Depression Inventory-I (KBDI-I), KBDI-II, and Korean version of Self-rating Depression Scale. Then, the changes in neurotransmitter concentrations were compared between two groups. After inhalation of clary sage oil, cortisol levels were significantly decreased while 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) concentration was significantly increased. Thyroid stimulating hormone was also reduced in all groups but not statistically significantly. The different change rate of 5-HT concentration between normal and depression tendency groups was variable according to the depression measurement inventory. When using KBDI-I and KBDI-II, 5-HT increased by 341% and 828% for the normal group and 484% and 257% for the depression tendency group, respectively. The change rate of cortisol was greater in depression tendency groups compared with normal groups, and this difference was statistically significant when using KBDI-II (31% vs. 16% reduction) and Self-rating Depression Scale inventory (36% vs. 8.3% reduction). Among three inventories, only KBDI-II differentiated normal and depression tendency groups with significantly different cortisol level. Finally, clary sage oil has antidepressant-like effect, and KBDI-II inventory may be the most sensitive and valid tool in screening for depression status or severity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. The influence of stress, depression, and anxiety on PSA screening rates in a nationally representative sample.

    PubMed

    Kotwal, Ashwin A; Schumm, Phil; Mohile, Supriya G; Dale, William

    2012-12-01

    Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer is controversial, with concerning rates of both overscreening and underscreening. The reasons for the observed rates of screening are unknown, and few studies have examined the relationship of psychological health to PSA screening rates. Understanding this relationship can help guide interventions to improve informed decision-making for screening. A nationally representative sample of men 57-85 years old without prostate cancer (N = 1169) from the National Social life, Health and Aging Project was analyzed. The independent relationship of validated psychological health scales measuring stress, anxiety, and depression to PSA testing rates was assessed using multivariable logistic regression analyses. PSA screening rates were significantly lower for men with higher perceived stress [odds ratio (OR) = 0.76, P = 0.006], but not for higher depressive symptoms (OR = 0.89, P = 0.22) when accounting for stress. Anxiety influences PSA screening through an interaction with number of doctor visits (P = 0.02). Among the men who visited the doctor once those with higher anxiety were less likely to be screened (OR = 0.65, P = 0.04). Conversely, those who visited the doctor 10+ times with higher anxiety were more likely to be screened (OR = 1.71, P = 0.04). Perceived stress significantly lowers PSA screening likelihood, and it seems to partly mediate the negative relationship of depression with screening likelihood. Anxiety affects PSA screening rates differently for men with different numbers of doctor visits. Interventions to influence PSA screening rates should recognize the role of the patients' psychological state to improve their likelihood of making informed decisions and improve screening appropriateness.

  2. The Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale: reliability and validity of a brief screening test.

    PubMed

    Andreassen, Cecilie S; Griffiths, Mark D; Pallesen, Ståle; Bilder, Robert M; Torsheim, Torbjørn; Aboujaoude, Elias

    2015-01-01

    Although excessive and compulsive shopping has been increasingly placed within the behavioral addiction paradigm in recent years, items in existing screens arguably do not assess the core criteria and components of addiction. To date, assessment screens for shopping disorders have primarily been rooted within the impulse-control or obsessive-compulsive disorder paradigms. Furthermore, existing screens use the terms 'shopping,' 'buying,' and 'spending' interchangeably, and do not necessarily reflect contemporary shopping habits. Consequently, a new screening tool for assessing shopping addiction was developed. Initially, 28 items, four for each of seven addiction criteria (salience, mood modification, conflict, tolerance, withdrawal, relapse, and problems), were constructed. These items and validated scales (i.e., Compulsive Buying Measurement Scale, Mini-International Personality Item Pool, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale) were then administered to 23,537 participants (M age = 35.8 years, SD age = 13.3). The highest loading item from each set of four pooled items reflecting the seven addiction criteria were retained in the final scale, The Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale (BSAS). The factor structure of the BSAS was good (RMSEA = 0.064, CFI = 0.983, TLI = 0.973) and coefficient alpha was 0.87. The scores on the BSAS converged with scores on the Compulsive Buying Measurement Scale (CBMS; 0.80), and were positively correlated with extroversion and neuroticism, and negatively with conscientiousness, agreeableness, and intellect/imagination. The scores of the BSAS were positively associated with anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem and inversely related to age. Females scored higher than males on the BSAS. The BSAS is the first scale to fully embed shopping addiction within an addiction paradigm. A recommended cutoff score for the new scale and future research directions are discussed.

  3. The Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale: reliability and validity of a brief screening test

    PubMed Central

    Andreassen, Cecilie S.; Griffiths, Mark D.; Pallesen, Ståle; Bilder, Robert M.; Torsheim, Torbjørn; Aboujaoude, Elias

    2015-01-01

    Although excessive and compulsive shopping has been increasingly placed within the behavioral addiction paradigm in recent years, items in existing screens arguably do not assess the core criteria and components of addiction. To date, assessment screens for shopping disorders have primarily been rooted within the impulse-control or obsessive-compulsive disorder paradigms. Furthermore, existing screens use the terms ‘shopping,’ ‘buying,’ and ‘spending’ interchangeably, and do not necessarily reflect contemporary shopping habits. Consequently, a new screening tool for assessing shopping addiction was developed. Initially, 28 items, four for each of seven addiction criteria (salience, mood modification, conflict, tolerance, withdrawal, relapse, and problems), were constructed. These items and validated scales (i.e., Compulsive Buying Measurement Scale, Mini-International Personality Item Pool, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale) were then administered to 23,537 participants (Mage = 35.8 years, SDage = 13.3). The highest loading item from each set of four pooled items reflecting the seven addiction criteria were retained in the final scale, The Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale (BSAS). The factor structure of the BSAS was good (RMSEA = 0.064, CFI = 0.983, TLI = 0.973) and coefficient alpha was 0.87. The scores on the BSAS converged with scores on the Compulsive Buying Measurement Scale (CBMS; 0.80), and were positively correlated with extroversion and neuroticism, and negatively with conscientiousness, agreeableness, and intellect/imagination. The scores of the BSAS were positively associated with anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem and inversely related to age. Females scored higher than males on the BSAS. The BSAS is the first scale to fully embed shopping addiction within an addiction paradigm. A recommended cutoff score for the new scale and future research directions are discussed. PMID:26441749

  4. Light therapy for older patients with non-seasonal depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xue; Ma, Jing; Wu, Shiyou; Chi, Iris; Bai, Zhenggang

    2018-05-01

    Light therapy has become an increasingly common treatment for adults with depression, yet the role of light therapy for non-seasonal depression among older adults remains unclear. This meta-analysis sought to evaluate the effectiveness of light therapy among older patients with non-seasonal depression. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI and CBM from the inception of each database to May 2017. Two researchers conducted the literature screening, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment independently. We used the Cochrane Collaboration's bias assessment tool to evaluate the risk of bias for included studies, and Review Manager 5.2.3 Software for the meta-analysis. Six trials with a total of 359 patients were included, and five studies were assessed as being of low risk for bias. We evaluated the effect of light therapy on depression by the reduction of depressive symptoms (SMD = 0.45; 95% CI= [0.14, 0.75]). The subgroup analysis did not find significant moderating effects of depression with intervention intensity, light type, measuring scale or intervention duration. Most of the study samples were not representative of the larger population of adults and therefore caution should be used when interpreting the findings. Light therapy has a positive effect on geriatric non-seasonal depression. Studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm the curative effect of light therapy in the future. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Stakeholder Experiences in a Stepped Collaborative Care Study Within U.S. Army Clinics.

    PubMed

    Batka, Caroline; Tanielian, Terri; Woldetsadik, Mahlet A; Farmer, Carrie; Jaycox, Lisa H

    This article examines stakeholder experiences with integrating treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression within primary care clinics in the U.S. Army, the use-of-care facilitation to improve treatment, and the specific therapeutic tools used within the Stepped Treatment Enhanced PTSD Services Using Primary Care study. We conducted a series of qualitative interviews with health care providers, care facilitators, and patients within the context of a large randomized controlled trial being conducted across 18 Army primary care clinics at 6 military installations. Most of stakeholders' concerns clustered around the need to improve collaborative care tools and care facilitators and providers' comfort and abilities to treat behavioral health issues in the primary care setting. Although stakeholders generally recognize the value of collaborative care in overcoming barriers to care, their perspectives about the utility of different tools varied. The extent to which collaborative care mechanisms are well understood, navigated, and implemented by providers, care facilitators, and patients is critical to the success of the model. Improving the design of the web-based therapy tools, increasing the frequency of team meetings and case presentations, and expanding training for primary care providers on screening and treatment for PTSD and depression and the collaborative care model's structure, processes, and offerings may improve stakeholder perceptions and usage of collaborative care. Copyright © 2016 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Fulfillment of the premenstrual dysphoric disorder criteria confirmed using a self-rating questionnaire among Japanese women with depressive disorders.

    PubMed

    Miyaoka, Yoshiko; Akimoto, Yoshie; Ueda, Kayoko; Ujiie, Yuri; Kametani, Machiko; Uchiide, Yoko; Kamo, Toshiko

    2011-05-02

    Some women with depressive disorders experience severe premenstrual symptoms. However, there have been few studies in which premenstrual symptoms in women suffering from depressive disorders were assessed. In this study, we aimed to investigate premenstrual symptoms in women with depressive disorders using the premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) scale. We administered questionnaires to 65 Japanese female outpatients who had been diagnosed with a major depressive disorder or dysthymic disorder and to 303 healthy women as control subjects. The questionnaire consisted of items on demographics and the PMDD scale, which was modified from the premenstrual symptoms screening tool (PSST) developed by Steiner et al. (Arch Womens Ment Health 2003, 6:203-209). Twenty-eight women (43.1%) with depressive disorder fulfilled certain items of the PMDD scale. These women are considered to have coexisting PMDD and a depressive disorder, or to have premenstrual exacerbation (PME) of a depressive disorder. On the other hand, 18 women (5.9%) in the control group were diagnosed as having PMDD. The depressive disorder group who fulfilled the PMDD criteria had more knowledge of the term premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and took more actions to attenuate premenstrual symptoms than the control group with PMDD. Our findings demonstrated that the occurrence of severe premenstrual symptoms is much higher in women with depressive disorders than in healthy subjects. This is partially due to this group containing women with PME, but mainly due to it containing women with PMDD. The higher percentage of PMDD suggests similarity between PMDD and other depressive disorders. Furthermore, educating healthy Japanese women and women with depressive disorders about premenstrual symptoms and evidence-based treatment for them is necessary.

  7. Fulfillment of the premenstrual dysphoric disorder criteria confirmed using a self-rating questionnaire among Japanese women with depressive disorders

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Some women with depressive disorders experience severe premenstrual symptoms. However, there have been few studies in which premenstrual symptoms in women suffering from depressive disorders were assessed. In this study, we aimed to investigate premenstrual symptoms in women with depressive disorders using the premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) scale. Methods We administered questionnaires to 65 Japanese female outpatients who had been diagnosed with a major depressive disorder or dysthymic disorder and to 303 healthy women as control subjects. The questionnaire consisted of items on demographics and the PMDD scale, which was modified from the premenstrual symptoms screening tool (PSST) developed by Steiner et al. (Arch Womens Ment Health 2003, 6:203-209). Results Twenty-eight women (43.1%) with depressive disorder fulfilled certain items of the PMDD scale. These women are considered to have coexisting PMDD and a depressive disorder, or to have premenstrual exacerbation (PME) of a depressive disorder. On the other hand, 18 women (5.9%) in the control group were diagnosed as having PMDD. The depressive disorder group who fulfilled the PMDD criteria had more knowledge of the term premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and took more actions to attenuate premenstrual symptoms than the control group with PMDD. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that the occurrence of severe premenstrual symptoms is much higher in women with depressive disorders than in healthy subjects. This is partially due to this group containing women with PME, but mainly due to it containing women with PMDD. The higher percentage of PMDD suggests similarity between PMDD and other depressive disorders. Furthermore, educating healthy Japanese women and women with depressive disorders about premenstrual symptoms and evidence-based treatment for them is necessary. PMID:21535889

  8. Depression and anxiety diagnoses are not associated with delayed resolution of abnormal mammograms and pap tests among vulnerable women.

    PubMed

    Kronman, Andrea C; Freund, Karen M; Heeren, Tim; Beaver, Kristine A; Flynn, Mary; Battaglia, Tracy A

    2012-04-01

    Delays in care after abnormal cancer screening contribute to disparities in cancer outcomes. Women with psychiatric disorders are less likely to receive cancer screening and may also have delays in diagnostic resolution after an abnormal screening test. To determine if depression and anxiety are associated with delays in resolution after abnormal mammograms and Pap tests in a vulnerable population of urban women. We conducted retrospective chart reviews of electronic medical records to identify women who had a diagnosis of depression or anxiety in the year prior to the abnormal mammogram or Pap test. We used time-to-event analysis to analyze the outcome of time to resolution after abnormal cancer screening, and Cox proportional hazards regression modeling to control for confounding. Women receiving care in six Boston-area community health centers 2004-2005: 523 with abnormal mammograms, 474 with abnormal Pap tests. Of the women with abnormal mammogram and pap tests, 19% and 16%, respectively, had co-morbid depression. There was no difference in time to diagnostic resolution between depressed and not-depressed women for those with abnormal mammograms (aHR = 0.9, 95 CI 0.7,1.1) or Pap tests (aHR = 0.9, 95 CI 0.7,1.3). An active diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety in the year prior to an abnormal mammogram or Pap test was not associated with a prolonged time to diagnostic resolution. Our findings imply that documented mood disorders do not identify an additional barrier to resolution after abnormal cancer screening in a vulnerable population of women.

  9. A qualitative study of the acceptability of routine screening of postnatal women using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

    PubMed Central

    Shakespeare, Judy; Blake, Fiona; Garcia, Jo

    2003-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Screening for postnatal depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) has been widely recommended and implemented in primary care, although little is known about how acceptable it is to women. AIM: To explore the acceptability to women of postnatal screening by health visitors with the EPDS. DESIGN OF STUDY: Qualitative interview study. SETTING: Postnatal patients from 22 general practices within the area of Oxford City Primary Care Group. METHOD: Thirty-nine postnatal women from a purposive sample were interviewed, chosen on the basis of different general practices, EPDS results at eight weeks and eight months postnatal, and whether 'listening visits' were received. The interviews were analysed using the constant comparative method. RESULTS: Just over half of the women interviewed found screening with the EPDS less than acceptable, whatever their postnatal emotional health. The main themes identified were problems with the process of screening and, in particular, the venue, the personal intrusion of screening and stigma. The women interviewed had a clear preference for talking about how they felt, rather than filling out a questionnaire. CONCLUSION: For this sample, routine screening with the EPDS was less than acceptable for the majority of women. This is of concern, as universal screening with the EPDS for the detection of postnatal depression is already recommended and widespread in primary care. PMID:14601337

  10. Depression assessment after traumatic brain injury: an empirically based classification method.

    PubMed

    Seel, Ronald T; Kreutzer, Jeffrey S

    2003-11-01

    To describe the patterns of depression in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Neurobehavioral Functioning Inventory (NFI) Depression Scale, and to classify empirically NFI Depression Scale scores. Depressive symptoms were characterized by using the NFI Depression Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) Depression Scale. An outpatient clinic within a Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems center. A demographically diverse sample of 172 outpatients with TBI, evaluated between 1996 and 2000. Not applicable. The NFI, BDI, and MMPI-2 Depression Scale. The Cronbach alpha, analysis of variance, Pearson correlations, and canonical discriminant function analysis were used to examine the psychometric properties of the NFI Depression Scale. Patients with TBI most frequently reported problems with frustration (81%), restlessness (73%), rumination (69%), boredom (66%), and sadness (66%) with the NFI Depression Scale. The percentages of patients classified as depressed with the BDI and the NFI Depression Scale were 37% and 30%, respectively. The Cronbach alpha for the NFI Depression Scale was.93, indicating a high degree of internal consistency. As hypothesized, NFI Depression Scale scores correlated highly with BDI (r=.765) and MMPI-2 Depression Scale T scores (r=.752). The NFI Depression Scale did not correlate significantly with the MMPI-2 Hypomania Scale, thus showing discriminant validity. Normal and clinically depressed BDI scores were most likely to be accurately predicted by the NFI Depression Scale, with 81% and 87% of grouped cases, respectively, correctly classified. Normal and depressed MMPI-2 Depression Scale scores were accurately predicted by the NFI Depression Scale, with 75% and 83% of grouped cases correctly classified, respectively. Patients' NFI Depression Scale scores were mapped to the corresponding BDI categories, and 3 NFI score classifications emerged: minimally depressed (13-28), borderline depressed (29-42), and clinically depressed (43-65). Our study provided further evidence that screening for depression should be a standard component of TBI assessment protocols. Between 30% and 38% of patients with TBI were classified as depressed with the NFI Depression Scale and the BDI, respectively. Our findings also provided empirical evidence that the NFI Depression Scale is a useful tool for classifying postinjury depression.

  11. Exploring the Correlates to Depression in Elder Abuse Victims: Abusive Experience or Individual Characteristics?

    PubMed

    Santos, Ana João; Nunes, Baltazar; Kislaya, Irina; Gil, Ana Paula; Ribeiro, Oscar

    2017-09-01

    Depression and depressive symptoms have been studied both as risk factors and consequences of elder abuse, even though the most common cross-sectional design of the studies does not allow inferring cause or consequence relationships. This study estimates the proportion of older adults who screened positive for depressive symptoms among those self-reporting elder abuse and examines whether individual characteristics and/or abusive experience aspects are associated with self-reported depressive symptoms. Participants were 510 older adults self-reporting experiences of abuse in family setting enrolled in the cross-sectional victims' survey of the Aging and Violence Study. Depressive symptoms were assessed through the abbreviated version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-5). Poisson regression was used to determine the prevalence ratio (PR) of screening depressive symptoms according to individual and abusive experience covariates: sex, age group, cohabitation, perceived social support, chronic diseases, functional status, violence type, perpetrator, and number of conducts. Women (PR = 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.04, 1.35]) individuals perceiving low social support level (PR = 1.36, 95% CI = [1.16, 1.60]) and with long-term illness (PR = 1.17, 95% CI = [1.02, 1.33]) were found to be associated with increased risk for screening depressive symptoms. In regard to abusive experience, only the number of abusive conducts increased the PR (PR = 1.07, 95% CI = [1.05, 1.09]). Routine screening for elder abuse should include psychological well-being assessment. Interventions toward risk alleviation for both mental health problems and elder abuse should target women perceiving low social support level and with long-term illness.

  12. Screening depressive symptoms in Jordanian women: evaluation of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D).

    PubMed

    Al-Modallal, Hanan

    2010-08-01

    This study examined the psychometric qualities of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) in Jordanian women. Cronbach's alpha for the 20-item CES-D was .90. Factor analysis yielded three components. Four of the items had poor factor loadings and, therefore, were dropped. Cronbach's alpha for the remaining 16 items was .85. Validity testing using independent samples t-test provided evidence of discriminant validity for the 20-item and the 16-item CES-D. Attributes of the CES-D items indicated that depression status can be easily identified by clinicians. Co morbidity of depressive symptoms with physical and mental problems necessitates routine screening for depressed mood.

  13. Screening and management of mental health and substance use disorders in HIV treatment settings in low- and middle-income countries within the global IeDEA consortium.

    PubMed

    Parcesepe, Angela M; Mugglin, Catrina; Nalugoda, Fred; Bernard, Charlotte; Yunihastuti, Evy; Althoff, Keri; Jaquet, Antoine; Haas, Andreas D; Duda, Stephany N; Wester, C William; Nash, Denis

    2018-03-01

    Integration of services to screen and manage mental health and substance use disorders (MSDs) into HIV care settings has been identified as a promising strategy to improve mental health and HIV treatment outcomes among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Data on the extent to which HIV treatment sites in LMICs screen and manage MSDs are limited. The objective of this study was to assess practices for screening and treatment of MSDs at HIV clinics in LMICs participating in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium. We surveyed a stratified random sample of 95 HIV clinics in 29 LMICs in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia-Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa. The survey captured information onsite characteristics and screening and treatment practices for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorders (SUDs) and other mental health disorders. Most sites (n = 76, 80%) were in urban areas. Mental health screening varied by disorder: 57% of sites surveyed screened for depression, 19% for PTSD, 55% for SUDs and 29% for other mental health disorders. Depression, PTSD, SUDs and other mental health disorders were reported as managed on site (having services provided at the HIV clinic or same health facility) at 70%, 51%, 41% and 47% of sites respectively. Combined availability of screening and on-site management of depression, PTSD, and SUDs, and other mental health disorders was reported by 42%, 14%, 26% and 19% of sites, respectively. On-site management of depression and PTSD was reported significantly less often in rural as compared to urban settings (depression: 33% and 78% respectively; PTSD: 24% and 58% respectively). Screening for depression and SUDs was least commonly reported by HIV programmes that treated only children as compared to HIV programmes that treated only adults or treated both adults and children. Significant gaps exist in the management of MSDs in HIV care settings in LMICs, particularly in rural settings. Identification and evaluation of optimal implementation strategies to scale and sustain integrated MSDs and HIV care is needed. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of the International AIDS Society published by John Wiley & sons Ltd on behalf of the International AIDS Society.

  14. Differential diagnosis of bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

    PubMed

    Hirschfeld, R M

    2014-12-01

    Patients with bipolar disorder spend approximately half of their lives symptomatic and the majority of that time suffering from symptoms of depression, which complicates the accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Challenges in the differential diagnosis of bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder are reviewed, and the clinical utility of several screening instruments is evaluated. The estimated lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder (i.e., unipolar depression) is over 3 and one-half times that of bipolar spectrum disorders. The clinical presentation of a major depressive episode in a bipolar disorder patient does not differ substantially from that of a patient with major depressive disorder (unipolar depression). Therefore, it is not surprising that without proper screening and comprehensive evaluation many patients with bipolar disorder may be misdiagnosed with major depressive disorder (unipolar depression). In general, antidepressants have demonstrated little or no efficacy for depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder, and treatment guidelines recommend using antidepressants only as an adjunct to mood stabilizers for patients with bipolar disorder. Thus, correct identification of bipolar disorder among patients who present with depression is critical for providing appropriate treatment and improving patient outcomes. Clinical characteristics indicative of bipolar disorder versus major depressive disorder identified in this review are based on group differences and may not apply to each individual patient. The overview of demographic and clinical characteristics provided by this review may help medical professionals distinguish between major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Several validated, easily administered screening instruments are available and can greatly improve the recognition of bipolar disorder in patients with depression. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Do competing demands of physical illness in type 2 diabetes influence depression screening, documentation and management in primary care: a cross-sectional analytic study in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care settings.

    PubMed

    Schierhout, Gill; Nagel, Tricia; Si, Damin; Connors, Christine; Brown, Alex; Bailie, Ross

    2013-06-06

    Relatively little is known about how depression amongst people with chronic illness is identified and managed in diverse primary health care settings. We evaluated the role of complex physical needs in influencing current practice of depression screening, documentation and antidepressant prescriptions during a 12-month period, among adults with Type 2 diabetes attending Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary care health centres in Australia. We analysed clinical audit data from 44 health centres participating in a continuous quality improvement initiative, using previously reported standard sampling and data extraction protocols. Eligible patients were those with Type 2 diabetes with health centre attendance within the past 12 months. We compared current practice in depression screening, documentation and antidepressant prescription between patients with different disease severity and co-morbidity. We used random effects multiple logistic regression models to adjust for potential confounders and for clustering by health centre. Among the 1174 patients with diabetes included, median time since diagnosis was 7 years, 19% of patients had a co-existing diagnosis of Ischaemic Heart Disease and 1/3 had renal disease. Some 70% of patients had HbAc1>7.0%; 65% had cholesterol >4.0 mmol1-1 and 64% had blood pressure>130/80 mmHg. Documentation of screening for depression and of diagnosed depression were low overall (5% and 6% respectively) and lower for patients with renal disease (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.21; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14 to 0.31 and AOR 0.34; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.75), and for those with poorly controlled disease (HbA1c>7.00 (AOR 0.40; 95% CI 0.23 to 0.68 and AOR 0.51; 95% CI 0.30 to 84)). Screening for depression was lower for those on pharmaceutical treatment for glycaemic control compared to those not on such treatment. Antidepressant prescription was not associated with level of diabetes control or disease severity. Background levels of depression screening and documentation were low overall and significantly lower for patients with greater disease severity. Strategies to improve depression care for vulnerable populations are urgently required. An important first step in the Australian Indigenous primary care context is to identify and address barriers to the use of current clinical guidelines for depression screening and care.

  16. [Integral Care Guide for Early Detection and Diagnosis of Depressive Episodes and Recurrent Depressive Disorder in Adults. Integral Attention of Adults with a Diagnosis of Depressive Episodes and Recurrent Depressive Disorder: Part I: Risk Factors, Screening, Suicide Risk Diagnosis and Assessment in Patients with a Depression Diagnosis].

    PubMed

    Gómez-Restrepo, Carlos; Peñaranda, Adriana Patricia Bohórquez; Valencia, Jenny García; Guarín, Maritza Rodríguez; Narváez, Eliana Bravo; Jaramillo, Luis Eduardo; Acosta, Carlos Alberto Palacio; Pedraza, Ricardo Sánchez; Díaz, Sergio Mario Castro

    2012-12-01

    Depression is an important cause of morbidity and disability in the world; however, it is under-diagnosed at all care levels. The purpose here is to present recommendations based on the evidence gathered to answer a series of clinical questions concerning risk factors, screening, suicide risk diagnosis and evaluation in patients undergoing a depressive episode and recurrent depressive disorder. Emphasis has been made upon the approach used at the primary care level so as to grant adult diagnosed patients the health care guidelines based on the best and more updated evidence available thus achieving minimum quality standards. A practical clinical guide was elaborated according to standards of the Methodological Guide of the Ministry of Social Protection. Recommendation from guides NICE90 and CANMAT were adopted and updated so as to answer the questions posed while de novo questions were developed. Recommendations 1-22 corresponding to screening, suicide risk and depression diagnosis were presented. The corresponding degree of recommendation is included. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  17. A study of the feasibility of Internet administration of a computerized health survey: the headache impact test (HIT).

    PubMed

    Bayliss, M S; Dewey, J E; Dunlap, I; Batenhorst, A S; Cady, R; Diamond, M L; Sheftell, F

    2003-12-01

    Headache impact test (HIT) is a precise, practical tool that quantifies the impact of headache on respondents' lives. It is the first widely-available dynamic health assessment (DynHA). Applications of this brief, precise survey include population based screening for disabling headaches, tracking of individual patient scores over time, disease management programs and others. We use data from Internet HIT assessments during the fall of 2000 to (1) evaluate characteristics of respondents and assessments, (2) assess the utility of joint administration of HIT and the SF-8 Health Survey (SF-8) to screen for migraine and depression, and (3) explore associations between HIT scores and subsequent healthcare-related attitudes and behaviors. We analyzed Internet HIT surveys completed between 9/1 and 11/30/2000 (n = 19,195). Subsamples include respondents who also completed (1) a 12-item Internet survey assessing severity, frequency, cause and management of headaches; (2) an e-mail survey measuring healthcare-related behaviors; (3) the SF-8; or (4) the website registration process, providing age and gender data. We used analysis of variance (ANOVA) to evaluate HIT score differences associated with age, gender, headache severity or frequency, and healthcare-related behaviors and attitudes and chi2 tests to assess the prevalence and comorbidity of migraine and depression. Three-quarters of respondents achieved a precise HIT score in < or = 5 items. Most had moderate/severe headaches; 65% had headaches at least monthly. HIT scores were directly related to headache severity and frequency. Most respondents were females, with significantly higher HIT scores than males. Most HIT respondents were between ages 25 and 54 (HIT scores were higher for younger respondents). Sixty four percent screened positive for migraine; 20% for depression. Both conditions were more prevalent among females than males. Comorbid migraine and depression was 50% more prevalent among females and increased with age until age 50. Patients with worse headache impact were more likely to seek care, discuss headaches with their providers and find HIT useful. It is feasible to use Internet-based dynamic assessments to measure health status. These data complement previous results showing that HIT differentiates respondents according to headache characteristics (severity and frequency). HIT plus SF-8 yields a practical screen for migraine and depression in headache patients and may lead to more effective treatment for patients with these conditions. Preliminary findings suggest that the experience of taking HIT on the Internet may motivate headache patients to seek care and discuss headaches with their providers.

  18. Subchronic treatment with aldosterone induces depression-like behaviours and gene expression changes relevant to major depressive disorder.

    PubMed

    Hlavacova, Natasa; Wes, Paul D; Ondrejcakova, Maria; Flynn, Marianne E; Poundstone, Patricia K; Babic, Stanislav; Murck, Harald; Jezova, Daniela

    2012-03-01

    The potential role of aldosterone in the pathophysiology of depression is unclear. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that prolonged elevation of circulating aldosterone induces depression-like behaviour accompanied by disease-relevant changes in gene expression in the hippocampus. Subchronic (2-wk) treatment with aldosterone (2 μg/100 g body weight per day) or vehicle via subcutaneous osmotic minipumps was used to induce hyperaldosteronism in male rats. All rats (n = 20/treatment group) underwent a modified sucrose preference test. Half of the animals from each treatment group were exposed to the forced swim test (FST), which served both as a tool to assess depression-like behaviour and as a stress stimulus. Affymetrix microarray analysis was used to screen the entire rat genome for gene expression changes in the hippocampus. Aldosterone treatment induced an anhedonic state manifested by decreased sucrose preference. In the FST, depressogenic action of aldosterone was manifested by decreased latency to immobility and increased time spent immobile. Aldosterone treatment resulted in transcriptional changes of genes in the hippocampus involved in inflammation, glutamatergic activity, and synaptic and neuritic remodelling. Furthermore, aldosterone-regulated genes substantially overlapped with genes affected by stress in the FST. This study demonstrates the existence of a causal relationship between the hyperaldosteronism and depressive behaviour. In addition, aldosterone treatment induced changes in gene expression that may be relevant to the aetiology of major depressive disorder. Subchronic treatment with aldosterone represents a new animal model of depression, which may contribute to the development of novel targets for the treatment of depression.

  19. Development and validation of the Overall Depression Severity and Impairment Scale.

    PubMed

    Bentley, Kate H; Gallagher, Matthew W; Carl, Jenna R; Barlow, David H

    2014-09-01

    The need to capture severity and impairment of depressive symptomatology is widespread. Existing depression scales are lengthy and largely focus on individual symptoms rather than resulting impairment. The Overall Depression Severity and Impairment Scale (ODSIS) is a 5-item, continuous measure designed for use across heterogeneous mood disorders and with subthreshold depressive symptoms. This study examined the psychometric properties of the ODSIS in outpatients in a clinic for emotional disorders (N = 100), undergraduate students (N = 566), and community-based adults (N = 189). Internal consistency, latent structure, item response theory, classification accuracy, convergent and discriminant validity, and differential item functioning analyses were conducted. ODSIS scores exhibited excellent internal consistency, and confirmatory factor analyses supported a unidimensional structure. Item response theory results demonstrated that the ODSIS provides more information about individuals with high levels of depression than those with low levels of depression. Responses on the ODSIS discriminated well between individuals with and without a mood disorder and depression-related severity across clinical and subclinical levels. A cut score of 8 correctly classified 82% of outpatients as with or without a mood disorder; it evidenced a favorable balance of sensitivity and specificity and of positive and negative predictive values. The ODSIS demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity, and results indicate that items function similarly across clinical and nonclinical samples. Overall, findings suggest that the ODSIS is a valid tool for measuring depression-related severity and impairment. The brevity and ease of use of the ODSIS support its utility for screening and monitoring treatment response across a variety of settings. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  20. Prophylactic antidepressant treatment following acute coronary syndrome: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

    PubMed

    Christiansen, Ole G; Madsen, Michael T; Simonsen, Erik; Gögenur, Ismail

    2017-11-01

    Major depressive disorder is significantly increased in patients following acute coronary syndrome resulting in twofold increased mortality compared with patients without depression. The depression diagnosis is often missed leading to considerable undertreatment. This systematic review assesses the current evidence of primary prophylactic treatment of depression in patients after acute coronary syndrome. The study protocol was prospectively registered at PROSPERO (registration number CRD42015025587). A systematic review were conducted and reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and Cochran Library was searched. Two independent reviewers screened the records. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials on adult patients with acute coronary syndrome treated prophylactically with an antidepressant intervention of any kind. A validated assessment tool should measure depression and depressive symptoms. Languages were limited to articles written in English. Six articles were included. Four studies utilized different components of case and disease management, health coaching, or relaxational audiotapes as intervention compared with usual care or with no formal program of rehabilitation. None of the studies showed any significant prophylactic effect against depression. One study with a program of health education and counselling and another study with a pharmacological antidepressant showed significant prophylactic effect on depression and depressive symptoms. All six included studies were associated with high risk of bias. There is not strong evidence of the effects of any type of routine antidepressant prophylaxis in patients following acute coronary syndrome. Further high quality studies are warranted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Online tools for individuals with depression and neurologic conditions: A scoping review.

    PubMed

    Lukmanji, Sara; Pham, Tram; Blaikie, Laura; Clark, Callie; Jetté, Nathalie; Wiebe, Samuel; Bulloch, Andrew; Holroyd-Leduc, Jayna; Macrodimitris, Sophia; Mackie, Aaron; Patten, Scott B

    2017-08-01

    Patients with neurologic conditions commonly have depression. Online tools have the potential to improve outcomes in these patients in an efficient and accessible manner. We aimed to identify evidence-informed online tools for patients with comorbid neurologic conditions and depression. A scoping review of online tools (free, publicly available, and not requiring a facilitator) for patients with depression and epilepsy, Parkinson disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or migraine was conducted. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Cochrane CENTRAL Register of Controlled Trials were searched from database inception to January 2017 for all 5 neurologic conditions. Gray literature using Google and Google Scholar as well as app stores for both Android and Apple devices were searched. Self-management or self-efficacy online tools were not included unless they were specifically targeted at depression and one of the neurologic conditions and met the other eligibility criteria. Only 4 online tools were identified. Of these 4 tools, 2 were web-based self-management programs for patients with migraine or MS and depression. The other 2 were mobile apps for patients with PD or TBI and depression. No online tools were found for epilepsy. There are limited depression tools for people with neurologic conditions that are evidence-informed, publicly available, and free. Future research should focus on the development of high-quality, evidence-based online tools targeted at neurologic patients.

  2. Assessing mood symptoms through heartbeat dynamics: An HRV study on cardiosurgical patients.

    PubMed

    Gentili, Claudio; Messerotti Benvenuti, Simone; Palomba, Daniela; Greco, Alberto; Scilingo, Enzo Pasquale; Valenza, Gaetano

    2017-12-01

    Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is reduced both in depression and in coronary heart disease (CHD) suggesting common pathophysiological mechanisms for the two disorders. Within CHD, cardiac surgery patients (CSP) with postoperative depression are at greater risk of adverse cardiac events. Therefore, CSP would especially benefit from depression early diagnosis. Here we tested whether HRV-multi-feature analysis discriminates CSP with or without depression and provides an effective estimation of symptoms severity. Thirty-one patients admitted to cardiac rehabilitation after first-time cardiac surgery were recruited. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). HRV features in time, frequency, and nonlinear domains were extracted from 5-min-ECG recordings at rest and used as predictors of "least absolute shrinkage and selection" (LASSO) operator regression model to estimate patients' CES-D score and to predict depressive state. The model significantly predicted the CES-D score in all subjects (the total explained variance of CES-D score was 89.93%). Also it discriminated depressed and non-depressed CSP with 86.75% accuracy. Seven of the ten most informative metrics belonged to non-linear-domain. A higher number of patients evaluated also with a structured clinical interview would help to generalize the present findings. To our knowledge this is the first study using a multi-feature approach to evaluate depression in CSP. The high informative power of HRV-nonlinear metrics suggests their possible pathophysiological role both in depression and in CHD. The high-accuracy of the algorithm at single-subject level opens to its translational use as screening tool in clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Psychopathological factors that can influence academic achievement in early adolescence: a three-year prospective study.

    PubMed

    Voltas, Núria; Hernández-Martínez, Carmen; Aparicio, Estefania; Arija, Victoria; Canals, Josefa

    2014-12-30

    This three-phase prospective study investigated psychosocial factors predicting or associated with academic achievement. An initial sample of 1,514 school-age children was assessed with screening tools for emotional problems (Screen for Childhood Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders; Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version; Children's Depression Inventory). The following year, 562 subjects (risk group/without risk group) were re-assessed and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was assessed. Two years later, 242 subjects were followed, and their parents informed about their academic achievement. Results showed that early depression (phase 1 B = -.130, p = .001; phase 1 + phase 2 B = -.187, p < .001), persistent anxiety symptoms (phase 1 + phase 2 B = -1.721, p = .018), and ADHD were predictors of lower academic achievement (phase 1 + phase 2 B = -3.415, p = .005). However, some anxiety symptoms can improve academic achievement (Social phobia B = .216, p = .018; Generalized anxiety B = .313, p < .001). Socio-economic status (SES) was positively related to academic achievement. We can conclude that in the transition period to adolescence, school-health professionals and teachers need to consider the emotional issues of students to avoid unwanted academic outcomes.

  4. At-risk symptoms of bipolar disorder in a university student cohort.

    PubMed

    Haussleiter, Ida S; Lorek, Sandra; Zeschel, Eike; Mattausch, Svenja; Meyers, Milena; Juckel, Georg

    2018-05-06

    To assess the occurrence and frequency of bipolar at-risk symptoms in a large sample of previously undiagnosed students using the new screening tool Bochumer Screeningbogen Bipolar (BSB). 2329 students of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany completed online demographic data as well as various self-rating questionnaires (BSB; Hypomania Checklist 32; Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale; Beck Depression Inventory). Within the student cohort (64.4% female, mean age 24.3 years) every fifth student currently suffered from moderate to severe depressive symptoms; every sixth student had already thought about suicide and every other student reported a history of mood swings. The most frequently reported depressive symptoms included physical exhaustion, depressed mood, and tiredness. The most frequently reported (hypo)manic symptoms included physical agitation, feeling extremely energetic, and lack of concentration. The BSB showed good convergent validity with other established questionnaires capturing depressive or (hypo)manic symptoms, as well as a stable administration of underlying constructs. The BSB correlated significantly with the already established applied questionnaires. The predictive power of the BSB regarding the development of bipolar disorder cannot be correctly quantified at present. The further purpose of this exploratory web-based study should be to examine the validity of the presented measures in a longitudinal design. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Prevalence of depression-PTSD comorbidity: implications for clinical practice guidelines and primary care-based interventions.

    PubMed

    Campbell, Duncan G; Felker, Bradford L; Liu, Chuan-Fen; Yano, Elizabeth M; Kirchner, JoAnn E; Chan, Domin; Rubenstein, Lisa V; Chaney, Edmund F

    2007-06-01

    Compared to those with depression alone, depressed patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience more severe psychiatric symptomatology and factors that complicate treatment. To estimate PTSD prevalence among depressed military veteran primary care patients and compare demographic/illness characteristics of PTSD screen-positive depressed patients (MDD-PTSD+) to those with depression alone (MDD). Cross-sectional comparison of MDD patients versus MDD-PTSD+ patients. Six hundred seventy-seven randomly sampled depressed patients with at least 1 primary care visit in the previous 12 months. Participants composed the baseline sample of a group randomized trial of collaborative care for depression in 10 VA primary care practices in 5 states. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 assessed MDD. Probable PTSD was defined as a Primary Care PTSD Screen > or = 3. Regression-based techniques compared MDD and MDD-PTSD+ patients on demographic/illness characteristics. Thirty-six percent of depressed patients screened positive for PTSD. Adjusting for sociodemographic differences and physical illness comorbidity, MDD-PTSD+ patients reported more severe depression (P < .001), lower social support (P < .001), more frequent outpatient health care visits (P < .001), and were more likely to report suicidal ideation (P < .001) than MDD patients. No differences were observed in alcohol consumption, self-reported general health, and physical illness comorbidity. PTSD is more common among depressed primary care patients than previously thought. Comorbid PTSD among depressed patients is associated with increased illness burden, poorer prognosis, and delayed response to depression treatment. Providers should consider recommending psychotherapeutic interventions for depressed patients with PTSD.

  6. Depression screening with patient-targeted feedback in cardiology: The cost-effectiveness of DEPSCREEN-INFO

    PubMed Central

    Kohlmann, Sebastian; Gierk, Benjamin

    2017-01-01

    Background Although depression is common in patients with heart disease, screening for depression is much debated. DEPSCREEN-INFO showed that a patient-targeted feedback in addition to screening results in lower depression level six months after screening. The purpose of this analysis was to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of DEPSCREEN-INFO. Methods Patients with coronary heart disease or arterial hypertension were included. Participants in both groups were screened for depression. Participants in the intervention group additionally received a patient-targeted feedback of their result and recommended treatment options. A cost-utility analysis using quality-adjusted life years (QALY) based on the EQ-5D was performed. The time horizon was 6 months. Resource utilization was assessed by a telephone interview. Multiple imputation using chained equations was used. Net-benefit regressions controlled for prognostic variables at baseline were performed to construct cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. Different sensitivity analyses were performed. Results 375 participants (intervention group: 155; control group: 220) were included at baseline. After 6 months, in the intervention group adjusted total costs were lower (-€2,098; SE: €1,717) and more QALY were gained (0.0067; SD: 0.0133); yet differences were not statistically significant. The probability of cost-effectiveness was around 80% independent of the willingness-to-pay (range: €0/QALY–€130,000/QALY). The results were robust. Conclusions A patient-targeted feedback in addition to depression screening in cardiology is cost-effective with a high probability. This underpins the use of the patient-targeted feedbacks and the PHQ-9 that are both freely available and easy to implement in routine care. PMID:28806775

  7. Depression and coronary heart disease: recommendations for screening, referral, and treatment: a science advisory from the American Heart Association Prevention Committee of the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing, Council on Clinical Cardiology, Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, and Interdisciplinary Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research: endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association.

    PubMed

    Lichtman, Judith H; Bigger, J Thomas; Blumenthal, James A; Frasure-Smith, Nancy; Kaufmann, Peter G; Lespérance, François; Mark, Daniel B; Sheps, David S; Taylor, C Barr; Froelicher, Erika Sivarajan

    2008-10-21

    Depression is commonly present in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and is independently associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Screening tests for depressive symptoms should be applied to identify patients who may require further assessment and treatment. This multispecialty consensus document reviews the evidence linking depression with CHD and provides recommendations for healthcare providers for the assessment, referral, and treatment of depression.

  8. Predicting future depression in adolescents using the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire: a two-nation study

    PubMed Central

    McKenzie, Dean P.; Toumbourou, John W.; Forbes, Andrew B.; Mackinnon, Andrew J.; McMorris, Barbara J.; Catalano, Richard F.; Patton, George C.

    2011-01-01

    Background Adolescence is a key life period for the development of depression. Predicting the development of depression in adolescence through detecting specific early symptoms may aid in the development of timely screening and intervention programs. Methods We administered the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) to 5,769 American and Australian students aged 10 to 15 years, at two time points, separated by 12 months. We attempted to predict high levels of depression symptoms at 12 months from symptoms at baseline, using statistical approaches based upon the quality, as well as the quantity, of depression symptoms present. These approaches included classification and regression trees (CART) and logistic regression. Results A classification tree employing four SMFQ items, such as feelings of self-hatred and of being unloved, performed almost as well as all 13 SMFQ items at predicting subsequent depression symptomatology. Limitations Depression was measured using a self-report instrument, rather than a criterion standard diagnostic interview. Conclusion Further validation on other populations of adolescents is required: however the results suggest that several symptoms of depression, especially feelings of self-hatred, and being unloved, are associated with increased levels of self-reported depression at 12 months. Although screening for depression can be problematic, symptoms such as the ones above should be considered for inclusion in screening tests for adolescents. PMID:21669461

  9. Depressive and anxiety disorders in the postpartum period: how prevalent are they and can we improve their detection?

    PubMed

    Austin, Marie-Paule V; Hadzi-Pavlovic, Dusan; Priest, Susan R; Reilly, Nicole; Wilhelm, Kay; Saint, Karen; Parker, Gordon

    2010-10-01

    The objectives of this study were: (1) to examine Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) period prevalence and comorbidity for depression and anxiety disorder in a cohort of women assessed during the first 6-8 months postpartum and (2) to examine the benefits of combining the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) with a simple "interval symptom" question to optimize screening postpartum. Women aged over 18 (N = 1,549) were assessed during late pregnancy and reviewed at approximately 2, 4, and 6-8 months postpartum using the EPDS and an "interval symptom" question. The latter asked about any depressive symptoms in the interval since the last EPDS. Women who scored >12 on the EPDS and/or positive on the "interval symptom" question were then administered the CIDI. A further 65 randomly selected women that screened negative were also administered the CIDI. Loss to postnatal follow-up was very significant, and returns rates were inconsistent across the three postnatal time points. Almost 25% of those who screened positive did not complete a CIDI. For screen-positive status, a total of 314 (24.4%) of those that returned questionnaires (N = 1,289) screened positive at least once across the 6- to 8-month interval. Of these, 79 were lost to follow-up; thus, 235 (74.8%) completed a CIDI. In this group, 34.7% had been positive both on the EPDS and the "interval" question, 15.9% on the EPDS alone, and 49.4% on the "interval" question alone. For the CIDI diagnosis and estimated 6- to 8-month period CIDI prevalence, among those 235 women who screened positive and completed a CIDI, 67.2% met the criteria for a CIDI diagnosis, as did 16.9% of those who screened negative. The breakdown in CIDI diagnoses in the 235 women was 32.8% major depression (± anxiety disorder); 26.4% minor depression alone; and 8.1% with a primary anxiety disorder (approximately half with minor depression). Put another way, 20.4% of these women had an anxiety disorder (approximately two thirds with comorbid depression) and 37.7% of women with a major depressive episode (MDE) had a comorbid anxiety disorder. The estimated 6- to 8-month prevalence rate for a CIDI diagnosis of anxiety or depression (major or minor) was 29.2% (95% CI 26.7%-31.7%). The use of the "interval symptom" question alone was 1.7 times more likely to identify positive CIDI cases than the EPDS alone. Almost 40% of postnatal women with a diagnosis of MDE have a comorbid diagnosis of anxiety disorder. The estimated 6- to 8-month period prevalence for CIDI cases of anxiety and depression was 29.2%. Screening for anxiety and depression using the EPDS alone was associated with a lesser capacity to identify CIDI caseness than a simple "interval symptom" question (for the 2 months prior) which almost doubled the yield. This paper demonstrates that combining the EPDS with the "interval symptom" question improves detection of CIDI caseness.

  10. The Arabic Mood and Feelings Questionnaire: psychometrics and validity in a clinical sample.

    PubMed

    Tavitian, Lucy; Atwi, Mia; Bawab, Soha; Hariz, Nayla; Zeinoun, Pia; Khani, Munir; Maalouf, Fadi T

    2014-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to provide clinicians in the Arab World with a child and adolescent depression screening tool. Child and parent versions of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (CMFQ and PMFQ respectively) were translated to Arabic and administered along with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to 30 children and adolescents and with mood disorders and 76 children and adolescents with other psychiatric disorders seeking treatment at a child and adolescent psychiatry clinic. DSM-IV diagnoses were generated through clinical interviews by a psychiatrist blinded to self-reports. Internal consistency for both versions was excellent with moderate inter-informant agreement and good convergent validity with the SDQ emotional symptoms subscales on the child and parent forms. The CMFQ and PMFQ significantly differentiated between currently depressed participants and those with other psychiatric disorders. CMFQ scores were a stronger predictor of categorization into depressed and non-depressed groups than the PMFQ. Two modes of cutoffs were calculated with one favoring sensitivity (a score of 26 for the CMFQ and 22 for the PMFQ) and another favoring specificity (a score of 31 for the CMFQ and 28 for the PMFQ).

  11. Marcé International Society position statement on psychosocial assessment and depression screening in perinatal women.

    PubMed

    Austin, Marie-Paule

    2014-01-01

    The position statement aims to articulate the arguments for and against universal psychosocial assessment and depression screening, and provide guidance to assist decision-making by clinicians, policy makers and health services. More specifically it: 1. Outlines the general principles and concepts involved in psychosocial assessment and depression screening; 2. Outlines the current debate regarding benefits and risks in this area of practice including the clinical benefits and the ethical, cultural and resource implications of undertaking universal psychosocial assessment in the primary health care setting; 3. Provides a document that will assist with advocacy for the development of perinatal mental health services in the primary care setting. The statement does not set out to make specific recommendations about psychosocial assessment and depression screening (as these will need to be devised locally depending on existing resources and models of care) nor does it attempt to summarise the vast evidence-base relevant to this debate. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Validity of brief screening questionnaires to detect depression in primary care in Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Hanlon, Charlotte; Medhin, Girmay; Selamu, Medhin; Breuer, Erica; Worku, Benyam; Hailemariam, Maji; Lund, Crick; Prince, Martin; Fekadu, Abebaw

    2015-11-01

    Brief depression screening questionnaires may increase detection of depression in primary care settings but there have been few validation studies carried out in typical populations in low-income countries. Cultural validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9/PHQ-2), the 20-item Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) and the Kessler scales (K6/K10) was carried out in 306 adults consecutively attending primary care facilities in small towns in Ethiopia. To assess criterion validity, the gold standard assessment for presence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) was made by Ethiopian psychiatric nurses using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The prevalence of gold standard MDD was 5.9%, with irritability more common than depressed mood or anhedonia. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve indicated good performance of the PHQ-9, SRQ-20, K6 and K10 (0.83-0.85) but only fair for the PHQ-2 (0.78). No cut-off score had acceptable sensitivity combined with adequate positive predictive value. All screening questionnaires were associated with disability and the PHQ-9 and SRQ-20 were associated with higher health service contacts, indicating convergent validity. Construct validity of all scales was indicated by unidimensionality on exploratory factor analysis. Test-retest reliability was not assessed. Brief depression screening questionnaires were found to be valid in primary care in this low-income country. However, these questionnaires do not have immediate applicability in routine clinical settings. Further studies should evaluate utility of indicated screening embedded within health system changes that support MDD detection. Investigation of irritability as a core depression symptom is warranted. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. The relationship between postpartum depression, domestic violence, childhood violence, and substance use: epidemiologic study of a large community sample.

    PubMed

    Dennis, Cindy-Lee; Vigod, Simone

    2013-04-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the contribution of interpersonal violence and substance use to the prediction of postpartum depressive symptomatology. A community-based sample of 634 women in British Columbia, Canada was screened for interpersonal violence and substance use using the Antenatal Psychosocial Health Assessment (ALPHA) form. Of these women, 497 (78%) subsequently completed questionnaires at 8 weeks postpartum to assess for depressive symptomatology using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). A predictive model for postpartum depressive symptomatology (EPDS > 9) was developed using regression analysis. Findings suggest that women who experience past or current interpersonal violence or personal or partner substance use problems should be considered for targeted screening for postpartum depression (PPD).

  14. A systematic review of yoga for major depressive disorder.

    PubMed

    Cramer, Holger; Anheyer, Dennis; Lauche, Romy; Dobos, Gustav

    2017-04-15

    The purpose of this review was to investigate the efficacy and safety of yoga interventions in treating patients with major depressive disorder. MEDLINE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were screened through December 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing yoga to inactive or active comparators in patients with major depressive disorder were eligible. Primary outcomes included remission rates and severity of depression. Anxiety and adverse events were secondary outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool. Seven RCTs with 240 participants were included. Risk of bias was unclear for most RCTs. Compared to aerobic exercise, no short- or medium-term group differences in depression severity was found. Higher short-term depression severity was found for yoga compared to electro-convulsive therapy; remission rates did not differ between groups. No short-term group differences occurred when yoga was compared to antidepressant medication. Conflicting evidence was found when yoga was compared to attention-control interventions, or when yoga as an add-on to antidepressant medication was compared to medication alone. Only two RCTs assessed adverse events and reported that no treatment-related adverse events were reported. Few RCTs with low sample size. This review found some evidence for positive effects beyond placebo and comparable effects compared to evidence-based interventions. However, methodological problems and the unclear risk-benefit ratio preclude definitive recommendations for or against yoga as an adjunct treatment for major depressive disorder. Larger and adequately powered RCTs using non-inferiority designs are needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Validity, sensitivity and specificity of the mentation, behavior and mood subscale of the UPDRS.

    PubMed

    Holroyd, Suzanne; Currie, Lillian J; Wooten, G Frederick

    2008-06-01

    The unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) is the most widely used tool to rate the severity and the stage of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mentation, behavior and mood (MBM) subscale of the UPDRS has received little investigation regarding its validity and sensitivity. Three items of this subscale were compared to criterion tests to examine validity, sensitivity and specificity. Ninety-seven patients with idiopathic PD were assessed on the UPDRS. Scores on three items of the MBM subscale, intellectual impairment, thought disorder and depression, were compared to criterion tests, the telephone interview for cognition status (TICS), psychiatric assessment for psychosis and the geriatric depression scale (GDS). Non-parametric tests of association were performed to examine concurrent validity of the MBM items. The sensitivities, specificities and optimal cutoff scores for each MBM item were estimated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The MBM items demonstrated low to moderate correlation with the criterion tests, and the sensitivity and specificity were not strong. Even using a score of 7.0 on the items of the MBM demonstrated a sensitivity/specificity of only 0.19/0.48 for intellectual impairment, 0.60/0.72 for thought disorder and 0.61/0.87 for depression. Using a more appropriate cutoff of 2.0 revealed sensitivities of 0.01, 0.38 and 0.13 respectively. The MBM subscale items of intellectual impairment, thought disorder and depression are not appropriate for screening or diagnostic purposes. Tools such as the TICS and the GDS should be considered instead.

  16. A cross-sectional study of quality of life in incident stroke survivors in rural northern Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Howitt, Suzanne C; Jones, Matthew P; Jusabani, Ahmed; Gray, William K; Aris, Eric; Mugusi, Ferdinand; Swai, Mark; Walker, Richard W

    2011-08-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate changes to, and predictors of, quality of life (QOL) in a community-based cohort of stroke survivors from an earlier stroke incidence study in rural northern Tanzania. Patients were assessed 1-5 years after their incident stroke. The study cohort was compared with an age- and sex-matched control group from the same rural district within a cross-sectional design. Patients and controls were asked a series of questions relating to their QOL [World Health Organization quality of life, abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF)], levels of anxiety and depression [hospital anxiety and depression (HAD) scale], cognitive function [community screening instrument for dementia (CSI-D) screening tool], socioeconomic status and demographic characteristics (e.g. age, sex, education and abode). Patients were further assessed for functional outcome and disability (Barthel index, modified Rankin scale), post-stroke care and psychosocial functioning. Patients (n = 58) were found to have significantly lower QOL than controls (n = 58) in all six domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. Gender, socioeconomic status, cognitive function and time elapsed since stroke were not associated with QOL. Older patients and those with more impaired motor function and disability (Barthel index, modified Rankin score) had significantly poorer physical health-related QOL. Greater anxiety and depression, reduced muscle power and less involvement in social events were significantly correlated with lower physical and psychological health-related QOL. To our knowledge, this is the first long-term study of QOL in survivors of incident stroke in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Poorer QOL was associated with greater levels of physical disability, anxiety and depression and reduced social interaction. Demographic factors appear to be much less significant. Modifying these QOL predictors could be important in planning effective post-stroke care within a stretched healthcare system.

  17. Depression following myocardial infarction--an overseen complication with prognostic importance.

    PubMed

    Larsen, Karen Kjær

    2013-08-01

    Myocardial infarction (MI) is a severe life event that is accompanied by an increased risk of depression. Mounting evidence suggests that post-MI depression is associated with adverse outcomes, but the underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear, and no previous studies have examined whether the mental burden of MI is so heavy that it increases the risk of suicide. Although post-MI depression is common and burdensome, the condition remains under-recognised and under-treated. The development of new strategies to improve the quality of care for people with post-MI depression requires thorough understanding of the mechanisms that influence the prognosis as well as knowledge of the present care provided. The purpose of this PhD thesis is accordingly subdivided into four specific aims: 1. To estimate the prevalence of depression in people with MI after three months, and to estimate the provided hospital-based psychosocial rehabilitation (Paper I); 2. To examine GPs' practice of screening for depression in people with MI, and to analyse whether the screening rate varied among subgroups of people with a particularly high risk of post-MI depression (Paper II); 3. To examine the association between post-MI depression and new cardiovascular events or death, taking potential mediators into account (Paper III); 4. To examine the association between MI and suicide (Paper IV). Two different study designs were employed: a population-based cohort study using data obtained from registers and questionnaires sent to MI patients and their GPs (Paper I-III); a nationwide population-based matched case-control study using data obtained from registers (Paper IV). Three months after having suffered MI, about one fifth of the patients in our study had depression according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Upwards of half of the patients had participated in some rehabilitation, thirty per cent had participated in psychosocial support and three per cent reported that they had been examined for depression by questionnaire during the hospital-based rehabilitation. The rate of participation in psychosocial support and examination for depression was the same for patients with or without depression at three months following MI. A good fourth of the patients' GPs stated that they had screened the patient for depression within the first year after the patient suffered an MI. Three months after the MI, the screening rate was higher among patients with a history of mental illness and among patients with anxiety or depression than among patients without these conditions. Most of the GPs who performed screening followed guidelines by asking about specific depressive symptoms. According to the HADS, depression three months after MI was associated with an increased risk of a new cardiovascular event or death. This association was partly explained by the underlying cardiac disease severity and physical inactivity, but depression remained an independent prognostic risk factor after adjusting for these potential confounders. We found a tendency towards a weaker association with increasing physical activity and among users of antidepressants. MI was strongly associated with an increased risk of suicide. This risk was particularly high immediately after the MI, but remained high for more than five years after the MI. The association between MI and suicide remained stable throughout the study period (1981-2006), although many other factors changed (e.g. suicide rate, treatment of MI). This thesis demonstrated that post-MI depression is common, under-recognized and has a strong prognostic impact. About one in five patients have depression three months after MI. Guidelines recommend screening for depression, but the guidelines have not been systematically implemented either in the hospital-based rehabilitation or in Danish general practice. In the absence of systematic screening, we found that a significant part of those who had depression were not recognized. MI increases the risk of suicide, and depression following MI impairs the overall prognosis. The thesis indicates that physical activity and antidepressants modify the adverse prognosis in patients with post-MI depression, but larger studies are needed to clarify the impact of these potential modifiers and to evaluate how they may be catered for in the treatment of post-MI patients with depression.

  18. Barriers to antenatal psychosocial assessment and depression screening in private hospital settings.

    PubMed

    Connell, Tanya; Barnett, Bryanne; Waters, Donna

    2017-10-11

    The evidence of benefit for antenatal psychosocial assessment and depression screening has been sufficient to lead the implementation of screening in public hospitals in all states of Australia. Details of the implementation of perinatal screening in private obstetric settings is less well known. As any successful implementation relies on the identification of local barriers, we aimed to determine what perceived or actual barriers may exist for the implementation of evidence-based perinatal screening interventions in private obstetric care, and specifically within small private hospitals. The integrative literature review method offers a structured systematic approach to organise, synthesize and critique research from a range of sources. This method was used to determine what barriers have been identified in implementing psychosocial assessment and depression screening with women receiving obstetric care in private hospital settings. The integrative review findings suggest that barriers to implementing psychosocial screening in the private sector are similar to those experienced in the public sector but may also be influenced by the corporate focus of private services. Barriers were identified among health professionals, within the personal and psychosocial context of women and their families, and at provider or system level. Once identified, barriers can be systematically addressed to enhance the success of implementing psychosocial and depression screening in the private sector. Screening is likely to be influenced by the business models and operating systems of private service providers. Health professionals working within this environment need more support to conduct perinatal assessment within this context. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. How Should We Screen for Depression Following a Natural Disaster? An ROC Approach to Post-Disaster Screening in Adolescents and Adults

    PubMed Central

    Cohen, Joseph R.; Adams, Zachary W.; Menon, Suvarna V.; Youngstrom, Eric A.; Bunnell, Brian E.; Acierno, Ron; Ruggiero, Kenneth J.; Danielson, Carla Kmett

    2016-01-01

    Background The present study’s aim was to provide the foundation for an efficient, empirically based protocol for depression screening following a natural disaster. Utilizing a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analytic approach, the study tested a) what specific disaster-related stressors (i.e., property damage, loss of basic services) and individual-related constructs (i.e., PTSD symptoms, trauma history, social support) conveyed the greatest risk for post-natural disaster depression, b) specific cutoff scores across these measures, and c) whether the significance or cutoff scores for each construct varied between adolescents and adults. Methods Structured phone-based clinical interviews were conducted with 2,000 adolescents who lived through a tornado and 1,543 adults who survived a hurricane. Results Findings suggested that in both adolescents and adults, individual-related constructs forecasted greater risk for depressive symptoms following a natural disaster compared to disaster-related stressors. Furthermore, trauma history and PTSD symptoms were particularly strong indicators for adolescent depressive symptoms compared to adult depressive symptoms. Adolescents and adults who reported vulnerable scores for social support, trauma history, and lifetime PTSD symptoms were approximately twice as likely to present as depressed following the natural disaster. Limitations Findings from the present study were limited to post-disaster assessments and based on self-reported functioning 6–12 months following the natural disaster. Conclusions The present study synthesizes the extensive body of research on post-disaster functioning by providing a clear framework for which questions may be most important to ask when screening for depression following a natural disaster. PMID:27259082

  20. How should we screen for depression following a natural disaster? An ROC approach to post-disaster screening in adolescents and adults.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Joseph R; Adams, Zachary W; Menon, Suvarna V; Youngstrom, Eric A; Bunnell, Brian E; Acierno, Ron; Ruggiero, Kenneth J; Danielson, Carla Kmett

    2016-09-15

    The present study's aim was to provide the foundation for an efficient, empirically based protocol for depression screening following a natural disaster. Utilizing a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analytic approach, the study tested a) what specific disaster-related stressors (i.e., property damage, loss of basic services) and individual-related constructs (i.e., PTSD symptoms, trauma history, social support) conveyed the greatest risk for post-natural disaster depression, b) specific cutoff scores across these measures, and c) whether the significance or cutoff scores for each construct varied between adolescents and adults. Structured phone-based clinical interviews were conducted with 2000 adolescents who lived through a tornado and 1543 adults who survived a hurricane. Findings suggested that in both adolescents and adults, individual-related constructs forecasted greater risk for depressive symptoms following a natural disaster compared to disaster-related stressors. Furthermore, trauma history and PTSD symptoms were particularly strong indicators for adolescent depressive symptoms compared to adult depressive symptoms. Adolescents and adults who reported vulnerable scores for social support, trauma history, and lifetime PTSD symptoms were approximately twice as likely to present as depressed following the natural disaster. Findings from the present study were limited to post-disaster assessments and based on self-reported functioning 6-12 months following the natural disaster. The present study synthesizes the extensive body of research on post-disaster functioning by providing a clear framework for which questions may be most important to ask when screening for depression following a natural disaster. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Race differences in depression vulnerability following Hurricane Katrina.

    PubMed

    Ali, Jeanelle S; Farrell, Amy S; Alexander, Adam C; Forde, David R; Stockton, Michelle; Ward, Kenneth D

    2017-05-01

    This study investigated whether racial disparities in depression were present after Hurricane Katrina. Data were gathered from 932 New Orleans residents who were present when Hurricane Katrina struck, and who returned to New Orleans the following year. Multiple logistic regression models evaluated racial differences in screening positive for depression (a score ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), and explored whether differential vulnerability (prehurricane physical and mental health functioning and education level), differential exposure to hurricane-related stressors, and loss of social support moderated and/or reduced the association of race with depression. A univariate logistic regression analysis showed the odds for screening positive for depression were 86% higher for African Americans than for Caucasians (odds ratio [OR] = 1.86 [1.28-2.71], p = .0012). However, after controlling simultaneously for sociodemographic characteristics, preexisting vulnerabilities, social support, and trauma-specific factors, race was no longer a significant correlate for screening positive for depression (OR = 1.54 [0.95-2.48], p = .0771). The racial disparity in postdisaster depression seems to be confounded by sociodemographic characteristics, preexisting vulnerabilities, social support, and trauma-specific factors. Nonetheless, even after adjusting for these factors, there was a nonsignificant trend effect for race, which could suggest race played an important role in depression outcomes following Hurricane Katrina. Future studies should examine these associations prospectively, using stronger assessments for depression, and incorporate measures for discrimination and segregation, to further understand possible racial disparities in depression after Hurricane Katrina. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Race Differences in Depression Vulnerability Following Hurricane Katrina

    PubMed Central

    Ali, Jeanelle S.; Farrell, Amy S.; Alexander, Adam C.; Forde, David R.; Stockton, Michelle; Ward, Kenneth D.

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE This study investigated whether racial disparities in depression were present after Hurricane Katrina. METHOD Data were gathered from 932 New Orleans residents who were present when Hurricane Katrina struck, and who returned to New Orleans the following year. Multiple logistic regression models evaluated racial differences in screening positive for depression (a score ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale), and explored whether differential vulnerability (pre-hurricane physical and mental health functioning and education level), differential exposure to hurricane-related stressors, and loss of social support moderated and/or reduced the association of race with depression. RESULTS A univariate logistic regression analysis showed the odds for screening positive for depression were 86% higher for African Americans than for Caucasians (OR=1.86 [1.28–2.71], p=.0012). However, after controlling simultaneously for sociodemographic characteristics, preexisting vulnerabilities, social support, and trauma-specific factors, race was no longer a significant correlate for screening positive for depression (OR=1.54 [0.95–2.48], p=.0771). CONCLUSIONS The racial disparity in post disaster depression seems to be confounded by sociodemographic characteristics, preexisting vulnerabilities, social support, and trauma-specific factors. Nonetheless, even after adjusting for these factors, there was a non-significant trend effect for race, which could suggest race played an important role in depression outcomes following Hurricane Katrina. Future studies should examine these associations prospectively, using stronger assessments for depression, and incorporate measures for discrimination and segregation, to further understand possible racial disparities in depression after Hurricane Katrina. PMID:27869461

  3. How patients understand depression associated with chronic physical disease – a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Clinicians are encouraged to screen people with chronic physical illness for depression. Screening alone may not improve outcomes, especially if the process is incompatible with patient beliefs. The aim of this research is to understand people’s beliefs about depression, particularly in the presence of chronic physical disease. Methods A mixed method systematic review involving a thematic analysis of qualitative studies and quantitative studies of beliefs held by people with current depressive symptoms. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PSYCHINFO, CINAHL, BIOSIS, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, UKCRN portfolio, National Research Register Archive, Clinicaltrials.gov and OpenSIGLE were searched from database inception to 31st December 2010. A narrative synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data, based initially upon illness representations and extended to include other themes not compatible with that framework. Results A range of clinically relevant beliefs was identified from 65 studies including the difficulty in labeling depression, complex causal factors instead of the biological model, the roles of different treatments and negative views about the consequences of depression. We found other important themes less related to ideas about illness: the existence of a self-sustaining ‘depression spiral’; depression as an existential state; the ambiguous status of suicidal thinking; and the role of stigma and blame in depression. Conclusions Approaches to detection of depression in physical illness need to be receptive to the range of beliefs held by patients. Patient beliefs have implications for engagement with depression screening. PMID:22640234

  4. The associations between sedentary behaviour and mental health among adolescents: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Hoare, Erin; Milton, Karen; Foster, Charlie; Allender, Steven

    2016-10-08

    With technological developments and modernised sedentary lifestyles has come an increase in diseases associated with inactivity such as obesity and other non-communicable diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that time spent sedentary may also interact with mental health. This systematic review examined the associations between sedentary behaviour and mental health problems among adolescents. This systematic review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, and applied a quality assessment tool for quantitative studies to identity best available evidence. Following stringent search strategy of the databases; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Global Health, Health Source: Nursing and Academic Edition, MEDLINE, PsychARTICLES and PsycINFO, we identified 32 articles eligible for review. All studies reported leisure screen time among adolescents, and two thirds of identified studies examined depressive symptomatology. Other mental health measures were; anxiety symptoms, self-esteem, suicide ideation, loneliness, stress, and psychological distress. Strong consistent evidence was found for the relationship between both depressive symptomatology and psychological distress, and time spent using screens for leisure. Moderate evidence supported the relationship between low self-esteem and screen use. Poorer mental health status was found among adolescents using screen time more than 2-3 h per day, and gender differences exist. Essential information was missing for quality of evidence including heterogeneity in mental health and screen time-based measures, and self-report data collection methods. The findings are of particular significance given the global public health concern of lifestyle-attributed diseases and the possibility for novel approaches to mental health. Future research should examine the psychological impact of reducing time spent using screens for leisure among adolescents, whilst accounting for possible confounding factors such as physical activity and dietary behaviours. It is critical that the reciprocal relationship between lifestyle behaviours and mental health is represented in both the psychiatric and public health forum.

  5. HIV and Cognitive Impairment in Clinical Practice: The Evaluation of a Stepwise Screening Protocol in Relation to Clinical Outcomes and Management.

    PubMed

    Hakkers, Charlotte S; Kraaijenhof, Jordan M; van Oers-Hazelzet, Esther B; Visser-Meily, Anne J M A; Hoepelman, Andy I M; Arends, Joop E; Barth, Roos E

    2017-09-01

    Neurocognitive impairment (NCI) is an increasingly important comorbidity in an ageing HIV+ population. Despite the lack of available treatment modalities, screening for NCI is recommended. In the UMC Utrecht, yearly NCI screening is done using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tool and the HIV Dementia Scale (HDS). The aim of this study was to evaluate this screening protocol in relation to clinical outcomes and management. A retrospective cohort study was performed in suppressed adult HIV+ patients. Apart from the MoCa and the HDS, the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation (USER-P) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were performed. Patients scoring below average on cognitive screening tests or with subjective cognitive complaints were further evaluated using a standardized protocol, including optimizing cART and checking for somatic disorders. In patients with cognitive complaints and participation restrictions, cognitive rehabilitation was proposed. Two hundred eighty-six patients were screened. The vast majority were MSM with an average age of 49 years. One hundred forty-four out of 286 patients (50%) had an abnormal test score and/or had subjective cognitive complaints. Restrictions in participation were present in 23% of patients. Six patients on Efavirenz switched their regimes, as this drug is known for its potential central nervous system (CNS) side effects. A depressive component was present in 58 patients (40%). Five patients had a clinical relevant laboratory abnormality. Moreover, six patients were referred for cognitive rehabilitation, which resulted in a 100% success rate in set goals in the five evaluable patients. Although the protocol was not fully adhered to in all patients, it did result in detectable underlying causes of NCI in 59% of patients, and 21% was referred for further treatment. Moreover, cognitive rehabilitation appears to be a very successful intervention for patients with NCI who experience subjective complaints and participation restrictions.

  6. Mismatch of desired versus perceived social support and associated levels of anxiety and depression in newly diagnosed cancer patients.

    PubMed

    Linden, Wolfgang; Vodermaier, Andrea

    2012-07-01

    Perceived social support serves as a buffer against stress in cancer patients as well as in the healthy. However, not all individuals low in support necessarily want more support. We, therefore, tested a match-mismatch model (low versus high perceived support relative to low versus high desired support) with regard to its association with emotional distress. Participants included two large samples of n = 576 consecutively recruited, newly diagnosed cancer patients and n = 383 healthy controls. The hypothesized interaction effects of perceived and desired support and its impact on anxiety and depressive symptoms were tested via hierarchical linear regression. Perceived social support and desire for support were orthogonal in cancer patients (r = -0.03, p = 0.56). In accordance with the match-mismatch model, only those cancer patients with a high desire for support but who perceived low support exceeded cut-offs suggestive of anxiety and/or depressive disorder, whereas the other patient groups did not show clinical symptoms. Results for healthy controls were weaker. The findings support the hypothesized match-mismatch model suggesting that lack of social support is only associated with emotional distress when patients desire more support than they actually perceive as having. Perceived as well as desired social support are, therefore, relevant and non-overlapping constructs to be included in screening tools for emotional distress in order to heighten the utility of screening as a decision aid to guide psycho-oncological follow-up.

  7. Exploring Trajectories and Predictors of Depressive Symptoms Among Young Couples During Their Transition to Parenthood.

    PubMed

    Sipsma, Heather L; Callands, Tamora; Desrosiers, Alethea; Magriples, Urania; Jones, Krista; Albritton, Tashuna; Kershaw, Trace

    2016-11-01

    Objectives Young parents may be particularly vulnerable to poor mental health during the postpartum period. Little research exists, however, to adequately describe trajectories of depressive symptoms during their transition to parenthood, particularly among young fathers. Therefore, we aim to explore trajectories of depressive symptoms from pregnancy through 1 year postpartum among young expectant mothers and their partners. Methods Data are derived from a longitudinal cohort of pregnant adolescent females (ages 14-21; n = 220) and their male partners (n = 190). Multilevel regression models examined the impact of time on depressive symptoms, and generalized linear regression models examined predictors of experiencing elevated depressive symptoms. Results Depressive symptoms significantly decreased from pregnancy through 1 year postpartum among young females. Overall, depressive symptoms did not significantly change over time among young males. Predictors of elevated depressive symptoms common across genders included social support and relationship satisfaction. Marijuana use resulted in almost twice the odds of experiencing elevated depressive symptoms among young fathers (OR 1.82; 95 % CI 1.04, 3.20). Conclusion for Practice Providing strategies for strengthening social support networks among young parents may be an effective way to improve mental health among young parents, particularly during this period of potential social isolation. Additionally, providing tools to strengthen relationships between partners may also be effective for both young mothers and fathers. Substance use may be a marker for depressive symptoms among young fathers and thus screening for substance use could be important to improving their mental health. Future research is needed to better understand how IPV affects mental health, particularly among young fathers.

  8. Screening for major depressive episodes in Japanese patients with epilepsy: validation and translation of the Japanese version of Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E).

    PubMed

    Tadokoro, Yukari; Oshima, Tomohiro; Fukuchi, Toshihiko; Kanner, Andres M; Kanemoto, Kousuke

    2012-09-01

    We validated and translated into Japanese the English version of the screening instrument Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) to identify major depressive episodes in patients with epilepsy. A total of 159 Japanese subjects with epilepsy underwent a psychiatric structured interview with the Japanese version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.-J) followed by completion of the Japanese version of NDDI-E (NDDI-E-J). Twelve participants met the M.I.N.I.-J criteria of current major depressive episode. Participants had no difficulties completing the NDDI-E-J. Its Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.83 and a cut-off score greater than 16 provided a sensitivity of 0.92, a specificity of 0.89, and a negative predictive value of 0.99. The NDDI-E-J appears to be useful for primary care clinicians to screen for major depressive episodes in epilepsy patients. Routine use of this brief and self-administered instrument in busy clinical settings will likely improve management of depression in Japanese individuals with epilepsy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. How well does the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale identify depression and anxiety in fathers? A validation study in a population based Swedish sample.

    PubMed

    Massoudi, Pamela; Hwang, C Philip; Wickberg, Birgitta

    2013-07-01

    Fathers are increasingly involved in infant care, and depression in postnatal fathers as well as mothers may have negative effects on child development and behaviour. The EPDS has been validated to identify depression in new mothers, but few validation studies have involved fathers and there is doubt as to whether the EPDS measures the same constructs in men as in women. A population-based sample of 1014 couples were sent the EPDS and the HAD-A subscale 3 months postnatally. All high-scoring fathers and a random sample of fathers scoring low were invited for a diagnostic interview to assess the presence of any depression or anxiety disorder. A factor analysis of the EPDS data was conducted for mothers and fathers. A factor analysis of the EPDS data revealed a different factor structure for fathers, implying that the scale picks up more worry, anxiety and unhappiness than depression. The EPDS yields high sensitivity and specificity, but low positive predictive value when screening for probable major depression at the optimal cut-off score of 12 or more. The accuracy of the EPDS, however, is modest for minor depression, and low for anxiety disorders. Neither the EPDS-3A score nor the HAD-A subscale reached acceptable validity in this study. The EPDS seems to pick up more distress than pure depression in new fathers. It is a valid instrument for screening for probable major depression, but it is questionable if it should be used to screen for minor depression. Neither the EPDS nor the HAD-A subscale can be recommended for screening for anxiety in postnatal fathers. Confidence intervals around the estimates are wide and the interviewed fathers were selected preferentially. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Elevated risk of adverse obstetric outcomes in pregnant women with depression.

    PubMed

    Kim, Deborah R; Sockol, Laura E; Sammel, Mary D; Kelly, Caroline; Moseley, Marian; Epperson, C Neill

    2013-12-01

    In this study, we evaluated the association between prenatal depression symptoms adverse birth outcomes in African-American women. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 261 pregnant African-American women who were screened with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at their initial prenatal visit. Medical records were reviewed to assess pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, specifically preeclampsia, preterm birth, intrauterine growth retardation, and low birth weight. Using multivariable logistic regression models, an EPDS score ≥10 was associated with increased risk for preeclampsia, preterm birth, and low birth weight. An EPDS score ≥10 was associated with increased risk for intrauterine growth retardation, but after controlling for behavioral risk factors, this association was no longer significant. Patients who screen positive for depression symptoms during pregnancy are at increased risk for multiple adverse birth outcomes. In a positive, patient-rated depression screening at the initial obstetrics visit, depression is associated with increased risk for multiple adverse birth outcomes. Given the retrospective study design and small sample size, these findings should be confirmed in a prospective cohort study.

  11. Going direct to the consumer: Examining treatment preferences for veterans with insomnia, PTSD, and depression.

    PubMed

    Gutner, Cassidy A; Pedersen, Eric R; Drummond, Sean P A

    2018-05-01

    Inclusion of consumer preferences to disseminate evidence-based psychosocial treatment (EBPT) is crucial to effectively bridge the science-to-practice quality chasm. We examined this treatment gap for insomnia, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and comorbid symptoms in a sample of 622 young adult veterans through preference in symptom focus, treatment modality, and related gender differences among those screening positive for each problem. Data were collected from veteran drinkers recruited through targeted Facebook advertisements as part of a brief online alcohol intervention. Analyses demonstrated that veterans reported greater willingness to seek insomnia-focused treatment over PTSD- or depression-focused care. Notably, even when participants screened negative for insomnia, they preferred sleep-focused care to PTSD- or depression-focused care. Although one in five veterans with a positive screen would not consider care, veterans screening for both insomnia and PTSD who would consider care had a preference for in-person counseling, and those screening for both insomnia and depression had similar preferences for in-person and mobile app-based/computer self-help treatment. Marginal gender differences were found. Incorporating direct-to-consumer methods into research can help educate stakeholders about methods to expand EBPT access. Though traditional in-person counseling was often preferred, openness to app-based/computer interventions offers alternative methods to provide veterans with EBPTs. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Evaluation of a depression screening and treatment program in primary care for patients with diabetes mellitus: insights and future directions.

    PubMed

    Palmer, Carrie; Vorderstrasse, Allison; Weil, Amy; Colford, Cristin; Dolan-Soto, Diane

    2015-03-01

    To evaluate a collaborative depression care program by assessing adherence to the program by internal medicine clinic (IMC) staff, and the program's effectiveness in treating depression in patients with diabetes mellitus. We also describe the rate of depression among patients with diabetes in the IMC. Data for this program were obtained from a de-identified disease registry and included 1312 outpatient IMC visits in adult patients with diabetes between March 2011 and September 2011. Collaborative depression care results in high rates of screening for and identification of depression, high rates of antidepressant utilization, and improved depression scores; however, more focused interventions are needed to improve diabetes outcomes in patients with depression and diabetes. The results indicate that the multidisciplinary IMC staff can work together with patients to identify and monitor depression within primary care. This study provides valuable information about models of depression care that can be implemented and evaluated in a clinical setting. ©2014 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

  13. Prevalence and Recognition of Depressive Disorder in Three Medical Outpatient Departments of General Hospitals in Beijing, China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Chang; Liu, Meiyan; Jiang, Ronghuan; Ma, Hong; Wu, Xiamin; Luan, Shuxin; He, Yanling; Wei, Jing; Bai, Wenpei

    2016-07-01

    This purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence and recognition of depressive disorders in cardiology, gastroenterology, and neurology outpatient departments of general hospitals. Patients screened with a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score of 8 or higher were interviewed by psychiatrists using Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Prevalence of depressive disorders within the cohort was determined, sociodemographic data were analyzed for correlations to a depression diagnosis, and comparisons between the surveys and the clinical diagnosis were done to assess recognition of depressive disorders by physicians. Of the patients screened for this study (1552 cases), 12.8% were diagnosed with depressive disorders by MINI, with major depressive disorder, depression due to general medical conditions, and dysthymia having prevalence values of 10.8%, 1.4%, and 0.6%, respectively. As compared with MINI, physicians only recognized 27.6% of any of the depressive disorders. Among the complaints examined, both mood problems and sleeping problems predicted the probability of recognition.

  14. Usefulness of the Spanish version of the mood disorder questionnaire for screening bipolar disorder in routine clinical practice in outpatients with major depression

    PubMed Central

    2008-01-01

    Background According to some studies, almost 40% of depressive patients – half of them previously undetected – are diagnosed of bipolar II disorder when systematically assessed for hypomania. Thus, instruments for bipolar disorder screening are needed. The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) is a self-reported questionnaire validated in Spanish in stable patients with a previously known diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate in the daily clinical practice the usefulness of the Spanish version of the MDQ in depressive patients. Methods Patients (n = 87) meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for a major depressive episode, not previously known as bipolar were included. The affective module of the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID) was used as gold standard. Results MDQ screened 24.1% of depressive patients as bipolar, vs. 12.6% according to SCID. For a cut-off point score of 7 positive answers, sensitivity was 72.7% (95% CI = 63.3 – 82.1) and specificity 82.9% (95% CI = 74.9–90.9). Likelihood ratio of positive and negative tests were 4,252 y 0,329 respectively. Limitations The small sample size reduced the power of the study to 62%. Conclusion Sensitivity and specificity of the MDQ were high for screening bipolar disorder in patients with major depression, and similar to the figures obtained in stable patients. This study confirms that MDQ is a useful instrument in the daily clinical assessment of depressive patients. PMID:18498637

  15. Development and psychometric properties of the Suicidality of Adolescent Screening Scale (SASS) using Multidimensional Item Response Theory.

    PubMed

    Sukhawaha, Supattra; Arunpongpaisal, Suwanna; Hurst, Cameron

    2016-09-30

    Suicide prevention in adolescents by early detection using screening tools to identify high suicidal risk is a priority. Our objective was to build a multidimensional scale namely "Suicidality of Adolescent Screening Scale (SASS)" to identify adolescents at risk of suicide. An initial pool of items was developed by using in-depth interview, focus groups and a literature review. Initially, 77 items were administered to 307 adolescents and analyzed using the exploratory Multidimensional Item Response Theory (MIRT) to remove unnecessary items. A subsequent exploratory factor analysis revealed 35 items that collected into 4 factors: Stressors, Pessimism, Suicidality and Depression. To confirm this structure, a new sample of 450 adolescents were collected and confirmatory MIRT factor analysis was performed. The resulting scale was shown to be both construct valid and able to discriminate well between adolescents that had, and hadn't previous attempted suicide. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Web-based education for postpartum depression: conceptual development and impact.

    PubMed

    Wisner, Katherine L; Logsdon, M Cynthia; Shanahan, Brian R

    2008-12-01

    Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major public health problem that occurs in one of every seven women in the first 3 months after birth. Left untreated, PPD can persist for months to years and lead to adverse consequences for both mother and child. Primary care providers have the most medical contact with postpartum women and are well positioned to screen for and identify PPD. However, PPD recognition and treatment is generally not included in physician training, and few continuing education programs on PPD are available. Developed with support from NIMH SBIR contract (# HHSN278200554096C), the Web site MedEdPPD was designed to provide professionals with the tools to successfully engage, screen, diagnose, treat, and refer women with PPD. Resources on the site include CME/CE modules; interactive case studies; classic papers and current literature; provider tools; a comprehensive slide library; events calendar; and resources. MedEdPPD also contains materials for women with PPD, their friends and family members. As of March 2008, the site had over 17,000 visitors who represented both consumers and a broad distribution of health care professional disciplines. The nine CME/CE learning modules on MedEdPPD have been particularly heavily utilized by nurses. The number of repeat and new visitors has increased steadily since the site's launch. User feedback has been consistently positive. Based upon theories of adult education, MedEdPPD offers diverse strategies to facilitate learning. The site promotes education and training in PPD treatment that is flexible, cost-effective, and meets the needs of health care professionals.

  17. Features of electrocardiogram in patients with stenosis of the proximal right coronary artery

    PubMed Central

    Koh, Moo Seong; Lee, Jae Hoon; Jeong, Jin Woo; Chung, Jun Young

    2017-01-01

    Background/Aims Prediction of lesions of the proximal right coronary artery (pRCA) through electrocardiogram (ECG) is very important because pRCA occlusion has many complications and a high mortality rate, which has frequently been related with right ventricular infarction. The purpose of this study was to devise a screening tool that takes into account multiple leads from a 12-lead ECG to predict the pRCA lesion. Methods A hundred and fifty-eight patients who were diagnosed as acute coronary syndrome and had a pure lesion of RCA or left circumf lex artery (LCX) by ECGs and angiographic findings were enrolled retrospectively. Forty-eight patients with a pure pRCA occlusion were compared to a control group of 110 patients who were diagnosed as having either a pure mid to distal RCA lesion (57 patients) or a pure LCX lesion (53 patients). Results ECGs of patients in the pRCA group showed more prominent ST depression in lead I (p = 0.001) and ST elevation in V1 (p = 0.002) than in the control group. The combination of ST depression (≤ 0 mm) in I and ST elevation (> 0.5 mm) in V1 was the best diagnostic tool (area under the curve, 0.84). Conclusions ST changes in leads V1 and I allow more accurate prediction of pRCA occlusion than other criteria, such as the difference between ST elevation of leads II and III or vector direction and amplitude. These variables could help to screen for right ventricular infarction before performing reverse ECG and predicting prognosis. PMID:28190326

  18. Features of electrocardiogram in patients with stenosis of the proximal right coronary artery.

    PubMed

    Koh, Moo Seong; Lee, Jae Hoon; Jeong, Jin Woo; Chung, Jun Young

    2017-03-01

    Prediction of lesions of the proximal right coronary artery (pRCA) through electrocardiogram (ECG) is very important because pRCA occlusion has many complications and a high mortality rate, which has frequently been related with right ventricular infarction. The purpose of this study was to devise a screening tool that takes into account multiple leads from a 12-lead ECG to predict the pRCA lesion. A hundred and fifty-eight patients who were diagnosed as acute coronary syndrome and had a pure lesion of RCA or left circumf lex artery (LCX) by ECGs and angiographic findings were enrolled retrospectively. Forty-eight patients with a pure pRCA occlusion were compared to a control group of 110 patients who were diagnosed as having either a pure mid to distal RCA lesion (57 patients) or a pure LCX lesion (53 patients). ECGs of patients in the pRCA group showed more prominent ST depression in lead I ( p = 0.001) and ST elevation in V1 ( p = 0.002) than in the control group. The combination of ST depression (≤ 0 mm) in I and ST elevation (> 0.5 mm) in V1 was the best diagnostic tool (area under the curve, 0.84). ST changes in leads V1 and I allow more accurate prediction of pRCA occlusion than other criteria, such as the difference between ST elevation of leads II and III or vector direction and amplitude. These variables could help to screen for right ventricular infarction before performing reverse ECG and predicting prognosis.

  19. Positive postpartum depression screening practices and subsequent mental health treatment for low-income women in Western countries: a systematic literature review.

    PubMed

    Hansotte, Elinor; Payne, Shirley I; Babich, Suzanne M

    2017-01-01

    Left undiagnosed and/or untreated, the short-and long-term sequelae of postpartum depression may negatively impact both mother and child. In Western countries, access to mental health care is influenced by socioeconomic factors. The objective of this systematic literature review is to compile factors that hinder and improve access to postpartum depression treatment in low-income women after a positive screen for postpartum depression. The key question of focus is: what are the characteristics associated with access to mental health treatment for low-income women with a positive postpartum depression screen in Western countries? A PRISMA-based systematic literature review was conducted of studies published in English before February 2016 that looked at treatment for postpartum depression in low-income women who had been identified with the condition. PubMed and EBSCO databases were searched using MESH and key terms and found 100 articles that met the selection criteria. After review by two independent researchers, 18 studies with 17 unique populations were included in the literature review. Two independent abstractors searched the included articles for themes surrounding impediments and advantages for low-income women identified with postpartum depression in obtaining mental health treatment. Characteristics of successful mental health treatment included studies that employed the use of a home visitor and those that separated outcomes for women with previous mental health treatment. Themes that emerged as treatment obstacles included cultural barriers, physical barriers, systemic health care barriers, and social barriers. This review will help to better inform screening and treatment priorities for those in the medical field who may encounter women experiencing postpartum depression and are not aware of the various barriers to care specific to low-income women. This review will also help policymakers identify specific obstacles that are not addressed in postpartum screening mandate policies which can affect the implementation of these policies.

  20. Formative evaluation of practice changes for managing depression within a Shared Care model in primary care.

    PubMed

    Beaulac, Julie; Edwards, Jeanette; Steele, Angus

    2017-01-01

    Aim To investigate the implementation and initial impact of the Physician Integrated Network (PIN) mental health indicators, which are specific to screening and managing follow-up for depression, in three primary care practices with Shared Mental Health Care in Manitoba. Manitoba Health undertook a primary care renewal initiative in 2006 called the PIN, which included the development of mental health indicators specific to screening and managing follow-up for depression. These indicators were implemented in three PIN group practice sites in Manitoba, which are also part of Shared Mental Health Care. The design was a non-experimental longitudinal design. A formative evaluation investigated the implementation and initial impact of the mental health indicators using mixed methods (document review, survey, and interview). Quantitative data was explored using descriptive and comparative statistics and a content and theme analysis of the qualitative interviews was conducted. Survey responses were received from 32 out of 36 physicians from the three sites. Interviews were conducted with 15 providers. Findings This evaluation illustrated providers' perceived attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviours related to recognizing and treating depression and expanded our understanding of primary care processes related to managing depression related to the implementation of a new initiative. Depression is viewed as an important problem in primary care practice that is time consuming to diagnose, manage and treat and requires further investigation. Implementation of the PIN mental health indicators was variable across sites and providers. There was an increase in use of the indicators across time and a general sentiment that benefits of screening outweigh the costs; however, the benefit of screening for depression remains unclear. Consistent with current guidelines, a question the findings of this evaluation suggests is whether there are more effective ways of having an impact on depression within primary care than screening.

  1. Depression and Anxiety Screens as Predictors of 8-Year Incidence of Myocardial Infarction and Stroke in Primary Care Patients.

    PubMed

    Stewart, Jesse C; Hawkins, Misty A W; Khambaty, Tasneem; Perkins, Anthony J; Callahan, Christopher M

    2016-06-01

    Because depression and anxiety are typically studied in isolation, our purpose was to examine the relative importance of these overlapping emotional factors in predicting incident cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined depression and anxiety screens, and their individual items, as predictors of incident hard CVD events, myocardial infarction, and stroke for 8 years in a diverse sample of 2041 older primary care patients initially free of CVD. At baseline, participants completed self-report depression and anxiety screens. Data regarding CVD events were obtained from an electronic medical record system and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services analytic files. During follow-up, 683 (33%) experienced a CVD event. Cox proportional hazards models-adjusted for demographic and CVD risk factors-revealed that a positive anxiety screen, but not a positive depression screen, was associated with an increased risk of a hard CVD event in separate models (Years 0-3: anxiety hazard ratio [HR] = 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21-1.96, p < .001; Years 3+: anxiety HR = 0.99, CI = 0.81-1.21), p = .93; depression HR = 1.10, CI = 0.88-1.36, p = .41), as well as when entered into the same model (Years 0-3: anxiety HR = 1.53, CI = 1.20-1.95, p < .001; Years 3+: anxiety HR = 0.99, CI = 0.80-1.21, p = .99; depression HR = 1.03, CI = 0.82-1.29, p = .82). Analyses examining individual items and secondary outcomes showed that the anxiety-CVD association was largely driven by the feeling anxious item and the myocardial infarction outcome. Anxiety, especially feeling anxious, is a unique risk factor for CVD events in older adults, independent of conventional risk factors and depression. Anxiety deserves increased attention as a potential factor relevant to CVD risk stratification and a potential target of CVD primary prevention efforts.

  2. Challenges and opportunities for preventing depression in the workplace: a review of the evidence supporting workplace factors and interventions.

    PubMed

    Couser, Gregory P

    2008-04-01

    To explore the literature regarding prevention of depression in the workplace. Literature review of what the author believes are seminal articles highlighting workplace factors and interventions in preventing depression in the workplace. Employees can help prevent depression by building protective factors such as better coping and stress management skills. Employees may be candidates for depression screening if they have certain risk factors such as performance concerns. Organizational interventions such as improving mental health literacy and focusing on work-life balance may help prevent depression in the workplace but deserve further study. A strategy to prevent depression in the workplace can include developing individual resilience, screening high-risk individuals and reducing that risk, improving organizational literacy, and integrating workplace and health care systems to allow access to proactive quality interventions.

  3. Association between depression in carers and malnutrition in children aged 6 months to 5 years

    PubMed Central

    Ganiyu, Adewale B.; Firth, Jacqueline A.

    2017-01-01

    Background Childhood malnutrition is an important risk factor for child mortality and underlies close to 50% of child deaths worldwide. Previous studies have found an association between maternal depression and child malnutrition, but it is not known whether this association exists in Botswana. In addition, previous studies excluded non-maternal primary caregivers (PCGs). It is unclear whether the association between primary caregiver depression and child malnutrition remains when non-maternal PCGs are included. Aim The aim of this study was to determine if there is an association between PCG depression and malnutrition in children aged between 6 months and 5 years in Mahalapye, Botswana. Setting The study was conducted in the child welfare clinics of Xhosa and Airstrip clinics, two primary health care facilities in Mahalapye, Botswana. Methods This was a case control study. Cases were malnourished children aged between 6 months and 5 years, and controls were non-malnourished children matched for age and gender. The outcome of interest was depression in the PCGs of the cases and controls, which was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ 9), a depression screening tool. Results From a sample of 171 children, 84 of whom were malnourished, we found that the malnourished children were significantly more likely to have depressed PCGs (odds ratio = 4.33; 95% CI: 1.89, 9.89) than non-malnourished children in the 6-month to 5-year age group; the PCGs of malnourished children also had lower educational status. Conclusion This study found a significant association between PCG depression and child malnutrition. PMID:28155288

  4. Shared genetic factors underlie migraine and depression

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Yuanhao; Zhao, Huiying; Heath, Andrew C; Madden, Pamela AF; Martin, Nicholas G; Nyholt, Dale R

    2017-01-01

    Migraine frequently co-occurs with depression. Using a large sample of Australian twin pairs, we aimed to characterise the extent to which shared genetic factors underlie these two disorders. Migraine was classified using three diagnostic measures, including self-reported migraine, the ID migraine™ screening tool, or migraine without aura (MO) and migraine with aura (MA) based on International Headache Society (IHS) diagnostic criteria. Major depressive disorder (MDD) and minor depressive disorder (MiDD) were classified using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria. Univariate and bivariate twin models, with and without sex-limitation, were constructed to estimate the univariate and bivariate variance components and genetic correlation for migraine and depression. The univariate heritability of broad migraine (self-reported, ID migraine or IHS MO/MA) and broad depression (MiDD or MDD) was estimated at 56% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 53–60%) and 42% (95% CI: 37–46%), respectively. A significant additive genetic correlation (rG=0.36, 95% CI: 0.29–0.43) and bivariate heritability (h2=5.5%, 95% CI: 3.6–7.8%) was observed between broad migraine and depression using the bivariate Cholesky model. Notably, both the bivariate h2 (13.3%, 95% CI: 7.0–24.5%) and rG (0.51, 95% CI: 0.37–0.69) estimates significantly increased when analysing the more narrow clinically-accepted diagnoses of IHS MO/MA and MDD. Our results indicate that for both broad and narrow definitions, the observed comorbidity between migraine and depression can be explained almost entirely by shared underlying genetically determined disease mechanisms. PMID:27302564

  5. Online versus paper-based screening for depression and anxiety in adults with cystic fibrosis in Ireland: a cross-sectional exploratory study.

    PubMed

    Cronly, Jennifer; Duff, Alistair J; Riekert, Kristin A; Perry, Ivan J; Fitzgerald, Anthony P; Horgan, Aine; Lehane, Elaine; Howe, Barbara; Ni Chroinin, Muireann; Savage, Eileen

    2018-01-21

    To compare online and paper-based screening for depression and anxiety in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). Cross-sectional study in CF clinics in Ireland and through the Cystic Fibrosis Ireland online community. 160 adult patients aged 18 or above were recruited. Of these, 147 were included in the analysis; 83 online and 64 paper-based. The remaining 13 were excluded because of incomplete data. Depression and anxiety were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Data on pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in 1 s %) and body mass index were self-reported based on clinical assessments. Sociodemographic data were collected. Compared with the paper-based participants, the online participants were more likely to be female (61.7% vs 48.4%), older (mean 32.2 vs 28.2 years) and were more likely to be married (32.5% vs 15.6%), living with their spouse or partner (42.5% vs 22.6%) and working either full time (33.7% vs 15.9%) or part time (30.1%vs 17.5%). The prevalence rates of elevated anxiety and depression were not significantly different (P=0.71 and P=0.56). HADS anxiety and depression scores were not statistically different between online (P=0.83) and paper-based (P=0.92) participants based on Mann-Whitney U test. A significant negative correlation was found between depression and pulmonary function (r=-0.39, P=0.01) and anxiety and pulmonary function (r=-0.36, P=0.02). Based on Cronbach's alpha, there were no statistically significant differences between the online and paper-based participants on the internal consistency of the HADS anxiety (P=0.073) and depression (P=0.378) scales. Our findings suggest that online and paper-based screening for depression and anxiety in adult patients with CF yield comparable findings on prevalence rates and scores, associations with health and internal consistency of subscales. This study highlights that online screening offers an alternative method to paper-based screening. Further research with a larger sample and assessment of measurement equivalence between online and paper based screening is needed to confirm our results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  6. The Swedish validation of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) during pregnancy.

    PubMed

    Rubertsson, Christine; Börjesson, Karin; Berglund, Anna; Josefsson, Ann; Sydsjö, Gunilla

    2011-12-01

    Around 10-15% of women suffer from depressive illness during pregnancy or the first year postpartum. Depression during pregnancy constitutes a risk for prenatal stress and preterm birth. No validated screening instrument for detecting depression during pregnancy was available in Swedish. We aimed to validate the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) against DSM-IV criteria for depression during pregnancy, establish a reliable cut-off and estimate the correlation between the EPDS and HAD-S (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). In a population-based community sample of 1175 pregnant women, 918 women (78%) answered questionnaires with the EPDS and HAD-S. In all, 121 were interviewed using the PRIME-MD (Primary Care Evaluation of Mental disorders) for diagnosing depression. Women were interviewed in mean gestational week 13 (range 8-21). For the EPDS, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated for prediction of depression. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to investigate the association between EPDS and HAD-S scores. The optimal cut-off score on the EPDS scale for detecting depression was ≥13 (standard error coefficient of 1.09 and c-statistics of 0.84) giving a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 94%. The EPDS scores correlated strongly with the HAD-S, Pearson's correlation was 0.83 (P < 0.0001). This study confirms that the EPDS is a valid screening instrument for detection of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. The EPDS shows persuasive measuring outcomes with an optimal cut-off at ≥13. Healthcare for pregnant women should consider screening procedures and follow-up routines for depressive symptoms.

  7. Identification of pseudobulbar affect symptoms in Veterans with possible traumatic brain injury.

    PubMed

    Fonda, Jennifer R; Hunt, Phillip R; McGlinchey, Regina E; Rudolph, James L; Milberg, William P; Reynolds, Matthew W; Yonan, Charles

    2015-01-01

    Pseudobulbar affect (PBA), a neurological syndrome characterized primarily by involuntary episodes of laughing and crying, can develop secondary to neurological conditions including traumatic brain injury (TBI). Veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have an unprecedented risk for TBI, primarily from blast-related munitions. In this cross-sectional study with linkage to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinical data, Veterans screening positive for TBI on the VA TBI screen (N = 4,282) were mailed packets containing two PBA symptom assessments: a single PBA symptom screen question and the Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale (CNS-LS) questionnaire. Seventy percent (n = 513) of the 728 Veteran respondents screened positive for PBA symptoms with a CNS-LS score of 13 or greater. There was strong concordance between PBA symptom prevalence measured with the single screening question and CNS-LS, with high sensitivity (0.87) and positive predictive value (0.93), and moderate specificity (0.79). Posttraumatic stress disorder (54% vs 32%), major depression (35% vs 22%), and anxiety disorder (20% vs 13%) were more common for Veterans with PBA symptoms than for those without. PBA symptoms were common in this Veteran cohort, were detected using simple screening tools, and often co-occurred with other psychiatric disorders common in Veterans.

  8. The impact of measurement differences on cross-country depression prevalence estimates: A latent transition analysis.

    PubMed

    Scorza, Pamela; Masyn, Katherine; Salomon, Joshua A; Betancourt, Theresa S

    2018-01-01

    Depression is currently the second largest contributor to non-fatal disease burden globally. For that reason, economic evaluations are increasingly being conducted using data from depression prevalence estimates to analyze return on investments for services that target mental health. Psychiatric epidemiology studies have reported large cross-national differences in the prevalence of depression. These differences may impact the cost-effectiveness assessments of mental health interventions, thereby affecting decisions regarding government and multi-lateral investment in mental health services. Some portion of the differences in prevalence estimates across countries may be due to true discrepancies in depression prevalence, resulting from differential levels of risk in environmental and demographic factors. However, some portion of those differences may reflect non-invariance in the way standard tools measure depression across countries. This paper attempts to discern the extent to which measurement differences are responsible for reported differences in the prevalence of depression across countries. This analysis uses data from the World Mental Health Surveys, a coordinated series of psychiatric epidemiology studies in 27 countries using multistage household probability samples to assess prevalence and correlates of mental disorders. Data in the current study include responses to the depression module of the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) in four countries: Two high-income, western countries-the United States (n = 20, 015) and New Zealand (n = 12,992)-an upper-middle income sub-Saharan African country, South Africa (n = 4,351), and a lower-middle income sub-Saharan African country, Nigeria (n = 6,752). Latent class analysis, a type of finite mixture modeling, was used to categorize respondents into underlying categories based on the variation in their responses to questions in each of three sequential parts of the CIDI depression module: 1) The initial screening items, 2) Additional duration and severity exclusion criteria, and 3) The core symptom questions. After each of these parts, exclusion criteria expel respondents from the remainder of the diagnostic interview, rendering a diagnosis of "not depressed". Latent class models were fit to each of the three parts in each of the four countries, and model fit was assessed using overall chi-square values and Pearson standardized residuals. Latent transition analysis was then applied in order to model participants' progression through the CIDI depression module. Proportion of individuals falling into each latent class and probabilities of transitioning into subsequent classes were used to estimate the percentage in each country that ultimately fell into the more symptomatic class, i.e. classified as "depressed". This latent variable design allows for a non-zero probability that individuals were incorrectly excluded from or retained in the diagnostic interview at any of the three exclusion points and therefore incorrectly diagnosed. Prevalence estimates based on the latent transition model reversed the order of depression prevalence across countries. Based on the latent transition model in this analysis, Nigeria has the highest prevalence (21.6%), followed by New Zealand (17.4%), then South Africa (15.0%), and finally the US (12.5%). That is compared to the estimates in the World Mental Health Surveys that do not allow for measurement differences, in which Nigeria had by far the lowest prevalence (3.1%), followed by South Africa (9.8%), then the United States (13.5%) and finally New Zealand (17.8%). Individuals endorsing the screening questions in Nigeria and South Africa were more likely to endorse more severe depression symptomology later in the module (i.e. they had higher transition probabilities), suggesting that individuals in the two Western countries may be more likely to endorse screening questions even when they don't have as severe symptoms. These differences narrow the range of depression prevalence between countries 14 percentage points in the original estimates to 6 percentage points in the estimate taking account of measurement differences. These data suggest fewer differences in cross-national prevalence of depression than previous estimates. Given that prevalence data are used to support key decisions regarding resource-allocation for mental health services, more critical attention should be paid to differences in the functioning of measurement across contexts and the impact these differences have on prevalence estimates. Future research should include qualitative methods as well as external measures of disease severity, such as impairment, to assess how the latent classes predict these external variables, to better understand the way that standard tools estimate depression prevalence across contexts. Adjustments could then be made to prevalence estimates used in cost-effectiveness analyses.

  9. When Depression Complicates Childbearing: Guidelines for Screening and Treatment during Antenatal and Postpartum Obstetric Care

    PubMed Central

    Muzik, Maria; Marcus, Sheila M.; Heringhausen, Julie E.; Flynn, Heather

    2015-01-01

    Synopsis Prevalence studies show that one in five women experience an episode of major depressive disorder during their lifetime. The peripartum period constitutes a prime time for symptom exacerbation and relapse of depressive episodes. It is important for health care providers, specifically those in obstetric care, to be aware of (1) the frequency of depression in pregnant and postpartum women; (2) signs, symptoms, and appropriate screening methods; and (3) the health risks for the mother and growing fetus if depression is undetected or untreated. Because management of depressed peripartum women also includes care of a growing fetus or breastfeeding infant, treatment may be complex and requires input from a multidisciplinary team, including an obstetrician, psychiatrist, and pediatrician, to provide optimal care. PMID:19944300

  10. Effectiveness of liaison psychiatric nursing in older medical inpatients with depression: a randomised controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Cullum, Sarah; Tucker, Sue; Todd, Chris; Brayne, Carol

    2007-07-01

    To compare liaison psychiatric nursing with usual medical care in the management of older medical inpatients who screen positive for depression. Pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Medical wards of UK district general hospital in rural East Anglia. One hundred and thirty-eight medical inpatients aged 65+ screened positive on the 15-item geriatric depression scale (GDS). One hundred and twenty-one out of 138 screen positives entered the trial (58/121 fulfilled criteria for depressive disorder at baseline). (i) A liaison psychiatric nurse assessed participants, formulated a care plan for treatment of their depression, ensured its implementation through liaison with appropriate agencies, and monitored participants' mood and response to treatment for up to 12 weeks. (ii) Usual treatment by hospital and primary care staff. ICD-10 depressive disorder, change in GDS-15 score, quality-adjusted life weeks (QALWs) and patient satisfaction rating. Eighty-six out of 121 participants completed the 16-week trial. Participants in the intervention group were more satisfied with their care, but no significant differences in depressive disorder, depression rating or QALWs gained were found between groups. However, there was a trend towards improvement in the intervention group and effect sizes were higher in the subgroup with depressive disorder. This study is the first RCT to evaluate liaison psychiatric nursing specifically for depression in older medical inpatients; the findings suggest improvement in mental health and quality of life, but a larger trial is required to provide convincing evidence.

  11. Temperament, post-partum depression, hopelessness, and suicide risk among women soon after delivering.

    PubMed

    Girardi, Paolo; Pompili, Maurizio; Innamorati, Marco; Serafini, Gianluca; Berrettoni, Claudia; Angeletti, Gloria; Koukopoulos, Alexia; Tatarelli, Roberto; Lester, David; Roselli, Domenico; Primiero, Francesco M

    2011-07-22

    The aim of the authors in this study was to assess the prevalence of postpartum depression and evaluate the association of affective temperaments with emotional disorders in a sample of 92 pregnant women consecutively admitted for delivery between March and December 2009. In the first few days postpartum, women completed the Suicidal History Self-rating Screening Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire, and the Gotland Male Depression Scale. Fifty percent of the women reported an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of 9 or higher, and 23% a score of 13 or higher. Women with a dysphoric-dysregulated temperament had higher mean scores on the Beck Hopelessness Scale (p < 0.05), the Gotland Male Depression Scale (p < 0.001), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (p < 0.001), and the Suicidal History Self-Rating Screening Scale (p < 0.01) than other women after adjusting for covariates. Multiple logistic regression analysis with the temperament groups as the dependent variable indicated that only the Gotland Male Depression Scale was significantly associated with temperament when controlling for the presence of other variables. Women with a dysphoric-dysregulated temperament were 1.23 times as likely to have higher depressive symptom scores. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of psychiatric screening programs in the postpartum period as well as factors associated with depression and suicidality during the same period.

  12. Measurement properties of tools used to assess depression in adults with and without autism spectrum conditions: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Cassidy, S A; Bradley, L; Bowen, E; Wigham, S; Rodgers, J

    2018-01-23

    Depression is the most commonly experienced mental health condition in adults with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). However, it is unclear what tools are currently being used to assess depression in ASC, or whether tools need to be adapted for this group. This systematic review therefore aimed to identify tools used to assess depression in adults with and without ASC, and then evaluate these tools for their appropriateness and measurement properties. Medline, PsychINFO and Web of Knowledge were searched for studies of depression in: (a) adults with ASC, without co-morbid intellectual disability; and (b) adults from the general population without co-morbid conditions. Articles examining the measurement properties of these tools were then searched for using a methodological filter in PubMed, and the quality of the evidence was evaluated using the COSMIN checklist. Twelve articles were identified which utilized three tools to assess depression in adults with ASC, but only one article which assessed the measurement properties of one of these tools was identified and thus evaluated. Sixty-four articles were identified which utilized five tools to assess depression in general population adults, and fourteen articles had assessed the measurement properties of these tools. Overall, two tools were found to be robust in their measurement properties in the general population-the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Crucially only one study was identified from the COSMIN search, which showed weak evidence in support of the measurement properties of the BDI-II in an ASC sample. Implications for effective measurement of depression in ASC are discussed. Autism Res 2018. © 2018 The Authors Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Depression is the most common mental health problem experienced by adults with autism. However, the current study found very limited evidence regarding how useful tools developed for the general population are for adults with autism. We therefore suggest how these tools could be adapted to more effectively assess depression in adults with autism, and improve these individuals access to mental health assessment and support. © 2018 The Authors Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Prognostic significance of functional somatic symptoms in adolescence: a 15-year community-based follow-up study of adolescents with depression compared with healthy peers

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background There is a lack of population-based long-term longitudinal research on mental health status and functional physical/somatic symptoms. Little is known about the long-term mental health outcomes associated with somatic symptoms or the temporal relationship between depression and such symptoms. This 15-year study followed up adolescents with depression and matched controls, screened from a population-based sample, who reported different numbers of somatic symptoms. Methods The total population of 16–17-year-olds in Uppsala, Sweden, was screened for depression in 1991–1993. Adolescents who screened positive and an equal number of healthy controls took part in a semi-structured diagnostic interview. In addition, 21 different self-rated somatic symptoms were assessed. Sixty-four percent of those adolescents participated in a follow-up structured interview 15 years later. Results Somatic symptoms in adolescence predicted depression and other adult mental disorders regardless of the presence of adolescent depression. In adolescents with depression, the number of functional somatic symptoms predicted, in a dose response relationship, suicidal behavior, bipolar episodes, and psychotic episodes as well as chronic and recurrent depression. Contrary to expectations, the somatic symptoms of abdominal pain and perspiration without exertion better predicted depression than all DSM-IV depressive symptoms. Abdominal pain persisted as an independent strong predictor of depression and anxiety, even after controlling for other important confounders. Conclusions Somatic symptoms in adolescence can predict severe adult mental health disorders. The number of somatic symptoms concurrent with adolescent depression is, in a stepwise manner, linked to suicidal attempts, bipolar disorders, psychotic disorders, and recurrent and chronic depression. These findings can be useful in developing treatment guidelines for patients with somatic symptoms. PMID:22839681

  14. Depression Fotonovela: Development of a depression literacy tool for Latinos with limited English proficiency

    PubMed Central

    Cabassa, Leopoldo J.; Molina, Gregory B.; Baron, Melvin

    2010-01-01

    Stigma, lack of knowledge, and misconceptions about depression are considered pervasive barriers contributing to the disparities Latino adults with limited English proficiency (LEP) face in accessing and receiving high quality depression care. The development of culturally and linguistically appropriate health literacy tools, such as fotonovelas, can help address these barriers to depression care in the Latino community. Fotonovelas are booklets that use posed photographs with simple text bubbles to portray soap opera stories that convey educational messages. The aim of this manuscript is to describe the development of a depression fotonovela adapted for Latinos with LEP. We present the conceptual model that informed this depression literacy tool and illustrate how findings from several studies were used to identify educational messages. Our production process delineates practical steps of how to use a multi-stakeholder approach to develop a health-related fotonovela. Implications for practice of this innovative depression literacy tool are discussed. PMID:21051325

  15. Prevalence of depression among recently admitted long-term care patients in Norwegian nursing homes: associations with diagnostic workup and use of antidepressants.

    PubMed

    Iden, Kristina Riis; Engedal, Knut; Hjorleifsson, Stefan; Ruths, Sabine

    2014-01-01

    We aimed to establish the prevalence of depression among recently admitted long-term care patients and to examine associations with diagnostic initiatives and treatment as recorded in patients' medical records. Eighty-eight long-term care patients were included. Depression was diagnosed according to the ICD-10 criteria; patients were screened for depression using the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) and for dementia with the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale. Depression was found in 25% of the patients according to the ICD-10 criteria and in 31% according to a CSDD sum score of ≥ 8. Diagnostic initiatives were documented in the medical records of half of the patients with depression. Forty-four percent of the patients were prescribed antidepressants and 23% actually received them for the treatment of depression. Depression was prevalent among recently admitted long-term care patients, but diagnostic initiatives were too rarely used. Antidepressants were commonly prescribed, but depression was the indication for treatment in only half of the cases. Screening for depression should be mandatory on admission.

  16. Participatory design of ehealth solutions for women from vulnerable populations with perinatal depression.

    PubMed

    Gordon, Mara; Henderson, Rebecca; Holmes, John H; Wolters, Maria K; Bennett, Ian M

    2016-01-01

    Cultural and health service obstacles affect the quality of pregnancy care that women from vulnerable populations receive. Using a participatory design approach, the Stress in Pregnancy: Improving Results with Interactive Technology group developed specifications for a suite of eHealth applications to improve the quality of perinatal mental health care. We established a longitudinal participatory design group consisting of low-income women with a history of antenatal depression, their prenatal providers, mental health specialists, an app developer, and researchers. The group met 20 times over 24 months. Applications were designed using rapid prototyping. Meetings were documented using field notes. The group achieved high levels of continuity and engagement. Three apps were developed by the group: an app to support high-risk women after discharge from hospital, a screening tool for depression, and a patient decision aid for supporting treatment choice. Longitudinal participatory design groups are a promising, highly feasible approach to developing technology for underserved populations. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Mood and anxiety problems in perinatal Indigenous women in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States: a critical review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Bowen, Angela; Duncan, Vicky; Peacock, Shelley; Bowen, Rudy; Schwartz, Laura; Campbell, Diane; Muhajarine, Nazeem

    2014-02-01

    We conducted a review of research literature related to anxiety, depression, and mood problems in Indigenous women in Canada, the United States (including Hawaii), Australia, and New Zealand. Quantitative and qualitative research studies published between 1980 and March 2010 were reviewed. The initial search revealed 396 potential documents, and after being checked for relevance by two researchers, data were extracted from 16 quantitative studies, one qualitative research article, and one dissertation. Depression is a common problem in Indigenous pregnant and postpartum women; however, the prevalence and correlates of anxiety and mood disorders are understudied. The review identified four key areas where further research is needed: (a) longitudinal, population-based studies; (b) further validation and modification of appropriate screening tools; (c) exploration of cultural diversity and meaning of the lived experiences of antenatal and postpartum depression, anxiety, and mood disorders; and (d) development of evidence-informed practices for researchers and practitioners through collaborations with Aboriginal communities to better understand and improve mental health of women of childbearing age.

  18. Treatment of depression in patients with epilepsy.

    PubMed

    Noe, Katherine H; Locke, Dona E C; Sirven, Joseph I

    2011-08-01

    In this article, we review the current best evidence for the treatment of depression in patients with epilepsy. Depression is a common epilepsy comorbidity, but it is often unrecognized. The most important step in appropriately managing mood disorders in this population is making the diagnosis. Clinical vigilance and routine use of a validated screening tool can improve detection and quality of care. As is increasingly the case for the general population, persons with epilepsy are often interested in exploring alternative therapies for chronic conditions, including depression. Unfortunately, the benefit of complementary and alternative therapies for depression currently is largely unproven for persons with a seizure history, although an early study of exercise for mild depression has shown some benefit. Concerns about drug interactions, side effects, and expense may be barriers to the prescription of antidepressant medications for people requiring chronic antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy. For this reason, use of an AED with mood-stabilizing properties has appeal and may be appropriate for selected individuals with mild depressive symptoms. Undue fear of lowering seizure threshold should not preclude the prescription of an antidepressant medication, as the perceived risks are often overestimated and rarely outweigh the risk of leaving depression untreated. At present, the best evidence for efficacy and safety support the use of citalopram, sertraline, or mirtazapine as initial pharmacotherapy, whereas bupropion should be avoided. Start low, go slow, and use the lowest effective dose. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a valuable adjunct to antidepressant therapy in this population. For people with refractory partial epilepsy and refractory depression, vagus nerve stimulation has some appeal, in that it may be beneficial for both conditions, but the efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation in improving mood in patients with epilepsy remains unclear.

  19. The Kimberley Assessment of Depression of Older Indigenous Australians: Prevalence of Depressive Disorders, Risk Factors and Validation of the KICA-dep Scale

    PubMed Central

    Almeida, Osvaldo P.; Flicker, Leon; Fenner, Stephen; Smith, Kate; Hyde, Zoe; Atkinson, David; Skeaf, Linda; Malay, Roslyn; LoGiudice, Dina

    2014-01-01

    Objective This study aimed to develop a culturally acceptable and valid scale to assess depressive symptoms in older Indigenous Australians, to determine the prevalence of depressive disorders in the older Kimberley community, and to investigate the sociodemographic, lifestyle and clinical factors associated with depression in this population. Methods Cross-sectional survey of adults aged 45 years or over from six remote Indigenous communities in the Kimberley and 30% of those living in Derby, Western Australia. The 11 linguistic and culturally sensitive items of the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment of Depression (KICA-dep) scale were derived from the signs and symptoms required to establish the diagnosis of a depressive episode according to the DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10 criteria, and their frequency was rated on a 4-point scale ranging from ‘never’ to ‘all the time’ (range of scores: 0 to 33). The diagnosis of depressive disorder was established after a face-to-face assessment with a consultant psychiatrist. Other measures included sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, and clinical history. Results The study included 250 participants aged 46 to 89 years (mean±SD = 60.9±10.7), of whom 143 (57.2%) were women. The internal reliability of the KICA-dep was 0.88 and the cut-point 7/8 (non-case/case) was associated with 78% sensitivity and 82% specificity for the diagnosis of a depressive disorder. The point-prevalence of a depressive disorder in this population was 7.7%; 4.0% for men and 10.4% for women. Heart problems were associated with increased odds of depression (odds ratio = 3.3, 95% confidence interval = 1.2,8.8). Conclusions The KICA-dep has robust psychometric properties and can be used with confidence as a screening tool for depression among older Indigenous Australians. Depressive disorders are common in this population, possibly because of increased stressors and health morbidities. PMID:24740098

  20. Prevalence of major depressive disorder among hemodialysis patients compared with healthy people in Japan using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV.

    PubMed

    Tomita, Tetsu; Yasui-Furukori, Norio; Sugawara, Norio; Ogasawara, Kohei; Katagai, Koki; Saito, Hisao; Sawada, Kaori; Takahashi, Ippei; Nakamura, Kazuhiko

    2016-01-01

    We investigated the prevalence of depression in hemodialysis (HD) patients using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies for Depression (CES-D) scale and the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fourth Edition (SCID) and compared the rates with those of community dwelling people in Japan. A total of 99 patients undergoing HD were recruited. Blood sampling was performed no later than 2 weeks prior to assessment. As a reference group for SCID and CES-D evaluation, 404 age- and sex-matched healthy controls who had participated in the Iwaki Health Promotion Project were included in this study. The SCID and the CES-D scale were administered to all participants to diagnose their depression. Participants who met the criteria of a major depressive episode according to the SCID were classified as SCID depression and the participants whose CES-D score was 16 or higher were classified as CES-D depression. Ninety-nine HD patients completed the evaluation and data collection. There were no significant differences in age, sex, or CES-D scores between HD patients and controls. There were 12 cases of SCID depression in HD patients and four cases in controls. There was a significant difference between HD patients and controls in the prevalence of SCID depression. There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to demographic or clinical data. There were 19 HD patients and 24 controls who showed CES-D depression. There was no significant difference between HD patients and controls in the prevalence of CES-D depression. There was a significant difference in potassium level between the two groups, but there were no significant differences in any of the other items. There were significantly more HD patients showing SCID depression than controls in the present study. In clinical settings, the SCID might be useful in surveying cases of depression detected by screening tools among HD patients.

  1. The Kimberley assessment of depression of older Indigenous Australians: prevalence of depressive disorders, risk factors and validation of the KICA-dep scale.

    PubMed

    Almeida, Osvaldo P; Flicker, Leon; Fenner, Stephen; Smith, Kate; Hyde, Zoe; Atkinson, David; Skeaf, Linda; Malay, Roslyn; LoGiudice, Dina

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to develop a culturally acceptable and valid scale to assess depressive symptoms in older Indigenous Australians, to determine the prevalence of depressive disorders in the older Kimberley community, and to investigate the sociodemographic, lifestyle and clinical factors associated with depression in this population. Cross-sectional survey of adults aged 45 years or over from six remote Indigenous communities in the Kimberley and 30% of those living in Derby, Western Australia. The 11 linguistic and culturally sensitive items of the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment of Depression (KICA-dep) scale were derived from the signs and symptoms required to establish the diagnosis of a depressive episode according to the DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10 criteria, and their frequency was rated on a 4-point scale ranging from 'never' to 'all the time' (range of scores: 0 to 33). The diagnosis of depressive disorder was established after a face-to-face assessment with a consultant psychiatrist. Other measures included sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, and clinical history. The study included 250 participants aged 46 to 89 years (mean±SD = 60.9±10.7), of whom 143 (57.2%) were women. The internal reliability of the KICA-dep was 0.88 and the cut-point 7/8 (non-case/case) was associated with 78% sensitivity and 82% specificity for the diagnosis of a depressive disorder. The point-prevalence of a depressive disorder in this population was 7.7%; 4.0% for men and 10.4% for women. Heart problems were associated with increased odds of depression (odds ratio = 3.3, 95% confidence interval = 1.2,8.8). The KICA-dep has robust psychometric properties and can be used with confidence as a screening tool for depression among older Indigenous Australians. Depressive disorders are common in this population, possibly because of increased stressors and health morbidities.

  2. Epidemiology of depression in diabetes: international and cross-cultural issues.

    PubMed

    Lloyd, Cathy E; Roy, Tapash; Nouwen, Arie; Chauhan, Asha M

    2012-10-01

    This paper reviews the most up-to-date epidemiological evidence of the relationship between depression and diabetes, and considers the risk factors for the development of depression and the consequences of depression in diabetes with an emphasis on international and cross-cultural data. The difficulties that researchers face when epidemiological studies require assessment of psychological phenomena, such as depression, across different cultural settings are explored. Relevant papers were sought on the epidemiology of diabetes and depression in people with diabetes by undertaking a literature search of electronic databases including MEDLINE, Psych-INFO, CINAHL and EMBASE. These papers were assessed by the authors and a narrative review of the relevant literature was composed. Systematic reviews of the prevalence of depression in people with diabetes have focused on studies conducted in English speaking countries and emerging data suggest that there may be international variations in prevalence and also in how symptoms of depression are reported. There appears to be a bi-directional relationship between depression and diabetes, with one influencing the other; however, research in this area is further complicated by the fact that potential risk factors for depression in people with diabetes often interact with each other and with other factors. Further research is needed to elucidate the causal mechanisms underlying these associations. Data from non-English speaking countries remain scarce and so it is difficult to come to any firm conclusions as to the international variation in prevalence rates of co-morbid diabetes and depression in these countries until further research has been conducted. It is important to take a culture-centered approach to our understanding of mental health and illness and consider the key issues related to the development of culturally sensitive depression screening tools. In order to come to any firm conclusions about the international variation in prevalence of co-morbid diabetes and depression, issues of culture and diversity must be taken into account prior to conducting international epidemiological studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Mind the gap: Exploring information gaps for the development of an online resource hub for epilepsy and depression.

    PubMed

    Crooks, Rachel E; Bell, Meaghan; Patten, Scott B; Wiebe, Samuel; Holroyd-Leduc, Jayna; Bulloch, Andrew G; Macrodimitris, Sophia; Mackie, Aaron; Sauro, Khara M; Federico, Paolo; Jetté, Nathalie

    2017-05-01

    Depression is common in epilepsy, and is often under-detected and under-treated. The motivation to create a depression eHub for persons with epilepsy is to connect them to the best available online resources to effectively manage their depression. The study sought to: 1) identify facilitators and barriers to accessing resources related to management of epilepsy and/or depression and 2) discuss gaps in available resources (free and in the public domain) and 3) identify suggestions for future content. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten patients with epilepsy and a history of depression. Using inductive analysis, two team members engaged in a process of textual open-coding utilizing a conventional content analysis approach whereby content was conceptually clustered based on the research questions. A phenomenological framework was applied to describe the phenomenon of online health resource access and utilization from the perspective of people with epilepsy. Facilitators to the use of online resources included information credibility, thoughtful organization, and accessibility of resources. Barriers included difficulties finding and piecing together information from many different sites. Patients reported difficulty having the motivation to seek out resources while depressed, which was compounded by feelings of stigma, social isolation, and lack of control. Gaps in resources included a lack of information about living with epilepsy day-to-day and resources for family and friends. Suggested content included information to raise awareness about epilepsy and depression; questionnaires to screen for symptoms of depression; stories of other patients with epilepsy and depression via video or moderated forums; current research and news; local community resources; and tools and strategies to manage depression in epilepsy. There is a gap in accessible resources for patients with epilepsy and depression as well as barriers that include epilepsy-related restrictions, depression-related impairments, lack of awareness, and stigmatization. These results should be used to guide the development of e-Health resources for patients with epilepsy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Rationale and methods of the iFightDepression study: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of an internet-based self-management tool for moderate to mild depression.

    PubMed

    Justicia, Azucena; Elices, Matilde; Cebria, Ana Isabel; Palao, Diego J; Gorosabel, Jesús; Puigdemont, Dolors; de Diego-Adeliño, Javier; Gabilondo, Andrea; Iruin, Alvaro; Hegerl, Ulrich; Pérez, Víctor

    2017-04-19

    During the last decade online interventions have emerged as a promising approach for patients with mild/moderate depressive symptoms, reaching at large populations and representing cost-effective alternatives. The main objective of this double-blind, randomized controlled trial is to examine the efficacy of an internet-based self-management tool (iFightDepression) for mild to moderate depression as an add-on to treatment as usual (TAU) versus internet-based psychoeducation plus TAU. A total of 310 participants with major depression disorder (MDD) will be recruited at four different mental-health facilities in Spain. Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two study arms: iFightDepression (iFD) tool + TAU vs. internet-based psychoeducation + TAU. Both interventions last for 8 weeks and there is a 12 weeks follow up. The primary outcome measure is changes in depressive symptoms assessed with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Additionally, pre-post interventions assessments will include socio-demographic data, a brief medical and clinical history and self-reported measures of depressive symptoms, quality of life, functional impairments and satisfaction with the iFD tool. iFightDepression is an easy-prescribed tool that could increase the efficacy of conventional treatment and potentially reach untreated patients, shortening waiting lists to receive psychological treatment. Confirming the efficacy of the iFD internet-based self-management tool as an add-on treatment for individuals with mild to moderate depression will be clinically-relevant. Registration number NCT02312583 . Clinicaltrials.gov . December 4, 2014.

  5. Personality disorders in heart failure patients requiring psychiatric management: comorbidity detections from a routine depression and anxiety screening protocol.

    PubMed

    Tully, Phillip J; Selkow, Terina

    2014-12-30

    Several international guidelines recommend routine depression screening in cardiac disease populations. No previous study has determined the prevalence and comorbidities of personality disorders in patients presenting for psychiatric treatment after these screening initiatives. In the first stage 404 heart failure (HF) patients were routinely screened and 73 underwent structured interview when either of the following criteria were met: (a) Patient Health Questionnaire ≥10; (b) Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire ≥7); (c) Response to one item panic-screener. Or (d) Suicidality. Patients with personality disorders were compared to the positive-screen patients on psychiatric comorbidities. The most common personality disorders were avoidant (8.2%), borderline (6.8%) and obsessive compulsive (4.1%), other personality disorders were prevalent in less than <3% of patients. Personality disorder patients had significantly greater risk of major depression (risk ratio (RR) 1.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-13.3), generalized anxiety disorder (RR 3.2; 95% CI 1.0-10.0), social phobia (RR 3.8; 95% CI 1.3-11.5) and alcohol abuse/dependence (RR 3.2; 95% 1.0-9.5). The findings that HF patients with personality disorders presented with complex psychiatric comorbidity suggest that pathways facilitating the integration of psychiatric services into cardiology settings are warranted when routine depression screening is in place. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. International development and psychometric properties of the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS).

    PubMed

    Sachser, Cedric; Berliner, Lucy; Holt, Tonje; Jensen, Tine K; Jungbluth, Nathaniel; Risch, Elizabeth; Rosner, Rita; Goldbeck, Lutz

    2017-03-01

    Systematic screening is a powerful means by which children and adolescents with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) can be detected. Reliable and valid measures based on current diagnostic criteria are needed. To investigate the internal consistency and construct validity of the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS) in three samples of trauma-exposed children in the US (self-reports: n=249; caregiver reports: n=267; pre-school n=190), in Germany (self-reports: n=117; caregiver reports: n=95) and in Norway (self-reports: n=109; caregiver reports: n=62). Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach's α. Convergent-discriminant validity was investigated using bivariate correlation coefficients with measures of depression, anxiety and externalizing symptoms. CFA was used to investigate the DSM-5 factor structure. In all three language samples the 20 item symptom score of the self-report and the caregiver report proved good to excellent reliability with α ranging between .88 and .94. The convergent-discriminant validity pattern showed medium to strong correlations with measures of depression (r =.62-.82) and anxiety (r =.40-.77) and low to medium correlations with externalizing symptoms (r =-.15-.43) within informants in all language versions. Using CFA the underlying DSM-5 factor structure with four symptom clusters (re-experiencing, avoidance, negative alterations in mood and cognitions, hyperarousal) was supported (n =475 for self-report; n =424 for caregiver reports). The external validation of the CATS with a DSM-5 based semi-structured clinical interview and corresponding determination of cut-points is pending. The CATS has satisfactory psychometric properties. Clinicians may consider the CATS as a screening tool and for symptom monitoring. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Medical, environmental and personal factors of disability in the elderly in Spain: a screening survey based on the International Classification of Functioning.

    PubMed

    Virués-Ortega, Javier; de Pedro-Cuesta, Jesús; del Barrio, Jose Luis; Almazan-Isla, Javier; Bergareche, Alberto; Bermejo-Pareja, Felix; Fernández-Mayoralas, Gloria; García, Francisco Jose; Garre-Olmo, Josep; Gascon-Bayarri, Jordi; Mahillo, Ignacio; Martínez-Martín, Pablo; Mateos, Raimundo; Rodríguez, Fernanda; Rojo-Pérez, Fermina; Avellanal, Fuencisla; Saz, Pedro; Seijo-Martínez, Manuel

    2011-12-01

    The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) advocates a multifactorial and multifaceted conceptualization of disability. The objective of this study was to ascertain major medical, environmental and personal determinants of severe/extreme disability among the elderly population in Spain. The assessment scheme was consistent with the ICF model of disability. Nine populations contributed probabilistic or geographically-defined samples following a two-phase screening design. The Mini-Mental State Examination and the 12-item version of the World Health Organization-Disability Assessment Schedule, 2(nd) ed. (WHO-DAS II), were used as cognitive and disability screening tools, respectively. Positively screened individuals underwent clinical work-up for dementia and were administered the 36-item version of the WHO-DAS II to estimate ICF disability levels. We used logistic regression for the purposes of data combination, adjusted for age and sex in all analyses. The sample was composed of 503 participants aged ≥ 75 years. Alzheimeŕs disease and depression were highly predictive of severe/extreme disability (OR: 17.40, 3.71). Good access to social services was strongly associated with a low level or absence of disability (OR: 0.05 to 0.18). Very difficult access to services and having dementia or another psychiatric disorder were associated with an increase in disability (OR: 66.06). There was also a significant interaction effect between access to services and neurological disorders (OR: 12.74). Disability is highly prevalent among the Spanish elderly and is influenced by medical, social and personal factors. Disability could potentially be reduced by ensuring access to social services, preventing dementia and stroke, and treating depression. Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  8. Validation of a Chinese version of the stress overload scale-short and its use as a screening tool for mental health status.

    PubMed

    Duan, Wenjie; Mu, Wenlong

    2018-02-01

    Although stress emerges when environmental demands exceed personal resources, existing measurement methods for stress focus only on one aspect. The newly-developed Short Stress Overload Scale (SOS-S) assesses the extent of stress by assessing both event load (i.e., environmental demands) and personal vulnerability (i.e., personal resources). The present study was designed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Stress Overload Scale-Short (SOS-SC), and further examine its roles in screening mental health status. A total of 1364 participants were recruited from communities and colleges for scale validation. Reliabilities were good throughout the subsamples (ω > 0.80). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the acceptable goodness-of-fit for the two-factor correlated model (Sample 1: 560 community residents). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis confirmed measurement invariance across community residents (Sample 1) and college students (Sample 2 and Sample 3). Criterion validity and convergent validity were established (Sample 2: 554 college students). Latent moderated structural equations demonstrated that the relationship between SOS-SC and depression is moderated by social support (Sample 2), further validating the SOS-SC. In addition, the SOS-SC effectively screened individuals in a population at different levels of mental health status (i.e., "at risk" vs. "at low risk" for depression symptoms and/or wellbeing). The SOS-SC exhibits acceptable psychometric properties in the Chinese context. That said, the two aspects of stress can be differentiated by the Chinese context, therefore, the SOS-SC can be used to measure stress and screen mental health status among the Chinese population, and monitor and evaluate health-promoting interventions.

  9. 42 CFR 410.16 - Initial preventive physical examination: Conditions for and limitations on coverage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... preventive examination not more than 1 year after the effective date of his or her first Medicare Part B... potential (risk factors) for depression, including current or past experiences with depression or other mood... use of appropriate screening questions or a screening questionnaire, which the physician or other...

  10. Depression Awareness and Self-Management Through the Internet: Protocol for an Internationally Standardized Approach

    PubMed Central

    Koburger, Nicole; Larkin, Celine; Karwig, Gillian; Coffey, Claire; Maxwell, Margaret; Harris, Fiona; Rummel-Kluge, Christine; van Audenhove, Chantal; Sisask, Merike; Alexandrova-Karamanova, Anna; Perez, Victor; Purebl, György; Cebria, Annabel; Palao, Diego; Costa, Susana; Mark, Lauraliisa; Tóth, Mónika Ditta; Gecheva, Marieta; Ibelshäuser, Angela; Gusmão, Ricardo; Hegerl, Ulrich

    2015-01-01

    Background Depression incurs significant morbidity and confers increased risk of suicide. Many individuals experiencing depression remain untreated due to systemic and personal barriers to care. Guided Internet-based psychotherapeutic programs represent a promising means of overcoming such barriers and increasing the capacity for self-management of depression. However, existing programs tend to be available only in English and can be expensive to access. Furthermore, despite evidence of the effectiveness of a number of Internet-based programs, there is limited evidence regarding both the acceptability of such programs and feasibility of their use, for users and health care professionals. Objective This paper will present the protocol for the development, implementation, and evaluation of the iFightDepression tool, an Internet-based self-management tool. This is a cost-free, multilingual, guided, self-management program for mild to moderate depression cases. Methods The Preventing Depression and Improving Awareness through Networking in the European Union consortium undertook a comprehensive systematic review of the available evidence regarding computerized cognitive behavior therapy in addition to a consensus process involving mental health experts and service users to inform the development of the iFightDepression tool. The tool was implemented and evaluated for acceptability and feasibility of its use in a pilot phase in 5 European regions, with recruitment of users occurring through general practitioners and health care professionals who participated in a standardized training program. Results Targeting mild to moderate depression, the iFightDepression tool is based on cognitive behavioral therapy and addresses behavioral activation (monitoring and planning daily activities), cognitive restructuring (identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts), sleep regulation, mood monitoring, and healthy lifestyle habits. There is also a tailored version of the tool for young people, incorporating less formal language and additional age-appropriate modules on relationships and social anxiety. The tool is accompanied by a 3-hour training intervention for health care professionals. Conclusions It is intended that the iFightDepression tool and associated training for health care professionals will represent a valuable resource for the management of depression that will complement existing resources for health care professionals. It is also intended that the iFightDepression tool and training will represent an additional resource within a multifaceted approach to improving the care of depression and preventing suicidal behavior in Europe. PMID:26251104

  11. Online Screening and Referral for Postpartum Depression: An Exploratory Study

    PubMed Central

    Drake, Emily; Gustavson, Erica; Kinsey, Emily

    2013-01-01

    The fear and stigma associated with Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a major challenge in the treatment of this disease. Our goal is to develop innovative methods of screening women for the symptoms of PPD to facilitate referral and treatment. This study explores the efficacy of the Internet in reaching out to postpartum women in the convenience and privacy of their own homes, particularly those in rural and underserved areas. An exploratory study design was used to explore the feasibility and acceptability of online screening for PPD with postpartum women in the first 2–3 months after delivery (N=18). In the first phase, a focus group was conducted with a small group of postpartum women; the second phase consisted of individual interviews of postpartum women in their homes; and in phase three, 10 women participated in the on-line screening intervention. Postpartum depression was measured using an online version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) a well-established instrument with reported alpha reliabilities (0.81–0.88) across studies and concurrent validity demonstrated using the gold standard, DSM IV criteria for depression interview. Qualitative data collected from all the participants were also analyzed. The sample included women age 18–29; 70% White/Caucasian, 50% low income, and the majority living in rural areas. The EPDS scores ranged from 0–13 (mean 8.0; SD 4.76). Participants described the online PPD screening process as easy, straightforward and personalized and provided additional suggestions for improvement. PMID:23283485

  12. Depressive affect in incident hemodialysis patients.

    PubMed

    McDougall, Kathryn A; Larkin, John W; Wingard, Rebecca L; Jiao, Yue; Rosen, Sophia; Ma, Lin; Usvyat, Len A; Maddux, Franklin W

    2018-02-01

    The prevalence of depressive affect is not well defined in the incident hemodialysis (HD) population. We investigated the prevalence of and associated risk factors and hospitalization rates for depressive affect in incident HD patients. We performed a prospective investigation using the Patient Health Questionnaire 2 (PHQ2) depressive affect assessment. From January to July of 2013 at 108 in-center clinics randomly selected across tertiles of baseline quality measures, we contacted 577 and 543 patients by telephone for depressive affect screening. PHQ2 test scores range from 0 to 6 (scores  ≥3 suggest the presence of depressive affect). The prevalence of depressive affect was measured at 1-30 and 121-150 days after initiating HD; depressive affect risk factors and hospitalization rates by depressive affect status at 1-30 days after starting HD were computed. Of 1120 contacted patients, 340 completed the PHQ2. In patients screened at 1-30 or 121-150 days after starting HD, depressive affect prevalence was 20.2% and 18.5%, respectively (unpaired t -test, P = 0.7). In 35 patients screened at both time points, there were trends for lower prevalence of depressive affect at the end of incident HD, with 20.0% and 5.7% of patients positive for depressive affect at 1-30 and 121-150 days, respectively (paired t -test, P = 0.1). Hospitalization rates were higher in patients with depressive affect during the first 30 days, exhibiting 1.5 more admissions (P < 0.001) and 10.5 additional hospital days (P = 0.008) per patient-year. Females were at higher risk for depressive affect at 1-30 days (P = 0.01). The prevalence of depressive affect in HD patients is high throughout the incident period. Rates of hospital admissions and hospital days are increased in incident HD patients with depressive affect.

  13. Depressive affect in incident hemodialysis patients

    PubMed Central

    Larkin, John W; Wingard, Rebecca L; Jiao, Yue; Rosen, Sophia; Ma, Lin; Usvyat, Len A; Maddux, Franklin W

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background The prevalence of depressive affect is not well defined in the incident hemodialysis (HD) population. We investigated the prevalence of and associated risk factors and hospitalization rates for depressive affect in incident HD patients. Methods We performed a prospective investigation using the Patient Health Questionnaire 2 (PHQ2) depressive affect assessment. From January to July of 2013 at 108 in-center clinics randomly selected across tertiles of baseline quality measures, we contacted 577 and 543 patients by telephone for depressive affect screening. PHQ2 test scores range from 0 to 6 (scores  ≥3 suggest the presence of depressive affect). The prevalence of depressive affect was measured at 1–30 and 121–150 days after initiating HD; depressive affect risk factors and hospitalization rates by depressive affect status at 1–30 days after starting HD were computed. Results Of 1120 contacted patients, 340 completed the PHQ2. In patients screened at 1–30 or 121–150 days after starting HD, depressive affect prevalence was 20.2% and 18.5%, respectively (unpaired t-test, P = 0.7). In 35 patients screened at both time points, there were trends for lower prevalence of depressive affect at the end of incident HD, with 20.0% and 5.7% of patients positive for depressive affect at 1–30 and 121–150 days, respectively (paired t-test, P = 0.1). Hospitalization rates were higher in patients with depressive affect during the first 30 days, exhibiting 1.5 more admissions (P < 0.001) and 10.5 additional hospital days (P = 0.008) per patient-year. Females were at higher risk for depressive affect at 1–30 days (P = 0.01). Conclusions The prevalence of depressive affect in HD patients is high throughout the incident period. Rates of hospital admissions and hospital days are increased in incident HD patients with depressive affect. PMID:29423211

  14. Screening for Postpartum Depression and Associated Factors Among Women in China: A Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Chi, Xinli; Zhang, Peichao; Wu, Haiyan; Wang, Jian

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: This study examined what percentage of Chinese mothers during a three-year postpartum period were screened for postpartum depression and explored the correlation between postpartum depression and various socio-demographic, psychological, and cultural factors. Study design: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: A total of 506 mothers 23 years of age and older who were within three years postpartum completed the online survey. The survey collected information such as family economic status, a history of depression, preparation for pregnancy, relationships with husbands, and family members, adult attachment types (Adult Attachment Scale, AAS), and depression (The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, CESD). Results: Approximately 30% of mothers 1–3 years postpartum reported symptoms above the CESD cut-off score (≥16 scores) associated with the risk for depression (28.0% in the first year, 30.8% in the second year, and 31.8% in the third year). Factors significantly associated with depression in participants in the correlation analysis were education level; family income; preparation for pregnancy; a history of depression; amount of time spent with their husbands; relationships with husbands, parents, and parents-in-law; and a close, dependent, and/or anxious attachment style. Multiple regression analyses revealed that a history of depression; less preparation for pregnancy; poorer relationships with husbands, parents, and parents-in-law; and a more anxious attachment style were strongly related to a higher risk of postpartum depression. Conclusion: The overall percentage of mothers after delivery who were vulnerable to depression in China remains high. Various factors were significant predictors of postpartum depression. The research findings have several valuable implications for intervention practices. For example, attachment styles and depression history in the assessments of perinatal depression could improve screenings and the design of interventions. Additionally, improving the family relationships and family environments of women post-delivery may be promising approach for postpartum depression prevention or intervention. PMID:27847483

  15. Depressive symptoms, smoking, drinking, and quality of life among head and neck cancer patients.

    PubMed

    Duffy, Sonia A; Ronis, David L; Valenstein, Marcia; Fowler, Karen E; Lambert, Michael T; Bishop, Carol; Terrell, Jeffrey E

    2007-01-01

    The authors examined the relationship between depressive symptoms, smoking, problem drinking, and quality of life among 973 head and neck cancer patients who were surveyed and had their charts audited. Forty-six percent screened positive for depressive symptoms, 30% smoked, and 16% screened positive for problem drinking. Controlling for clinical and demographic variables, linear-regression analyses showed that depressive symptoms had a strong negative association with all 12 quality-of-life scales; smoking had a negative association on all but one of the quality-of-life scales; and problem drinking was not associated with any of the quality-of-life scales. Interventions targeting depression, smoking, and problem drinking need to be integrated into oncology clinics.

  16. Primary care patients reporting concerns about their gambling frequently have other co-occurring lifestyle and mental health issues

    PubMed Central

    Goodyear-Smith, Felicity; Arroll, Bruce; Kerse, Ngaire; Sullivan, Sean; Coupe, Nicole; Tse, Samson; Shepherd, Robin; Rossen, Fiona; Perese, Lana

    2006-01-01

    Background Problem gambling often goes undetected by family physicians but may be associated with stress-related medical problems as well as mental disorders and substance abuse. Family physicians are often first in line to identify these problems and to provide a proper referral. The aim of this study was to compare a group of primary care patients who identified concerns with their gambling behavior with the total population of screened patients in relation to co-morbidity of other lifestyle risk factors or mental health issues. Methods This is a cross sectional study comparing patients identified as worrying about their gambling behavior with the total screened patient population for co morbidity. The setting was 51 urban and rural New Zealand practices. Participants were consecutive adult patients per practice (N = 2,536) who completed a brief multi-item tool screening primary care patients for lifestyle risk factors and mental health problems (smoking, alcohol and drug misuse, problem gambling, depression, anxiety, abuse, anger). Data analysis used descriptive statistics and non-parametric binomial tests with adjusting for clustering by practitioner using STATA survey analysis. Results Approximately 3/100 (3%) answered yes to the gambling question. Those worried about gambling more likely to be male OR 1.85 (95% CI 1.1 to 3.1). Increasing age reduced likelihood of gambling concerns – logistic regression for complex survey data OR = 0.99 (CI 95% 0.97 to 0.99) p = 0.04 for each year older. Patients concerned about gambling were significantly more likely (all p < 0.0001) to have concerns about their smoking, use of recreational drugs, and alcohol. Similarly there were more likely to indicate problems with depression, anxiety and anger control. No significant relationship with gambling worries was found for abuse, physical inactivity or weight concerns. Patients expressing concerns about gambling were significantly more likely to want help with smoking, other drug use, depression and anxiety. Conclusion Our questionnaire identifies patients who express a need for help with gambling and other lifestyle and mental health issues. Screening for gambling in primary care has the potential to identify individuals with multiple co-occurring disorders. PMID:16606465

  17. Prevalence estimates of depression in elderly community-dwelling African Americans in Indianapolis and Yoruba in Ibadan, Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Baiyewu, Olusegun; Smith-Gamble, Valerie; Lane, Kathleen A; Gureje, Oye; Gao, Sujuan; Ogunniyi, Adesola; Unverzagt, Frederick W; Hall, Kathleen S; Hendrie, Hugh C

    2007-08-01

    This is a community-based longitudinal epidemiological comparative study of elderly African Americans in Indianapolis and elderly Yoruba in Ibadan, Nigeria. A two-stage study was designed in which community-based individuals were first screened using the Community Screening Interview for Dementia. The second stage was a full clinical assessment, which included use of the Geriatric Depression Scale, of a smaller sub-sample of individuals selected on the basis of their performance in the screening interview. Prevalence of depression was estimated using sampling weights according to the sampling stratification scheme for clinical assessment. Some 2627 individuals were evaluated at the first stage in Indianapolis and 2806 in Ibadan. All were aged 69 years and over. Of these, 451 (17.2%) underwent clinical assessment in Indianapolis, while 605 (21.6%) were assessed in Ibadan. The prevalence estimates of both mild and severe depression were similar for the two sites (p=0.1273 and p=0.7093): 12.3% (mild depression) and 2.2% (severe depression) in Indianapolis and 19.8% and 1.6% respectively in Ibadan. Some differences were identified in association with demographic characteristics; for example, Ibadan men had a significantly higher prevalence of mild depression than Indianapolis men (p<0.0001). Poor cognitive performance was associated with significantly higher rates of depression in Yoruba (p=0.0039). Prevalence of depression was similar for elderly African Americans and Yoruba despite considerable socioeconomic and cultural differences between these populations.

  18. Prevalence estimates of depression in elderly community-dwelling African Americans in Indianapolis and Yoruba in Ibadan, Nigeria

    PubMed Central

    Baiyewu, Olusegun; Smith-Gamble, Valerie; Lane, Kathleen A.; Gureje, Oye; Gao, Sujuan; Ogunniyi, Adesola; Unverzagt, Frederick W.; Hall, Kathleen S.; Hendrie, Hugh C.

    2010-01-01

    Background This is a community-based longitudinal epidemiological comparative study of elderly African Americans in Indianapolis and elderly Yoruba in Ibadan, Nigeria. Method A two-stage study was designed in which community-based individuals were first screened using the Community Screening Interview for Dementia. The second stage was a full clinical assessment, which included use of the Geriatric Depression Scale, of a smaller sub-sample of individuals selected on the basis of their performance in the screening interview. Prevalence of depression was estimated using sampling weights according to the sampling stratification scheme for clinical assessment. Results Some 2627 individuals were evaluated at the first stage in Indianapolis and 2806 in Ibadan. All were aged 69 years and over. Of these, 451 (17.2%) underwent clinical assessment in Indianapolis, while 605 (21.6%) were assessed in Ibadan. The prevalence estimates of both mild and severe depression were similar for the two sites (p = 0.1273 and p = 0.7093): 12.3% (mild depression) and 2.2% (severe depression) in Indianapolis and 19.8% and 1.6% respectively in Ibadan. Some differences were identified in association with demographic characteristics; for example, Ibadan men had a significantly higher prevalence of mild depression than Indianapolis men (p < 0.0001). Poor cognitive performance was associated with significantly higher rates of depression in Yoruba (p = 0.0039). Conclusion Prevalence of depression was similar for elderly African Americans and Yoruba despite considerable socioeconomic and cultural differences between these populations. PMID:17506912

  19. Psychometric properties of the postpartum depression screening scale beyond the postpartum period.

    PubMed

    Vogeli, Jo M; Hooker, Stephanie A; Everhart, Kevin D; Kaplan, Peter S

    2018-04-01

    Accurate postpartum depression screening measures are needed to identify mothers with depressive symptoms both in the postpartum period and beyond. Because it had not been tested beyond the immediate postpartum period, the reliability and validity of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) and its sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value for diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD) were assessed in a diverse community sample of 238 mothers of 4- to 15-month-old infants. Mothers (N = 238; M age = 30.2, SD = 5.3) attended a lab session and completed the PDSS, the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and a structured clinical interview (SCID) to diagnose MDD. The reliability, validity, specificity, sensitivity, and predictive value of the PDSS to identify maternal depression were assessed. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the construct validity of five but not seven content subscales. The PDSS total and subscale scores demonstrated acceptable to high reliability (α = 0.68-0.95). Discriminant function analysis showed the scale correctly provided diagnostic classification at a rate higher than chance alone. Sensitivity and specificity for major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnosis were good and comparable to those of the BDI-II. Even in mothers who were somewhat more diverse and had older infants than those in the original normative study, the PDSS appears to be a psychometrically sound screener for identifying depressed mothers in the 15 months after childbirth. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Is Military Deployment a Risk Factor for Maternal Depression?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-01-01

    manic depressive disorder, schizophrenia , or psy- chosis, or reported currently taking medication for anxiety, depression, or stress were classified as...Nielsen PE, Deering SH. Effects of deployment on depression screening scores in pregnancy at an Army military treatment facility. Obstet Gynecol 2010;116

  1. Missed opportunity to screen and diagnose PTSD and depression among deploying shipboard US military personnel

    PubMed Central

    Hale, Braden R.; Michael, Nelson L.; Scott, Paul T.

    2016-01-01

    Background Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are significant risks for suicide and other adverse events among US military personnel, but prevalence data among ship-assigned personnel at the onset of deployment are unknown. Aims To determine the prevalence of shipboard personnel who screen positive for PTSD and/or major depressive disorder (MDD) at the onset of deployment, and also those who reported these diagnoses made by a physician or healthcare professional in the year prior to deployment. Method Active-duty ship-assigned personnel (N = 2078) completed anonymous assessments at the beginning of deployment. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; score of ≥22), and PTSD was assessed using the PTSD Checklist–Civilian Version (PCL-C; both score and symptom criteria were used). Results In total, 7.3% (n = 151 of 2076) screened positive for PTSD and 22% (n = 461 of 2078) for MDD at deployment onset. Only 6% and 15% of those who screened positive for PTSD or MDD, respectively, had been diagnosed by a healthcare professional in the past year. Conclusions Missed opportunities for mental healthcare among screen-positive shipboard personnel reduce the benefits associated with early identification and linkage to care. Improved methods of mental health screening that promote early recognition and referral to care may mitigate psychiatric events in theatre. Declaration of interest This work was performed as part of the official duties of the authors as military service members or employees of the US Government. Copyright and usage This work was prepared by military service members or employees of the US Government as part of their official duties. As such, copyright protection is not available for this work (Title 17, USC, §105). PMID:27713833

  2. Screening for Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms During Pregnancy and Postpartum at a Japanese Perinatal Center

    PubMed Central

    Suzuki, Shunji; Eto, Masako

    2017-01-01

    Background We examined the current status of depressive and anxiety symptoms in Japanese women during pregnancy and postpartum. Methods We asked 220 Japanese women who gave birth to singleton babies at term to answer the two self-administered questionnaires (Whooley’s two questions and two-item generalized anxiety disorder scale) at first, second and third trimester of pregnancy and 1 month after delivery. Results The rates of women with depressive symptoms were common during the first trimester of pregnancy (25%) and the postpartum (17%), while the women with anxiety symptoms were common during the first trimester of pregnancy (36%). Eight percent women had histories of mental disorders, and 95% of them showed depressive and/or anxiety symptoms somewhere during pregnancy. Of the women who had depressive symptoms during postpartum, 86% showed depressive and/or anxiety symptoms somewhere during pregnancy. Conclusion Screening for depressive and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy was suggested to be useful to detect high risk women of postpartum depression. PMID:28496552

  3. Screening for Depression after Cardiac Events Using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and the Geriatric Depression Scale

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Low, Gail D.; Hubley, Anita M.

    2007-01-01

    Despite findings that depression is a risk factor for heart disease and for death following cardiac events and that depressed cardiac patients experience significantly reduced quality of life and are less likely to follow treatment regimens, depression is neither adequately identified nor treated in cardiac patients. Recent calls in the literature…

  4. Mental health and health-related quality of life of Chinese college students who were the victims of dating violence.

    PubMed

    Choi, Edmond P H; Wong, Janet Y H; Fong, Daniel Y T

    2017-04-01

    The aim of the study is to evaluate the mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Chinese college students who were the victims of dating violence. Six hundred and fifty-two subjects were included in the data analysis. Subjects completed a structured questionnaire containing the Woman Abuse Screening tool, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the 10-item version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF). Analysis by independent t test suggested that victims of dating violence had more severe depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms and poorer HRQOL than non-victims. Multiple linear regression models found that more severe dating violence victimization was associated with more severe depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms. The mediation analysis found that after simultaneously controlling for the degree of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms, the direct effect between dating violence severity and HRQOL, as measured by overall HRQOL and the global health, physical and environment domains of the WHOQOL-BREF, was statistically insignificant, supporting a full-mediation model. The relationship between dating violence severity and the social domain of HRQOL was partially mediated by the degree of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms. Victims of dating violence had poorer mental health and HRQOL than non-victims. The study findings affirm the importance of assessing depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms in victims and the need to improve their depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms to diminish the negative effects of dating violence, which are apparent in their HRQOL.

  5. Screening for Social Determinants of Health Among Children and Families Living in Poverty: A Guide for Clinicians.

    PubMed

    Chung, Esther K; Siegel, Benjamin S; Garg, Arvin; Conroy, Kathleen; Gross, Rachel S; Long, Dayna A; Lewis, Gena; Osman, Cynthia J; Jo Messito, Mary; Wade, Roy; Shonna Yin, H; Cox, Joanne; Fierman, Arthur H

    2016-05-01

    Approximately 20% of all children in the United States live in poverty, which exists in rural, urban, and suburban areas. Thus, all child health clinicians need to be familiar with the effects of poverty on health and to understand associated, preventable, and modifiable social factors that impact health. Social determinants of health are identifiable root causes of medical problems. For children living in poverty, social determinants of health for which clinicians may play a role include the following: child maltreatment, child care and education, family financial support, physical environment, family social support, intimate partner violence, maternal depression and family mental illness, household substance abuse, firearm exposure, and parental health literacy. Children, particularly those living in poverty, exposed to adverse childhood experiences are susceptible to toxic stress and a variety of child and adult health problems, including developmental delay, asthma and heart disease. Despite the detrimental effects of social determinants on health, few child health clinicians routinely address the unmet social and psychosocial factors impacting children and their families during routine primary care visits. Clinicians need tools to screen for social determinants of health and to be familiar with available local and national resources to address these issues. These guidelines provide an overview of social determinants of health impacting children living in poverty and provide clinicians with practical screening tools and resources. Copyright © 2016 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Motivation and Pleasure Scale-Self-Report (MAP-SR): Validation of the German version of a self-report measure for screening negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Engel, Maike; Lincoln, Tania Marie

    2016-02-01

    Validated self-report instruments could provide a time efficient screening method for negative symptoms in people with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a German version of the Motivation and Pleasure Scale-Self-Report (MAP-SR) which is based on the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS). In- and outpatients (N=50) with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were assessed with standardized interviews and questionnaires on negative and positive symptoms and general psychopathology in schizophrenia, depression, and global functioning. The German version of the MAP-SR showed high internal consistency. Convergent validity was supported by significant correlations between the MAP-SR with the experience sub-scale of the CAINS and the negative symptom sub-scale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The MAP-SR also exhibited discriminant validity indicated by its non-significant correlations with positive symptoms and general psychopathology, which is in line with the findings for the original version of the MAP-SR. However, the MAP-SR correlated moderately with depression. The German MAP-SR appears to be a valid and suitable diagnostic tool for the identification of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 among English- and Spanish-speaking Latinas.

    PubMed

    Merz, Erin L; Malcarne, Vanessa L; Roesch, Scott C; Riley, Natasha; Sadler, Georgia Robins

    2011-07-01

    Depression is a significant problem for ethnic minorities that remains understudied partly due to a lack of strong measures with established psychometric properties. One screening tool, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which was developed for use in primary care has also gained popularity in research settings. The reliability and validity of the PHQ-9 has been well established among predominantly Caucasian samples, in addition to many minority groups. However, there is little evidence regarding its utility among Hispanic Americans, a large and growing cultural group in the United States. In this study, we investigated the reliability and structural validity of the PHQ-9 in Hispanic American women. A community sample of 479 Latina women from southern California completed the PHQ-9 in their preferred language of English or Spanish. Cronbach's alphas suggested that there was good internal consistency for both the English- and Spanish-language versions. Structural validity was investigated using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. Results support a similar one-factor structure with equivalent response patterns and variances among English- and Spanish-speaking Latinas. These results suggest that the PHQ-9 can be used with confidence in both English and Spanish versions to screen Latinas for depression.

  8. A Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 among English- and Spanish-speaking Latinas

    PubMed Central

    Merz, Erin L.; Malcarne, Vanessa L.; Roesch, Scott C.; Riley, Natasha; Sadler, Georgia Robins

    2014-01-01

    Depression is a significant problem for ethnic minorities that remains understudied partly due to a lack of strong measures with established psychometric properties. One screening tool, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which was developed for use in primary care has also gained popularity in research settings. The reliability and validity of the PHQ-9 has been well established among predominantly Caucasian samples, in addition to many minority groups. However, there is little evidence regarding its utility among Hispanic Americans, a large and growing cultural group in the United States. In this study, we investigated the reliability and structural validity of the PHQ-9 in Hispanic American women. A community sample of 479 Latina women from southern California completed the PHQ-9 in their preferred language of English or Spanish. Cronbach’s alphas suggested that there was good internal consistency for both the English- and Spanish-language versions. Structural validity was investigated using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results support a similar one-factor structure with equivalent response patterns and variances among English- and Spanish-speaking Latinas. These results suggest that the PHQ-9 can be used with confidence in both English and Spanish versions to screen Latinas for depression. PMID:21787063

  9. Comparative Study of Different Methods for the Prediction of Drug-Polymer Solubility.

    PubMed

    Knopp, Matthias Manne; Tajber, Lidia; Tian, Yiwei; Olesen, Niels Erik; Jones, David S; Kozyra, Agnieszka; Löbmann, Korbinian; Paluch, Krzysztof; Brennan, Claire Marie; Holm, René; Healy, Anne Marie; Andrews, Gavin P; Rades, Thomas

    2015-09-08

    In this study, a comparison of different methods to predict drug-polymer solubility was carried out on binary systems consisting of five model drugs (paracetamol, chloramphenicol, celecoxib, indomethacin, and felodipine) and polyvinylpyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymers (PVP/VA) of different monomer weight ratios. The drug-polymer solubility at 25 °C was predicted using the Flory-Huggins model, from data obtained at elevated temperature using thermal analysis methods based on the recrystallization of a supersaturated amorphous solid dispersion and two variations of the melting point depression method. These predictions were compared with the solubility in the low molecular weight liquid analogues of the PVP/VA copolymer (N-vinylpyrrolidone and vinyl acetate). The predicted solubilities at 25 °C varied considerably depending on the method used. However, the three thermal analysis methods ranked the predicted solubilities in the same order, except for the felodipine-PVP system. Furthermore, the magnitude of the predicted solubilities from the recrystallization method and melting point depression method correlated well with the estimates based on the solubility in the liquid analogues, which suggests that this method can be used as an initial screening tool if a liquid analogue is available. The learnings of this important comparative study provided general guidance for the selection of the most suitable method(s) for the screening of drug-polymer solubility.

  10. Practice-based learning and systems-based practice: detection and treatment monitoring of generalized anxiety and depression in primary care.

    PubMed

    Zupancic, Melanie; Yu, Siegfried; Kandukuri, Rajeev; Singh, Shilpa; Tumyan, Anna

    2010-09-01

    Quality assurance/quality improvement projects are an important part of professional development in graduate medical education. The purpose of our quality improvement study was to evaluate whether (1) the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale questionnaire increases detection of anxiety and (2) the Quick Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology Self Report (QIDS-SR) increases detection of depression in a primary care setting. We also aimed to determine whether monitoring patients with depression or generalized anxiety using the QIDS-SR and GAD-7 scales influences treatment changes in the primary care setting. Patients seen in a general internal medicine clinic between August 2008 and March 2009 were asked to fill out the QID-SR questionnaire and GAD-7 as part of a resident quality improvement project. We measured the prevalence of anxiety and depression during 6 months prior to the use of the GAD-7 and QIDS-SR instruments during the intervention period. We also compared the frequency of treatment changes initiated both 12 months prior to and during the intervention period. The aforementioned measures were performed with use of a retrospective chart review. The prevalence of anxiety was 15.2% in the pre-intervention period and 33.3% in the intervention period, and the prevalence of depression was 38.9% in the prescreening period and 54.8% during the screening period (P value for both was <0.001). The change in anxiety therapy was 21.6% in the prescreening period and 62.2% in the screening period (P  =  .028). The change in depression therapy was 23.2% in the pre-intervention period and 52.1% in the intervention period (P  =  .025). Routine screening for depression and anxiety may help clinicians detect previously undiagnosed anxiety and depression and also may facilitate identification of needed treatment changes. Further work is needed to determine whether routine screening improves patient outcomes.

  11. Outcomes of Community-Based Screening for Depression and Suicide Prevention among Japanese Elders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oyama, Hirofumi; Fujita, Motoi; Goto, Masahiro; Shibuya, Hiroshi; Sakashita, Tomoe

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: In this study we evaluate outcomes of a community-based program to prevent suicide among elderly individuals aged 65 and older. Design and Methods: We used a quasi-experimental design with intervention and referent municipalities. The program included a 7-year implementation of depression screening with follow-up by general practitioners…

  12. A Predictive Screening Index for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression following Traumatic Injury

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Donnell, Meaghan L.; Creamer, Mark C.; Parslow, Ruth; Elliott, Peter; Holmes, Alexander C. N.; Ellen, Steven; Judson, Rodney; McFarlane, Alexander C.; Silove, Derrick; Bryant, Richard A.

    2008-01-01

    Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive episode (MDE) are frequent and disabling consequences of surviving severe injury. The majority of those who develop these problems are not identified or treated. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a screening instrument that identifies, during hospitalization, adults at high…

  13. Factors Associated with Recruitment and Screening in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    May, Diane E.; Hallin, Mary J.; Kratochvil, Christopher J.; Puumala, Susan E.; Smith, Lynette S.; Reinecke, Mark A.; Silva, Susan G.; Weller, Elizabeth B.; Vitiello, Benedetto; Breland-Noble, Alfiee; March, John S.

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To examine factors associated with eligibility and randomization and consider the efficiency of recruitment methods. Method: Adolescents, ages 12 to 17 years, were telephone screened (N = 2,804) followed by in-person evaluation (N = 1,088) for the Treatment for Adolescents With Depression Study. Separate logistic regression models,…

  14. Sensitivity and specificity of the Beck Depression Inventory in cardiologic inpatients: how useful is the conventional cut-off score?

    PubMed

    Forkmann, Thomas; Vehren, Thomas; Boecker, Maren; Norra, Christine; Wirtz, Markus; Gauggel, Siegfried

    2009-10-01

    The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is widely used for depression screening in various patient populations. However, there are still insufficient data about its sensitivity and specificity in nonpsychiatric patients. Furthermore, some research suggests that somatic BDI items heighten its sum score artificially in physically ill patients. The aim of the present study was to validate the conventional BDI cut-off score by examination of its sensitivity and specificity in a mixed sample of cardiac inpatients and compare it to a modified "cognitive-emotional" BDI (BDI(c/e)) after exclusion of somatic items. A total of 126 cardiologic inpatients were assessed. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were calculated for total BDI (BDI(t)) and BDI(c/e). Screening performance of cut-off scores was evaluated using the Youden Index (Y). With the application of the conventional BDI cut-off score, ROC analysis revealed a moderate overall screening performance with Y=52.6 and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.83. In contrast, Y improved to 57.5 at a cut-off score of >9, but screening performance was still not optimal. BDI(c/e) showed also a moderate screening performance (AUC=.82); Y was maximized at a cut-off score of >8 (Y=0.53.5). Again, no cut-off score provided optimal screening performance. The BDI cannot be recommended as a formal screening instrument in cardiac inpatients since no cut-off score for either BDI(t) or BDI(c/e) combined both sufficiently high sensitivity and specificity. However, the shorter BDI(c/e) could be used as alternative to BDI(t) which may be confounded in physically ill patients. Generally, researchers should consider using alternative screening instruments (e.g., the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) instead.

  15. Psychosis risk screening: Validation of the youth psychosis at-risk questionnaire - brief in a community-derived sample of adolescents.

    PubMed

    Fonseca-Pedrero, Eduardo; Ortuño-Sierra, Javier; Chocarro, Edurne; Inchausti, Felix; Debbané, Martin; Bobes, Julio

    2017-12-01

    There have been several attempts to identify individuals potentially at high risk for psychotic-spectrum disorders using brief screening measures. However, relatively few studies have tested the psychometric properties of the psychosis screening measures in representative samples of adolescents. The main purpose of the present study was to analyse the prevalence, factorial structure, measurement invariance across gender, and reliability of the Youth Psychosis At-Risk Questionnaire - Brief (YPARQ-B) in a community-derived sample of adolescents. Additionally, the relationship between YPARQ-B, depressive symptoms, psychopathology, stress manifestations, and prosocial skills was analysed. One thousand and twenty students from high schools participated in a cross-sectional survey. The YPARQ-B, the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Student Stress Inventory - Stress Manifestations were used. A total of 85.1% of the total sample self-reported at least one subclinical psychotic experience. We observed a total of 10.9% of adolescents with a cutoff score of ≥11 or 6.8% with a cutoff score of ≥13. The analysis of internal structure of the YPARQ-B yielded an essentially unidimensional structure. The YPARQ-B scores showed measurement invariance across gender. The internal consistency of the YPARQ-B total score was 0.94. Furthermore, self-reported subclinical psychotic experiences were associated with depressive symptoms, emotional and behavioural problems, poor prosocial skills, and stress manifestations. These results would appear to indicate that YPARQ-B is a brief and easy tool to assess self-reported subclinical psychotic experiences in adolescents from the general population. The assessment of these experiences in community settings, and its associations with psychopathology, may help us to enhance the possibility of an early identification of adolescents potentially at risk for psychosis and mental health problems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. Depressive Symptoms Correlate with Disability and Disease Course in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: An Italian Multi-Center Study Using the Beck Depression Inventory.

    PubMed

    Solaro, C; Trabucco, E; Signori, A; Martinelli, V; Radaelli, M; Centonze, D; Rossi, S; Grasso, M G; Clemenzi, A; Bonavita, S; D'Ambrosio, A; Patti, F; D'Amico, E; Cruccu, G; Truini, A

    2016-01-01

    Depression occurs in about 50% of patients with multiple sclerosis. The aims of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in a multicenter MS population using the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI II) and to identify possible correlations between the BDI II score and demographic and clinical variables. Data were collected in a multi-center, cross-sectional study over a period of six months in six MS centers in Italy using BDI II. 1,011 MS patients participated in the study. 676 subjects were female, with a mean age of 34 years (SD 10.8), mean EDSS of 3.3 (0-8.5) and mean disease duration of 10.3 years (range 1-50 years). 668 (%) subjects scored lower than 14 on the BDI II and 343 (33.9%) scored greater than 14 (14 cut-off score). For patients with BDI>14 multivariate analysis showed a significant difference between EDSS and disease course. BDI II scores for subjects with secondary progressive (SP) MS were significantly different from primary progressive (PP) patients (p < 0.001) but similar to relapsing-remitting (RR) patients. Considering subjects with moderate to severe depressive symptoms (BDI II score from 20-63), in relation to disease course, 11.7% (83/710) had RR MS, 40.7% (96/236) SP and 13.6% (6/44) PP. Using the BDI II, 30% of the current sample had depressive symptoms. BDI II score correlates with disability and disease course, particularly in subjects with SP MS. The BDI II scale can be a useful tool in clinical practice to screen depressive symptoms in people with MS.

  17. Association between depression in carers and malnutrition in children aged 6 months to 5 years.

    PubMed

    Motlhatlhedi, Keneilwe; Setlhare, Vincent; Ganiyu, Adewale; Firth, Jacqueline

    2017-01-30

     Childhood malnutrition is an important risk factor for child mortality and underlies close to 50% of child deaths worldwide. Previous studies have found an association between maternal depression and child malnutrition, but it is not known whether this association exists in Botswana. In addition, previous studies excluded non-maternal primary caregivers (PCGs). It is unclear whether the association between primary caregiver depression and child malnutrition remains when non-maternal PCGs are included. The aim of this study was to determine if there is an association between PCG depression and malnutrition in children aged between 6 months and 5 years in Mahalapye, Botswana. The study was conducted in the child welfare clinics of Xhosa and Airstrip clinics, two primary health care facilities in Mahalapye, Botswana. This was a case control study. Cases were malnourished children aged between 6 months and 5 years, and controls were non-malnourished children matched for age and gender. The outcome of interest was depression in the PCGs of the cases and controls, which was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ 9), a depression screening tool. From a sample of 171 children, 84 of whom were malnourished, we found that the malnourished children were significantly more likely to have depressed PCGs (odds ratio = 4.33; 95% CI: 1.89, 9.89) than non-malnourished children in the 6-month to 5-year age group; the PCGs of malnourished children also had lower educational status. This study found a significant association between PCG depression and child malnutrition.

  18. UTILITY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCREENING OF YOUNG ADULTS WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES TRANSITIONING TO ADULT PROVIDERS.

    PubMed

    Quinn, Sheila M; Ambrosino, Jodie M; Doyle, Elizabeth A; Weyman, K; Tamborlane, William V; Jastreboff, Ania M

    2016-09-01

    Screening for depression, diabetes distress, and disordered eating in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is recommended, as these comorbidities contribute to poor glycemic control. No consensus exists on which measures are optimal, and most previous studies have used nondisease-specific measures. We examined the utility of screening for these disorders using two disease-specific and one general measure at the time of transition from pediatric to adult care. Forty-three young adults from a T1D transition clinic completed the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Diabetes Distress Scale, and the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised. Chart review determined if clinicians noted similar symptoms during the year prior to transition. Metabolic data were also recorded. Chart review identified 5 patients with depressive symptoms and 8 patients with diabetes distress. Screening identified 2 additional patients with depressive symptoms and 1 additional patient with diabetes distress. Of those noted to have symptomatic depression or diabetes distress on chart review, several subsequently screened negative on transition. Disordered eating was not detected by chart review, but 23.5% screened positive on transition. While depression, diabetes distress, and disordered eating positively correlated with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (r = 0.31, P = .05; r = 0.40, P = .009; r = 0.63, P<.001, respectively), disordered eating accounted for the majority of observed variance (df = 1; F = 18.6; P<.001). Even though HbA1c was higher in patients with versus without disordered eating (P<.001), body mass index did not differ between the 2 groups (P = .51). In young adults with T1D, formal screening provides an opportunity to detect psychological problems, which, when treated, may help optimize metabolic control during the transition process. T1D = type 1 diabetes HbA1C = hemoglobin A1c YCDP = Yale Children's Diabetes Program PHQ-8 = Patient Health Questionnaire-8 DDS = Diabetes Distress Scale DEPS-R = Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised.

  19. Fire interest, fire setting and psychopathology in Australian children: a normative study.

    PubMed

    Dadds, Mark R; Fraser, Jennifer A

    2006-01-01

    Child and adolescent fire setting is associated with a broad pattern of antisocial behaviour and is associated with huge costs to the Australian community. Assessment and treatment options have principally been tested in clinically referred or incarcerated children and adolescents. Little information is available about fire setting in normal populations and thus opportunities for screening and early intervention are not well developed. In this study, a large sample of 4- to 9-year-old children were assessed using a seven-item fire interest history screen with other measures of antisocial behaviour, children's mental health, parenting style and quality and parenting stress. These were followed-up with parent and teacher report measures and a diagnostic interview at 12 months. The fire history screening tool demonstrated utility in screening for early signs of fire setting. Prevalences of fire interest, and match- and fire-play were low overall but consistently higher for boys than for girls across ages. As expected, fire setting was associated with parental stress and a range of antisocial behaviours including conduct problems, hyperactivity, cruelty to animals and thrill-seeking temperament. In girls, it was also associated with anxiety/depression problems. Fire behaviours in children are related to broader psychopathology and family stress, and can be effectively identified in young children using a brief screening measure.

  20. Screening and Intervention for Comorbid Substance Disorders, PTSD, Depression, and Suicide: A Trauma Center Survey.

    PubMed

    Love, Jeff; Zatzick, Douglas

    2014-07-01

    Few investigations have examined screening and intervention procedures for comorbid substance use and mental disorders at trauma centers in the United States, although these disorders are endemic among survivors of traumatic injury. In 2006, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) mandated that level I and level II trauma centers screen for alcohol use problems and that level I centers provide brief intervention for those who screen positive. The ACS is expected to recommend best practice policy guidelines for screening for drug use problems and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined screening and intervention procedures for the full spectrum of comorbid mental and substance use disorders at U.S. trauma centers. Respondents at all level I and level II trauma centers (N=518) in the United States were asked to complete a survey describing screening and intervention procedures for alcohol and drug use problems, suicidality, depression, and PTSD. There were 391 (75%) respondents. Over 80% of trauma centers routinely screened for alcohol and drug use problems. Routine screening and intervention for suicidality, depression, and PTSD were markedly less common; in fact, only 7% of centers reported routine screening for PTSD. Consistent with ACS policy, level I centers were significantly more likely than level II centers to provide alcohol intervention. Alcohol screening and intervention occurred frequently at U.S. trauma centers and appeared to be responsive to ACS mandates. In the future, efforts to orchestrate clinical investigation and policy could enhance screening and intervention procedures for highly prevalent, comorbid mental disorders.

  1. Depression and self-esteem: rapid screening for depression in black, low literacy, hospitalized tuberculosis patients.

    PubMed

    Westaway, M S; Wolmarans, L

    1992-11-01

    One hundred black hospitalized tuberculosis (TB) patients (75 males and 25 females) were interviewed to ascertain levels of depression and self-esteem. The standard of literacy for 65% of the sample was such that they were unable to complete a self-report inventory. Reliability (internal consistency) was good for the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI: r = 0.79), the 13-item shortened BDI (ABDI: r = 0.76) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (RSE: r = 0.78). There was a significant positive relationship between the BDI and the ABDI (r = 0.92, P = 0.0001). The recommended ABDI cut-off scores established no depression for 32 patients, mild depression for 22 patients, moderate depression for 38 patients and severe depression for 8 patients. There were significant negative relationships between the BDI and the RSE (r = -0.54, P = 0.0001), and between the ABDI and the RSE (r = -0.56, P = 0.0001). Self-esteem scores dropped in accordance with category of depression, revealing that low self-esteem is a characteristic feature of depression. It was concluded that the ABDI was a reliable, rapid, initial screening device for depression in black persons with low literacy levels.

  2. Predictive validity of the Hendrich fall risk model II in an acute geriatric unit.

    PubMed

    Ivziku, Dhurata; Matarese, Maria; Pedone, Claudio

    2011-04-01

    Falls are the most common adverse events reported in acute care hospitals, and older patients are the most likely to fall. The risk of falling cannot be completely eliminated, but it can be reduced through the implementation of a fall prevention program. A major evidence-based intervention to prevent falls has been the use of fall-risk assessment tools. Many tools have been increasingly developed in recent years, but most instruments have not been investigated regarding reliability, validity and clinical usefulness. This study intends to evaluate the predictive validity and inter-rater reliability of Hendrich fall risk model II (HFRM II) in order to identify older patients at risk of falling in geriatric units and recommend its use in clinical practice. A prospective descriptive design was used. The study was carried out in a geriatric acute care unit of an Italian University hospital. All over 65 years old patients consecutively admitted to a geriatric acute care unit of an Italian University hospital over 8-month period were enrolled. The patients enrolled were screened for the falls risk by nurses with the HFRM II within 24h of admission. The falls occurring during the patient's hospital stay were registered. Inter-rater reliability, area under the ROC curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and time for the administration were evaluated. 179 elderly patients were included. The inter-rater reliability was 0.87 (95% CI 0.71-1.00). The administration time was about 1min. The most frequently reported risk factors were depression, incontinence, vertigo. Sensitivity and specificity were respectively 86% and 43%. The optimal cut-off score for screening at risk patients was 5 with an area under the ROC curve of 0.72. The risk factors more strongly associated with falls were confusion and depression. As falls of older patients are a common problem in acute care settings it is necessary that the nurses use specific validate and reliable fall risk assessment tools in order to implement the most effective prevention measures. Our findings provided supporting evidence to the choice of the HFRM II to screen older patients at risk of falling in acute care settings. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Screening of the unrecognised bipolar disorders among outpatients with recurrent depressive disorder: a cross-sectional study in psychiatric hospital in Morocco.

    PubMed

    Bouchra, Oneib; Maria, Sabir; Abderazak, Ouanass

    2017-01-01

    The bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed in particular among outpatients with recurrent depression. Indeed, this work confirmed that the unrecognised bipolar disorder is common among depressed outpatients, which were younger, unemployed, single or divorced with a low socio-economic level. These socio-demographics data gives us an idea about the disability experienced by the unknown bipolar patients. Also, we demonstrate that the under-diagnosis bipolar disorder was associated with the earliest onset age of a depressive episode and it was more prevalent in depressed patients with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. These factors should be taken into account when we screen for the unknowm bipolar disorder, especially type II to improve the early diagnosis and the quality of life of these patients.

  4. Everything in Moderation: Moderate Use of Screens Unassociated with Child Behavior Problems.

    PubMed

    Ferguson, Christopher J

    2017-12-01

    The impact of children's use of "screen" media including television and computer games, continues to be debated. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) until recently recommended a relatively restrictive screen time diet of 2 h or less for most youth. A representative correlational sample of youth were assessed for links between screen time and risky behavioral outcomes. Data collection occurred in 2013 conducted by the State of Florida. Use of screens that was moderately high, in excess of the AAP's former recommendations, but not excessive (1 SD or higher than average), was not associated with delinquency, risky behaviors, sexual behaviors, substance abuse, reduced grades or mental health problems. Even excessive screen use (1 SD or higher) was only weakly associated with negative outcomes related to delinquency, grades and depression only, and at levels unlikely to be practically significant. Results conceptually replicate those of Przybylski (2014) with a US sample for depression and delinquency as outcomes. Moderate use of screens, though in excess of the AAP's historical recommendations, are unassociated with problem outcomes. Excessive use of screens is only weakly associated with negative outcomes, and only those related to depression and delinquency as well as reduced grades, but not risky driving, substance use, risky sex or disordered eating. Although an "everything in moderation" message when discussing screen time with parents may be most productive, results do not support a strong focus on screen time as a preventative measure for youth problem behaviors.

  5. The neuropsychological differentiation of patients with very mild Alzheimer's disease and/or major depression.

    PubMed

    desRosiers, G; Hodges, J R; Berrios, G

    1995-11-01

    To evaluate the usefulness of standardized neuropsychological tests in the psychometric differentiation of patients with very mild or mild Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and/or major depression presenting in a tertiary clinic with memory/attention complaints. Controlled prospective clinicoexperimental design. Multidisciplinary Memory Clinic at Addenbroke's Hospital, Cambridge, England. Twenty-four patients with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (12 with major depression and 12 without), 12 patients with major depressive illness but without AD, and 12 healthy control subjects, all matched for age, sex, education levels, and estimates of premorbid intellectual potential. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Wechsler's Logical Memory (WLM) and Visual Reproduction (WVR), immediate and delayed reproduction, Wechsler's paired Associate Learning (WPAL), including the Easy and Hard subsets. Warrington's Recognition Memory for Faces (WRMF), Kendrick's Object Learning (KOLT) and Digit Copying (KDCT) Tests. Minimum 2-year follow-up diagnosis. Statistically, patients with very mild AD were distinguished clearly from those without AD on most tests of memory functions. Psychometrically, only KOLT and an index of retention on WLM and WVR were specific enough to avoid false positives, a requirement for second-stage tools. They also proved sensitive enough to suggest their role as first-stage instruments when screening for primary dementia in high-functioning patients scoring above the cut-point on MMSE. As efforts intensify to develop more powerful means to identify patients with Alzheimer's disease in its earliest stages, inclusion of specialist tests posing greater cognitive challenge than standard mental status scales has been one strategy. Our study explored how some of these neuropsychological tools behave psychometrically when analyzed on a single-case basis, and the results suggest a few are sensitive enough to boost detection above base rates alone while also being specific enough to reduce false alarms. Retention on Wechsler's Logical Memory and Visual Reproduction tasks and scores on Kendrick's Object Learning Test helped decrease the degree of ambiguity when cognitive profiles were used to distinguish depressed patients with Alzheimer disease from those without.

  6. Nature, prevalence and factors associated with depression among the elderly in a rural south Indian community.

    PubMed

    Rajkumar, A P; Thangadurai, P; Senthilkumar, P; Gayathri, K; Prince, M; Jacob, K S

    2009-04-01

    Depression in old age is an important public health problem causing considerable morbidity and disability worldwide. There is a dearth of community studies from India investigating geriatric depression and its associated risk factors. This study aimed to establish the nature, prevalence and factors associated with geriatric depression in a rural south Indian community. We recruited 1000 participants aged over 65 years from Kaniyambadi block, Vellore, India. We assessed their socio-demographic profile, psychiatric morbidity, cognitive functioning, anthropometrics and disability status using the following structured assessment tools: Geriatric Mental State, Community Screening Instrument for Dementia, Modified CERAD 10 word list learning task, History and Aetiology Schedule Dementia Diagnosis and Subtype, WHO Disability Assessment Scale II, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory. We adopted a case control framework to study the factors associated with geriatric depression. Prevalence of geriatric depression (ICD-10) within the previous one month was 12.7% (95% CI 10.64-14.76%). Low income (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.08-2.91), experiencing hunger (OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.56-4.26), history of cardiac illnesses (OR 4.75; 95% CI 1.96-11.52), transient ischemic attack (OR 2.43; 95% CI 1.17-5.05), past head injury (OR 2.70; 95% CI 1.36-5.36) and diabetes (OR 2.33; 95% CI 1.15-4.72) increased the risk for geriatric depression after adjusting for other determinants using conditional logistic regression. Having more confidants (OR 0.13; 95% CI 0.06-0.26) was the significant protective factor. Age, female gender, cognitive impairment and disability status were not significantly associated with geriatric depression. DSM-IV diagnosis of major depression was significantly correlated with experiencing hunger, diabetes, transient ischemic attack, past head injury, more disability and less nourishment; having more friends was protective. Geriatric depression is prevalent in rural south India. Poverty and physical ill health are risk factors for depression among elderly while good social support is protective.

  7. Unmet needs in young adults with a parent with a chronic condition: a mixed-method investigation and measure development study.

    PubMed

    Nicholls, Wendy; Patterson, Pandora; McDonald, Fiona E J; Hulbert-Williams, Nicholas J

    2017-03-01

    Given the high number of young adults caring for a family member, and the potential for adverse psychosocial outcomes, there is a need for a screening tool, with clinical utility, to identify those most vulnerable to poor outcomes and to aid targeted interventions. (i) To determine whether current knowledge from cancer literature regarding young carers is generalisable to chronic conditions and, therefore, whether an existing screening tool could be adapted for this population. (ii) To develop a measure of unmet needs in this population and conduct initial psychometric analysis. This was mixed method; interviews in study one informed measure development in study two. Inclusion criteria were as follows: having a parent with a chronic condition and being aged 16-24 years. In study 1, an interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted on interviews from seven young adults (age range 17-19 years). Study 2 explored factor structure, reliability and validity of the Offspring Chronic Illness Needs Inventory (OCINI). Participants were 73 females and 34 males (mean ages 18.22, SD = 1.16; 18.65, SD = 1.25). OCINI, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, and the Adult Carers Quality of Life Scale. Interviews communicated that the impact of their parent's condition went unacknowledged and resulted in psychosocial, support and informational needs. An exploratory principal axis analysis of the OCINI yielded five factors. Significant and positive correlations were found between unmet needs and stress, anxiety, and depression, and inversely with quality of life. The scale has applications in clinical settings where these young people, who are at risk of negative psychological outcomes, may be assessed and unmet needs targeted appropriately. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  8. The psychometric characteristics of the 4-item Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) as a screening tool in a non-clinical sample of Nigerian university students.

    PubMed

    Aloba, Olutayo; Ojeleye, Olubunmi; Aloba, Tolulope

    2017-04-01

    Suicide is a major contribution to mortality among university students in developed countries. There is no reliable and validated self-report suicide assessment scale with adequate sensitivity and specificity for the identification of Nigerian university students who are at risk of future suicidal behaviors. The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric characteristics of the 4 item Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) as a screening tool for suicide risk assessment among university undergraduate students in South-western Nigeria. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 536 undergraduate Nigerian students. The students completed the SBQ-R, in addition to a sociodemographic and academic related questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the 12 item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Suicidal risk categories among the students were determined by interviewing them with the items of the suicidality module section of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Cronbach's alpha for the SBQ-R items was 0.80. Construct validity was supported through significant positive correlations with the HADS-Anxiety and Depression subscales, and the GHQ-12. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve evaluation suggests that the best cut-off total score with the optimal sensitivity (0.882), specificity (0.875) and highest accuracy (0.879) was 8 in terms of identifying the students at high risk of suicide (Area Under the Curve=0.928; 95% Confidence Interval=0.890-0.966; Standard Error=0.019). The use of the SBQ-R may be an important and vital step in the prevention of suicidal attempts among Nigerian university students. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. [Late life depression or prodromal Alzheimer's disease: Which tools for the differential diagnosis?

    PubMed

    Gasser, A-I; Salamin, V; Zumbach, S

    2018-02-01

    Depression and Alzheimer's disease are both very frequent in elderly people. Cognitive deficits are the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, but they are also common in depressed elderly people who often present cognitive deficits such as memory, attention and executive function problems. On the other hand, people with early Alzheimer's disease demonstrate emotional and behavioral disorders generally encountered in depression such as loss of energy, apathy, mood disorder, and irritability. Thus, in older adults with depression, the presence of cognitive deficits can make it difficult to distinguish cognitive decline that is associated with a depressive illness and the decline encountered in Alzheimer's disease because the clinical picture of the two disorders are similar. However, early distinction between the two disorders is very important from a prognostic and therapeutical point of view. After a brief description of the relationship between depression and early Alzheimer's disease in elderly people, this paper aims to present an updated literature review of data on differential diagnoses between these disorders. We performed a non-systematical, yet as exhaustive as possible, literature search with Pubmed electronic database, screening studies from 2000 to 2016. The majority of the studies concerned cognitive aspects, but only a few studies investigated others markers such as cerebral imaging, electroencephalography, cerebrospinal fluid markers. At the neuropsychological examination, a detailed analysis of the mnesic profile revealed a better benefit of semantic cueing in patients with late life depression in comparison to those with prodromal Alzheimer's disease and better performances in recognition memory. Moreover, longitudinal follow-up of patients with depression indicated that deficits in delayed recall memory, but not in executive functions, were associated with the subsequent development of Alzheimer's disease. Several studies showed that tests of executive functions could not differentiate between patients with late life depression and patients with prodromal Alzheimer's disease. A measure of global cognitive decline does not seem to be helpful in differentiating early Alzheimer's disease and depression, unlike an analysis of the neuropsychological profile on several composite scales, such as the Mini Mental State Examination. Furthermore, recent work has investigated the utility of olfactory or gustative markers with promising results and convenient tools for clinical practice. Concerning morphological brain imaging, only detailed volumetric analysis could show differences between the two diseases, but these techniques are not always available for clinical practice. It is the same for other recent techniques, such as quantitative electroencephalography, Near InfraRed Spectroscopy, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, or Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography, which have received little attention so far as differential diagnostic tools. Finally, cerebrospinal fluid analysis could be useful, including beta amyloid levels. Despite numerous efforts in recent years, differential diagnosis of dementia from depression in the elderly remains difficult. Results of this review highlight the necessity of conducting more research in this area, with multi-method studies, using not only cognitive analysis but also cerebral imaging techniques. Copyright © 2017 L'Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  10. Teaching child psychiatric assessment skills: Using pediatric mental health screening tools.

    PubMed

    Hargrave, T M; Arthur, M E

    2015-01-01

    This article describes the workshop "Teaching Child Psychiatric Assessment Skills: Using Mental Health Screening Instruments," presented at the 35th Forum for Behavioral Sciences in Family Medicine on 20 September 2014. The goals of the presentation were (1) to teach family medicine behavioral health educators to use both general and problem-specific mental health screening tools (MHSTs) in their work with trainees to help satisfy the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) mandate for behavioral and mental health experience during family medicine residency, (2) to reflect on how MHSTs might be integrated into the flow of family medicine teaching practices, and (3) to exemplify how evidence-based methods of adult education might be used in teaching such content. One general MHST, the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 and one problem-specific MHST for each of the four commonest pediatric mental health issues: for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, the Vanderbilt; for Anxiety, the Screen for Childhood Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders; for Depression, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for teens; and for Aggression, the Retrospective-Modified Overt Aggression Scale, were practiced at least twice in the context of a clinical vignette. All of the selected MHSTs are free in the public domain and available for download from the website: www.CAPPCNY.org. Participants were asked to reflect on their own office practice characteristics and consider how MHSTs might be integrated into their systems of care. This workshop could be replicated by others wishing to teach the use of MHSTs in primary care settings or teaching programs. © The Author(s) 2015.

  11. Modeling the Impact of School-based Universal Depression Screening on Additional Service Capacity Needs: A System Dynamics Approach

    PubMed Central

    Lyon, Aaron R.; Maras, Melissa A.; Pate, Christina M.; Igusa, Takeru; Stoep, Ann Vander

    2016-01-01

    Although it is widely known that the occurrence of depression increases over the course of adolescence, symptoms of mood disorders frequently go undetected. While schools are viable settings for conducting universal screening to systematically identify students in need of services for common health conditions, particularly those that adversely affect school performance, few school districts routinely screen their students for depression. Among the most commonly referenced barriers are concerns that the number of students identified may exceed schools’ service delivery capacities, but few studies have evaluated this concern systematically. System dynamics (SD) modeling may prove a useful approach for answering questions of this sort. The goal of the current paper is therefore to demonstrate how SD modeling can be applied to inform implementation decisions in communities. In our demonstration, we used SD modeling to estimate the additional service demand generated by universal depression screening in a typical high school. We then simulated the effects of implementing “compensatory approaches” designed to address anticipated increases in service need through (1) the allocation of additional staff time and (2) improvements in the effectiveness of mental health interventions. Results support the ability of screening to facilitate more rapid entry into services and suggest that improving the effectiveness of mental health services for students with depression via the implementation of an evidence-based treatment protocol may have a limited impact on overall recovery rates and service availability. In our example, the SD approach proved useful in informing systems’ decision-making about the adoption of a new school mental health service. PMID:25601192

  12. Traumatic brain injury and co-occurring problems in prison populations: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    O'Rourke, Conall; Linden, Mark A; Lohan, Maria; Bates-Gaston, Jackie

    2016-01-01

    A growing body of epidemiological research suggests high rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in prisoners. The aim of this review is to systematically explore the literature surrounding the rates of TBI and their co-occurrences in a prison population. Six electronic databases were systematically searched for articles published between 1980-2014. Studies were screened for inclusion based on pre-determined criteria by two researchers who independently performed data extraction. Study quality was appraised based on a modified quality assessment tool. Twenty-six studies were included in this review. Quality assessment ranged from 20% (poor) to 80% (good), with an overall average of 60%. Twenty-four papers included TBI prevalence rates, which ranged from 5.69-88%. Seventeen studies explored co-occurring factors including rates of aggression (n = 7), substance abuse (n = 9), anxiety and depression (n = 5), neurocognitive deficits (n = 4) and psychiatric conditions (n = 3). The high degree of variation in TBI rates may be attributed to the inconsistent way in which TBI was measured, with only seven studies using valid and reliable screening tools. Additionally, gaps in the literature surrounding personality outcomes in prisoners with TBI, female prisoners with TBI and qualitative outcomes were found.

  13. The BRIGHTEN program: implementation and evaluation of a program to bridge resources of an interdisciplinary geriatric health team via electronic networking.

    PubMed

    Emery, Erin E; Lapidos, Stan; Eisenstein, Amy R; Ivan, Iulia I; Golden, Robyn L

    2012-12-01

    To demonstrate the feasibility of the BRIGHTEN Program (Bridging Resources of an Interdisciplinary Geriatric Health Team via Electronic Networking), an interdisciplinary team intervention for assessing and treating older adults for depression in outpatient primary and specialty medical clinics. The BRIGHTEN team collaborates "virtually" to review patient assessment results, develop a treatment plan, and refer to appropriate team members for follow-up care. Older adults in 9 academic medical center clinics and 2 community-based clinics completed screening forms for symptoms of depression and anxiety. Those with positive screens engaged in comprehensive assessment with the BRIGHTEN Program Coordinator; the BRIGHTEN virtual team provided treatment recommendations based on the results of assessment. A collaborative treatment plan was developed with each participant, who was then connected to appropriate services. Two thousand four hundred twenty-two older adults were screened in participating clinics over a 40-month period. Eight hundred fifty-nine older adults screened positive, and 150 elected to enroll in BRIGHTEN. From baseline to 6 months, significant improvements were found in depression symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale, p < .01) and general mental health (SF-12 Mental Component, p < .01). The BRIGHTEN Program demonstrated that an interdisciplinary virtual team linked with outpatient medical clinics can be an effective, nonthreatening, and seamless approach to enable older adults to access treatment for depression.

  14. A High School Counselor's Leadership in Providing School-Wide Screenings for Depression and Enhancing Suicide Awareness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erickson, Anne; Abel, Nicholas R.

    2013-01-01

    The prevalence of mental health issues and suicidal thoughts and actions among school-aged children and adolescents is a serious issue. This article examines the scope of the problem nationwide and provides a brief overview of the literature regarding the effectiveness of school-wide screening programs for depression and suicide risk. The authors…

  15. Symptoms of Eating Disorders and Depression in Emerging Adults with Early-Onset, Long-Duration Type 1 Diabetes and Their Association with Metabolic Control.

    PubMed

    Bächle, Christina; Lange, Karin; Stahl-Pehe, Anna; Castillo, Katty; Scheuing, Nicole; Holl, Reinhard W; Giani, Guido; Rosenbauer, Joachim

    2015-01-01

    This study analyzed the prevalence of and association between symptoms of eating disorders and depression in female and male emerging adults with early-onset, long-duration type 1 diabetes and investigated how these symptoms are associated with metabolic control. In a nationwide population-based survey, 211 type 1 diabetes patients aged 18-21 years completed standardized questionnaires, including the SCOFF questionnaire for eating disorder symptoms and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for symptoms of depression and severity of depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score). Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between eating disorder and depressive symptoms and their associations with HbA1c. A total of 30.2% of the women and 9.5% of the men were screening positive for eating disorders. The mean PHQ-9 score (standard deviation) was 5.3 (4.4) among women and 3.9 (3.6) among men. Screening positive for an eating disorder was associated with more severe depressive symptoms among women (βwomen 3.8, p<0.001). However, neither eating disorder symptoms nor severity of depressive symptoms were associated with HbA1c among women, while HbA1c increased with the severity of depressive symptoms among men (βmen 0.14, p=0.006). Because of the high prevalence of eating disorder and depressive symptoms, their interrelationship, and their associations with metabolic control, particularly among men, regular mental health screening is recommended for young adults with type 1 diabetes.

  16. Symptoms of Eating Disorders and Depression in Emerging Adults with Early-Onset, Long-Duration Type 1 Diabetes and Their Association with Metabolic Control

    PubMed Central

    Bächle, Christina; Lange, Karin; Stahl-Pehe, Anna; Castillo, Katty; Scheuing, Nicole; Holl, Reinhard W.; Giani, Guido; Rosenbauer, Joachim

    2015-01-01

    Background This study analyzed the prevalence of and association between symptoms of eating disorders and depression in female and male emerging adults with early-onset, long-duration type 1 diabetes and investigated how these symptoms are associated with metabolic control. Methods In a nationwide population-based survey, 211 type 1 diabetes patients aged 18-21 years completed standardized questionnaires, including the SCOFF questionnaire for eating disorder symptoms and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for symptoms of depression and severity of depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score). Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between eating disorder and depressive symptoms and their associations with HbA1c. Results A total of 30.2% of the women and 9.5% of the men were screening positive for eating disorders. The mean PHQ-9 score (standard deviation) was 5.3 (4.4) among women and 3.9 (3.6) among men. Screening positive for an eating disorder was associated with more severe depressive symptoms among women (βwomen 3.8, p<0.001). However, neither eating disorder symptoms nor severity of depressive symptoms were associated with HbA1c among women, while HbA1c increased with the severity of depressive symptoms among men (βmen 0.14, p=0.006). Conclusions Because of the high prevalence of eating disorder and depressive symptoms, their interrelationship, and their associations with metabolic control, particularly among men, regular mental health screening is recommended for young adults with type 1 diabetes. PMID:26121155

  17. Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms in Older Adults With Auditory, Vision, and Dual Sensory Impairment.

    PubMed

    Simning, Adam; Fox, Meghan L; Barnett, Steven L; Sorensen, Silvia; Conwell, Yeates

    2018-06-01

    The objective of the study is to examine the association of auditory, vision, and dual sensory impairment with late-life depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our study included 7,507 older adults from the National Health & Aging Trends Study, a nationally representative sample of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries. Auditory and vision impairment were determined by self-report, and depressive and anxiety symptoms were evaluated by the two-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and two-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-2), respectively. Auditory, vision, and dual impairment were associated with an increased risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms in multivariable analyses accounting for sociodemographics, medical comorbidity, and functional impairment. Auditory, vision, and dual impairment were also associated with an increased risk for depressive and anxiety symptoms that persist or were of new onset after 1 year. Screening older adults with sensory impairments for depression and anxiety, and screening those with late-life depression and anxiety for sensory impairments, may identify treatment opportunities to optimize health and well-being.

  18. Case finding of lifestyle and mental health disorders in primary care: validation of the ‘CHAT’ tool

    PubMed Central

    Goodyear-Smith, Felicity; Coupe, Nicole M; Arroll, Bruce; Elley, C Raina; Sullivan, Sean; McGill, Anne-Thea

    2008-01-01

    Background Primary care is accessible and ideally placed for case finding of patients with lifestyle and mental health risk factors and subsequent intervention. The short self-administered Case-finding and Help Assessment Tool (CHAT) was developed for lifestyle and mental health assessment of adult patients in primary health care. This tool checks for tobacco use, alcohol and other drug misuse, problem gambling, depression, anxiety and stress, abuse, anger problems, inactivity, and eating disorders. It is well accepted by patients, GPs and nurses. Aim To assess criterion-based validity of CHAT against a composite gold standard. Design of study Conducted according to the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy statement for diagnostic tests. Setting Primary care practices in Auckland, New Zealand. Method One thousand consecutive adult patients completed CHAT and a composite gold standard. Sensitivities, specificities, positive and negative predictive values, and likelihood ratios were calculated. Results Response rates for each item ranged from 79.6 to 99.8%. CHAT was sensitive and specific for almost all issues screened, except exercise and eating disorders. Sensitivity ranged from 96% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 87 to 99%) for major depression to 26% (95% CI = 22 to 30%) for exercise. Specificity ranged from 97% (95% CI = 96 to 98%) for problem gambling and problem drug use to 40% (95% CI = 36 to 45%) for exercise. All had high likelihood ratios (3–30), except exercise and eating disorders. Conclusion CHAT is a valid and acceptable case-finding tool for most common lifestyle and mental health conditions. PMID:18186993

  19. A Model for Maternal Depression

    PubMed Central

    Connelly, Cynthia D.; Baker-Ericzen, Mary J.; Hazen, Andrea L.; Landsverk, John

    2010-01-01

    Abstract With the awareness of maternal depression as a prevalent public health issue and its important link to child physical and mental health, attention has turned to how healthcare providers can respond effectively. Intimate partner violence (IPV) and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are strongly related to depression, particularly for low-income women. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends psychosocial screening of pregnant women at least once per trimester, yet screening is uncommonly done. Research suggests that a collaborative care approach improves identification, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness of care. This article presents The Perinatal Mental Health Model, a community-based model that developed screening and referral partnerships for use in community obstetric settings in order to specifically address the psychosocial needs of culturally diverse, low-income mothers. PMID:20718624

  20. Prevalence of depression and its associated factors among elderly patients in outpatient clinic of Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital.

    PubMed

    Imran, A; Azidah, A K; Asrenee, A R; Rosediani, M

    2009-06-01

    Depression among elderly primary care patients is a serious problem with significant morbidity and mortality. This is a cross sectional study to determine the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among the elderly patients attending the outpatient clinic, Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital. This study utilized Malay version Geriatric Depression Scale 14 (M-GDS 14) to screen for elderly depression among Malaysian population. It also looked into associated risk factors for elderly depression using sociodemographic, family dynamics, and medically related questionnaires. Out of 244 subjects, 34 or 13.9% were found to have depression. Three variables were found to be significantly associated with depression. Elderly patient with any illness that limits the patient's activity or mobility has more risk of developing depression (OR 2.68 CI 1.15 - 6.24). Elderly patients who were satisfied with their personal incomes (OR 0.29 CI 0.10 - 0.85), and who had children or son/daughter-in-law to take care of them when they are sick (OR 0.10 CI 0.01 - 0.83) have a lower chance of having depression. Screening the elderly for depression, would help in diagnosing the elderly depression better and offer them the treatment needed.

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