[Cross cultural psychometric comparison of major depression in Chile and Germany].
BACKGROUND
Depressive symptoms and personality features of patients with mood disorders are supposed to have a strong variability in cross cultural studies. The clinical profile, the outcome and the treatment response seem to be different across the world.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the differences and similarities of major depressive disorders in Chile and Germany.


METHODS
Sixty seven Chilean and German depressive inpatients, without comorbidity on axis I or II were studied. Diagnosis of depression was based on DSM IV and ICD 10 criteria for major depression. Symptomatology was assessed using the self reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20), the Symptom checklist-90-revisited (SCL 90-R), the Beck inventory for Depression (BDI), and the Hamilton scale for depression (HAM-D). Personality was assessed with the Munich Personality Scale.


RESULTS
Only the SRQ-20 shows significantly higher tendency towards depression among Chilean patients. At the personality level, Chileans exhibited higher scores in extroversion, neuroticism, esoteric and isolating tendencies.


CONCLUSIONS
These results help to understand differences and similarities between depressive syndromes across cultures. They suggest that the relation between symptomatology, some personality traits and severe major depression has little variability across cultures.
Heerlein
A
A
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
Gabler
G
G
Chaparro
C
C
Kraus
A
A
Richter
P
P
Berkau
C
C
D000328:Adult; D002677:Chile / Q000208:ethnology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics