Evaluation of the psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS).


METHODS
We administered HADS to 685 participants (256 controls and 429 patients with five different diagnoses). The reliability of the instrument was assessed by a test-retest study. Construct validity studies were carried out through item-subscale correlation and factor analysis for the whole group and by each of the five different diagnoses. Three instruments were used as external criteria to assess concurrent validity.


RESULTS
HADS test-retest reliability presented correlation coefficients above 0.85. The internal consistency was high, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.86 (anxiety) and 0.86 (depression). Factor analysis showed a clear two-factor structure for all groups. The results showed high concurrent validity with the Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and with the mental domains of the Short-Form Health Survey.


CONCLUSIONS
The Spanish version of the HADS demonstrated good reliability and validity when used in medical patients.
Quintana
J M
JM
Unidad de Investigación, Hospital de Galdakao, Bizkaia, Spain. jmquinta@hgda.osakidetza.net
Padierna
A
A
Esteban
C
C
Arostegui
I
I
Bilbao
A
A
Ruiz
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires