Validity of the Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen in multiple sclerosis.
BACKGROUND
The Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS) is a brief self-report inventory designed to evaluate depression in patients with medical illness. As depressive disorder is especially prominent in multiple sclerosis (MS), a cost-effective procedure for identifying depressive disorder in MS is sorely needed. The BDI-FS may be useful in this regard although, to date, its validity in MS patients has not been assessed.


METHODS
Fifty-four consecutive MS patients were studied. All underwent psychological assessment, which included the BDI-FS and other self-report measures of depression. Forty-eight caregiver/informants were interviewed using the Neuorpsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Retrospective chart reviews were conducted by a single trained research assistant, blind to the results of psychological testing and interviews, to determine if antidepressant medications had been prescribed.


RESULTS
The BDI-FS was significantly correlated with other self-report measures of depression (P < 0.001) and with informant reported dysphoria (P < 0.01), In addition, BDI-FS scores discriminated MS patients undergoing treatment for depressive disorder from untreated MS patients (P = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
These data support the concurrent and discriminative validity of the BDI-FS in MS. As the test is brief and not confounded with neurological symptoms, it is recommended for depression screening in this population.
Benedict
R H B
RH
Department of Neurology, State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo, New York 14203, USA. benedict@buffalo.cdu
Fishman
I
I
McClellan
M M
MM
Bakshi
R
R
Weinstock-Guttman
B
B
D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies