An evaluation of the quick inventory of depressive symptomatology and the hamilton rating scale for depression: a sequenced treatment alternatives to relieve depression trial report.
BACKGROUND
Nine DSM-IV-TR criterion symptom domains are evaluated to diagnose major depressive disorder (MDD). The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) provides an efficient assessment of these domains and is available as a clinician rating (QIDS-C16), a self-report (QIDS-SR16), and in an automated, interactive voice response (IVR) (QIDS-IVR16) telephone system. This report compares the performance of these three versions of the QIDS and the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD17).


METHODS
Data were acquired at baseline and exit from the first treatment step (citalopram) in the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) trial. Outpatients with nonpsychotic MDD who completed all four ratings within +/-2 days were identified from the first 1500 STAR*D subjects. Both item response theory and classical test theory analyses were conducted.


RESULTS
The three methods for obtaining QIDS data produced consistent findings regarding relationships between the nine symptom domains and overall depression, demonstrating interchangeability among the three methods. The HRSD17, while generally satisfactory, rarely utilized the full range of item scores, and evidence suggested multidimensional measurement properties.


CONCLUSIONS
In nonpsychotic MDD outpatients without overt cognitive impairment, clinician assessment of depression severity using either the QIDS-C16 or HRSD17 may be successfully replaced by either the self-report or IVR version of the QIDS.
Rush
A John
AJ
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390-9086, USA. john.rush@utsouthwestern.edu
Bernstein
Ira H
IH
Trivedi
Madhukar H
MH
Carmody
Thomas J
TJ
Wisniewski
Stephen
S
Mundt
James C
JC
Shores-Wilson
Kathy
K
Biggs
Melanie M
MM
Woo
Ada
A
Nierenberg
Andrew A
AA
Fava
Maurizio
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015283:Citalopram / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D049250:Speech Recognition Software; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D015283:Citalopram