Use of depression rating scales in chronic fatigue syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the performance of three commonly used depression rating scales in a hospital sample of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).


METHODS
Sixty-one patients with CDC criteria for CFS completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) and the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D). Current psychiatric status was assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R. DISORDERS: Patient version (SCID-P). Receiver operating curves were drawn for each of the depression rating scales.


RESULTS
Thirty-one percent of the patients were depressed according to the SCID-P. Using the standard cut-offs, both GHQ and HAM-D overestimated the number of depressed patients, whilst the HADS-D underestimated the number. The receiver operating curves suggest that the optimum cut-offs for GHQ, HAM-D and HADS-D in this population are 7/8, 13/14 and 8/9, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Standard cutoffs may not be appropriate when using depression rating scales in CFS patients in a tertiary care setting.
Henderson
M
M
Academic Department of Psychological Medicine, GKT School of Medicine and Institute of Psychiatry, Weston Education Centre, Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RJ, United Kingdom.
Tannock
C
C
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012372:ROC Curve; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires