Comparison of self-report and clinician ratings on two inventories of depressive symptomatology.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the concordance between the self-report and the clinician-rated versions of the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-30) and between the two versions of the briefer 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-16).


METHODS
Data were gathered for 544 adult outpatients with psychotic (N = 106) or nonpsychotic (N = 438) major depressive disorder at 14 public sector mental health clinics in the Texas Medication Algorithm Project. Data for the QIDS-16 were extracted from the IDS-30. Baseline scores and scores from the final study visit at or before month 12 were analyzed. The clinician-rated and the self-report versions of each scale were compared in their identification of response to treatment and remission.


RESULTS
The average baseline IDS-SR-30 total score was 2.2 points higher (indicating greater severity) than the IDS-C-30 score; the average QIDS-SR-16 total score was only .3 points higher than the QIDS-C-16 score. The IDS-SR-30 and the IDS-C-30, as well as the QIDS-C-16 and QIDS-SR-16, agreed substantially in classifying response and remission for patients, regardless of whether the patients had psychotic features. None of a large number of clinical and demographic features accounted for differences between the QIDS-SR-16 and QIDS-C-16 total scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Either the IDS-30 or the QIDS-16 self-report adequately assesses depressive symptom severity among public-sector outpatients with major depressive disorder. The briefer QIDS-16 may be preferred to save time and cost.
Rush
A John
AJ
Dallas.
Carmody
Thomas J
TJ
Ibrahim
Hisham M
HM
Trivedi
Madhukar H
MH
Biggs
Melanie M
MM
Shores-Wilson
Kathy
K
Crismon
M Lynn
ML
Toprac
Marcia G
MG
Kashner
T Michael
TM
D000328:Adult; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires