An investigation into the utility of the Stroke Aphasic Depression Questionnaire (SADQ) in care home settings.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the utility of the Stroke Aphasia Depression Scale (SADQ) to identify emotional distress among individuals living in a care home setting.


METHODS
A prospective comparison of the SADQ and the depression subsection of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).


METHODS
Care homes in Oxfordshire.


METHODS
Eighty-two care home residents without major communication or cognitive problems.


METHODS
Participants completed the HADS. The SADQ was completed on behalf of each resident by his or her principal carer.


RESULTS
Spearman's rank correlation between the two measures was statistically significant (r = 0.447, P < 0.01). Receiver operator characteristics plots revealed an optimal cut-off point of 14 on the SADQ which gave sensitivity and specificity of 77% and 78% respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The SADQ, an observational measure, can identify emotional distress in non-aphasic patients in a care home setting. It would be reasonable to use it with people with communication and cognitive problems who are unable to take part in conventional assessments.
Sackley
Catherine M
CM
School of Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, 52 Pritchatts Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. c.m.sackley@bham.ac.uk
Hoppitt
Thomas J
TJ
Cardoso
Karina
K
D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D006113:United Kingdom