The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and a single screening question as screening tools for depressive disorder in Dutch advanced cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
Depression is highly prevalent in advanced cancer patients, but the diagnosis of depressive disorder in patients with advanced cancer is difficult. Screening instruments could facilitate diagnosing depressive disorder in patients with advanced cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and a single screening question as screening tools for depressive disorder in advanced cancer patients.


METHODS
Patients with advanced metastatic disease, visiting the outpatient palliative care department, were asked to fill out a self-questionnaire containing the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and a single screening question "Are you feeling depressed?" The mood section of the PRIME-MD was used as a gold standard.


RESULTS
Sixty-one patients with advanced metastatic disease were eligible to be included in the study. Complete data were obtained from 46 patients. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristics analysis of the BDI-II was 0.82. The optimal cut-off point of the BDI-II was 16 with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 69%. The single screening question showed a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 94%.


CONCLUSIONS
The BDI-II seems an adequate screening tool for a depressive disorder in advanced cancer patients. The sensitivity of a single screening question is poor.
Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Huispost 630, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. f.warmenhoven@anes.umcn.nl
Franca
F
Warmenhoven
Eric
E
van Rijswijk
Yvonne
Y
Engels
Cornelis
C
Kan
Judith
J
Prins
Chris
C
van Weel
Kris
K
Vissers
D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D009426:Netherlands; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
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