title: Assessing anxious features in depressed outpatients.
abstract: Both the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD(17)) and 30-item Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Clinician-rated (IDS-C(30) ) contain a subscale that assesses anxious symptoms. We used classical test theory and item response theory methods to assess and compare the psychometric properties of the two anxiety subscales (HRSD(ANX) and IDS-C(ANX)) in a large sample (N = 3453) of outpatients with non-psychotic major depressive disorder in the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study. Approximately 48% of evaluable participants had at least one concurrent anxiety disorder by the self-report Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ). The HRSD(ANX) and IDS-C(ANX) were highly correlated (r = 0.75) and both had moderate internal consistency given their limited number of items (HRSD(ANX) Cronbach's alpha = 0.48; IDS-C(ANX) Cronbach's alpha = 0.58). The optimal threshold for ascribing the presence/absence of anxious features was found at a total score of eight or nine for the HRSD(ANX) and seven or eight for the IDS-C(ANX) . It would seem beneficial to delete item 17 (loss of insight) from the HRSD(ANX) as it negatively correlated with the scale's total score. Both the HRSD(ANX) and IDS-C(ANX) subscales have acceptable psychometric properties and can be used to identify anxious features for clinical or research purposes.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390–8898, USA. shawn.mcclintock@utsouthwestern.edu
authors: Shawn M
authors: SM
authors: McClintock
authors: Mustafa M
authors: MM
authors: Husain
authors: Ira H
authors: IH
authors: Bernstein
authors: Stephen R
authors: SR
authors: Wisniewski
authors: Madhukar H
authors: MH
authors: Trivedi
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Morris
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Alpert
authors: Diane
authors: D
authors: Warden
authors: James F
authors: JF
authors: Luther
authors: Susan G
authors: SG
authors: Kornstein
authors: Melanie M
authors: MM
authors: Biggs
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Fava
authors: A John
authors: AJ
authors: Rush
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents