title: Calibration of response and remission cut-points on the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition for monitoring seasonal affective disorder treatment outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study is to define treatment response and remission cut-point scores for the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II) when used to monitor seasonal affective disorder (SAD) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from two published randomized clinical trials for SAD were utilized to complete a ROC analysis to define response and remission thresholds for the BDI-II. The Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-Seasonal Affective Disorder Version (SIGH-SAD) was used as a reference standard. Data from the two trials included BDI-II and SIGH-SAD scores for patients at baseline, 6 weeks (post-treatment), and 1 year (next winter).
  
  
  RESULTS
  BDI-II score of ≤ 9 was the derived criterion for remission of SAD, and BDI-II score decrease of 50% from baseline was the criterion for treatment response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study participants were primarily female (94%) and Caucasian (80%) so demographic diversity of the sample was limited.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study validated BDI-II scores compared to the SIGH-SAD reference standard. The BDI-II has greater potential for widespread use by clinicians than the SIGH-SAD to monitor SAD patients because it is a brief self-report instrument that can be conveniently administered in the waiting room.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. greeves@psych.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Gloria M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.forename: Kelly J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Rohan
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langenberg
authors.forename: Soren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Snitker
authors.forename: Teodor T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Postolache
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012074:Remission Induction; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome