title: Dimensional approach to symptom factors of major depressive disorder in Koreans, using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale: the Clinical Research Center for Depression of South Korea study.
abstract: Although major depressive disorder (MDD) has a variety of symptoms beyond the affective dimensions, the factor structure and contents of comprehensive psychiatric symptoms of this disorder have rarely been explored using the 18-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). We aimed to identify the factor structure of the 18-item BPRS in Korean MDD patients. A total of 258 MDD patients were recruited from a multicenter sample of the Clinical Research Center for Depression of South Korea study. Psychometric scales were used to assess overall psychiatric symptoms (BPRS), depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale), anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale), global severity (Clinical Global Impression of Severity Scale), suicidal ideation (Scale for Suicide Ideation), functioning (Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale), and quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment-abbreviated version). Common factor analysis with oblique rotation was used to yield factor structure. A four-factor structure was designed and interpreted by the symptom dimensions to reflect mood disturbance, positive symptoms/apathy, bipolarity, and thought distortion/mannerism. These individual factors were also significantly correlated with clinical variables. The findings of this study support the view that the BPRS may be a promising measuring tool for the initial assessment of MDD patients. In addition, the four-factor structure of the BPRS may be useful in understanding the mood and psychotic characteristics of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yong-In Mental Hospital, Yongin, South Korea; Institute of Mental Health, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seon-Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hanyang University Guri Hospital, Guri, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mental Health, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Hanyang University Guri Hospital, Guri, South Korea; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Daeho
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Youn
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Soo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Bum
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mental Health, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Hanyang University Guri Hospital, Guri, South Korea; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: hypyc@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yong Chon
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea
keywords: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; Factor structure; Major depressive disorder