title: Evaluating the Psychometric Properties and Responsiveness to Change of 3 Depression Measures in a Sample of Persons With Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury and Major Depressive Disorder.
abstract: To compare the measurement properties and responsiveness to change of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-20 (HSCL-20), and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD).
  
  
  
  Secondary analysis of depression symptoms measured at 6 occasions over 12 weeks as part of a randomized controlled trial of venlafaxine XR for MDD in persons with SCI.
  
  
  
  Outpatient and community settings.
  
  
  
  Individuals (N=133) consented and completed the drug trial. Eligibility criteria were age at least 18 years, traumatic SCI, and diagnosis of MDD.
  
  
  
  Venlafaxine XR.
  
  
  
  Patients completed the PHQ-9 and the HSCL-20 depression scales; clinical investigators completed the HAM-D and the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) Dissociative Disorders, which was used as a diagnostic criterion measure.
  
  
  
  All 3 instruments were improved with rating scale analysis. The HSCL-20 and the HAM-D contained items that misfit the underlying construct and that correlated weakly with the total scores. Removing these items improved the internal consistency, with floor effects increasing slightly. The HAM-D correlated most strongly with Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders diagnoses. Improvement in depression was similar on all outcome measures in both treatment and control groups.
  
  
  
  The psychometric properties of the revised depression instruments are more than adequate for routine use in adults with SCI and are responsive to clinical improvement. The PHQ-9 is the simplest instrument with measurement properties as good as or better than those of the other instruments and required the fewest modifications.
authors: American Institutes for Research, Chicago, IL.
authors: Ryan T
authors: RT
authors: Williams
authors: Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
authors: Allen W
authors: AW
authors: Heinemann
authors: RTI International, Chicago, IL.
authors: Holly Demark
authors: HD
authors: Neumann
authors: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA.
authors: Jesse R
authors: JR
authors: Fann
authors: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Forchheimer
authors: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
authors: Elizabeth J
authors: EJ
authors: Richardson
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Electronic address: chb@uw.edu.
authors: Charles H
authors: CH
authors: Bombardier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride
keywords: Depression; Outcome assessment (health care); Psychometrics; Rehabilitation; Spinal cord injuries