ASSESSING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN FIVE PSYCHIATRIC POPULATIONS: A VALIDATION STUDY

Welssman, M. M. (Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Depression Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT 06519), D. Sholomskas, M. Pottenger, B. A. Prusoff and B. Z. Locke. Assessing depressive symptoms in five psychiatric populations: A validation study. Am J Epidemiol 106:203–214, 1977. Data from five psychiatric populations and a community sample are presented on the CES-D, a 20-item self-report depression symptom scale developed by the Center for Epldemlologlc Studies. Results show that the scale is a sensitive tool for detecting depressive symptoms and change in symptoms over time in psychiatric populations, and that it agrees quite well with more lengthy self-report scales used in clinical studies and with clinician interview ratings. Although a symptom scale cannot differentiate between diagnostic groups, the CES-D has demonstrated its validity as a screening tool for detecting depressive symptoms in psychiatric populations.