Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-Somatic, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms

ObjectiveIn this study, we examined the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire–Somatic, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms (PHQ-SADS) developed by Kroenke, Spitzer, and Williams.MethodThis study sample consisted of 200 outpatients admitted to Erenköy Mental Health Training and Research Hospital, Erenköy Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Hospital, and Kartal Training and Research Hospital and 240 graduate students in Karadeniz Technical University. Participants were administered the 90-item Symptoms Checklist (SCL-90R) and the 7-item Whiteley Index, along with the PHQ-SADS. A month later, the PHQ-SADS was readministered to 60 of the students. To investigate the internal consistency of the scale and its subscales, corrected item-total correlations were examined to establish the effect on the Cronbach coefficients and internal consistency of each item of the subscales. Test-retest correlations were also analyzed for reliability. Factorial structure was investigated using principal component analysis. The validity of distinguishing congruent and specific groups was also investigated for validity.ResultsTotal scores on the scale showed an adequate test-retest consistency (r = 0.54, 0.52, and 0.76, respectively). All items showed adequate correlations (r > 0.26) in the test-retest analysis. Cronbach α values were 0.86 (control), 0.93 (patient), and 0.92 (total) on the test of internal consistency. When the questions were analyzed individually, the item-total correlation for item 7 of the PHQ somatization subscale was found to be inadequate in the control group. Exploratory factorial analysis and varimax rotation results showed that the scale provided a 4-factor structure. In the validity analysis, a significant difference between the patient and the control group mean values was determined. The SCL-90R, 7-item Whiteley Index, and SCL-90R somatization subscales were found to be sufficiently related to the number of symptoms to establish criterion-related validity.ConclusionFindings with respect to internal consistency, test-retest consistency, item-total correlation, factorial structure, distinguishing validity for specific groups, and criterion-related validity for the PHQ-SADS show that the scale is acceptable in terms of validity and reliability for the Turkish population.     

The Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale in New Zealand adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To examine aspects of the reliability and validity of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS) in measuring depression in New Zealand adolescents of all major ethnic groups. METHOD: A sample of 9699 randomly selected New Zealand secondary school students participated in the Youth2000 Health and Wellbeing Survey which included the RADS. Data from this survey have been used to assess some aspects of the reliability and validity of the RADS in the New Zealand context across different ethnic groups. Cronbach's alpha, item-total score correlations, correlation to other questions and a factor analysis were done in order to examine the internal reliability, content validity, convergent validity and construct validity of the data and compare to the original Reynolds validation study. RESULTS: Tests of the scale resulted in scores over 0.90 on Cronbach's alpha and high item-total score correlations, with a median correlation of 0.62 and 25 of the 30 correlations measuring more than 0.5. The scores were found to have similar factor structure to the original scale and the correlations to other depression related questions indicate acceptable concurrent validity. CONCLUSIONS: On all of the tests conducted, the RADS was found to have acceptable reliability and validity for New Zealand adolescents across the major different ethnic groups, indicating that it is a valid and appropriate instrument to use with New Zealand adolescents.     

Validation of Turkish version of brief negative symptom scale

Objective: Negative symptoms in schizophrenia have been assessed by many instruments. However, a current consensus on these symptoms has been built and new tools, such as the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS), are generated. This study aimed to evaluate reliability and validity of the Turkish version of BNSS.

Methods: The scale was translated to Turkish and backtranslated to English. After the approval of the translation, 75 schizophrenia patients were interviewed with BNSS, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) and Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale (ESRS). Reliability and validity analyses were then calculated.

Results: In the reliability analysis, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.96 and item-total score correlation coefficients were between 0.655–0.884. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.665. The inter-rater reliability was 0.982 (p?Conclusions: Our study confirms that the Turkish version of BNSS is an applicable tool for the evaluation of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.     

患者健康问卷-15在卒中门诊的信度和效度研究

目的 研究卒中人群中患者健康问卷-15（Patient Health Questionnaire-15,PHQ-15）的信度和效度。 方法 对107例门诊复查的卒中患者分别进行PHQ-15、Beck焦虑自评量表（Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI ）、患者健康问卷-9（Patient Health Questionnaire-9,PHQ-9）、汉密尔顿抑郁量表（Hamil ton Depression Rating Scale,HDMA）、汉密尔顿焦虑量表（Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale,HAMA）和症状自 评量表-12（the Sel f-report Symptom Inventory,Symptom Checklist-12,SCL-12）,分析PHQ-15应用于卒中 患者的信度、效度。信度检验用克朗巴赫α系数;用条目和总分的相关系数评价内容效度,用SCL-12 与PHQ-15的相关性评价效标效度,用BAI 、HDMA、HAMA、PHQ-9与PHQ-15的相关性评价结构效度。 结果 （ 1）PHQ-15克朗巴赫α系数为0.811,提示该量表内部一致性较好;（2）15项条目与总分的相 关系数为0.275～0.763（均P <0.001）,提示该量表内部一致性较好;（3）PHQ-15的效标效度为0.768 （P <0.001）,提示该量表效标效度良好;（4）PHQ-15与BAI的相关系数为0.602（P <0.001）,与PHQ-9 的相关系数为0.654（P <0.001）,与HDMA的相关系数为0.769（P <0.001）,与HAMA的相关系数为0.793 （P <0.001）,提示该量表结构效度良好。 结论 P HQ-15具有良好的信度和效度,基本符合心理测量学标准,可作为门诊评价卒中患者躯体化 症状的良好工具。     

Reliability and validity of Kasahara's scale of melancholic type of personality (Typus melancholicus) in a German sample population

We explored the reliability and validity of Kasahara's scale of melancholic type of personality (KMT) in a German sample population. Subjects comprised 66 patients diagnosed with an affective disorder (F3, ICD-10) and 94 controls. Concerning reliability, KMT scores showed internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.65 for patients and 0.67 for controls. The KMT items, except for number 13 in controls, showed significant item-total correlations. In a test-retest procedure, the KMT total score and individual item scores were statistically similar and correlated. These results indicate reliability of the KMT. Concerning validity, KMT scores were significantly higher in patients than in controls. By controlling the effects of age and sex, partial correlation coefficients in a comparison of KMT and Zerssen's F-List (F-List) scores were 0.40 in patients and 0.53 in controls. These results show both the constructive and concurrent validity of the KMT. Sufficient reliability and validity of the KMT were shown in this German sample population to encourage cross-cultural investigation of Typus melancholicus.     

The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) in patients with mild and moderate Alzheimer's disease and normal subjects

OBJECTIVES: The cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assesment Scale (ADAS-Cog) is the most widely used test in clinical trials dealing with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of ADAS-Cog. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with AD, fulfilling NINCDS-ADRDA criteria of probable AD, who were in stage 3-5 according to the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), and 27 non-demented control subjects with similar age, gender and educational status were recruited for the study. The Turkish version of ADAS-Cog, Standardized Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and Short Orientation-Memory-Concentration Test (SOMCT) were applied to both of the groups. Inter-rater reliability, internal consistency, test-retest reliability; face validity, differential validity and convergent validity were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Both MMSE and ADAS-Cog have significantly differentiated patients with AD and control subjects (p < 0.001). A significant correlation was established between MMSE and ADAS-Cog scores in AD group (r: -0.739). ADAS-Cog was also highly significantly correlated with GDS (r: 0.720) and SOMCT (r: 0.738). For the group with AD, control and whole cohort coefficients of internal consistency, Cronbach's alpha: 0.800, 0.515, 0.873 were found respectively. Inter-rater reliability for total ADAS-Cog score was found as ICC: 0.99 and 0.98 and test-retest reliability was found as ICC: 0.91 and 0.95 for demented and nondemented subjects, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of ADAS-Cog has been found to be highly reliable and valid in differentiating patients with mild and moderate AD from nondemented subjects.     

Assessing health-related quality of life in NeuroAIDS: some psychometric properties of the Neurological Quality of Life Questionnaire (NeuroQOL).

Several studies were undertaken to assess the psychometric properties (reliability and initial convergent and discriminant construct validity) of the Neurological Quality of Life Questionnaire (NeuroQOL). The NeuroQOL contains 114 items answered in self report Likert format, with higher scores reflecting better quality of life. Study one compared the questionnaire with existing quality of life measures (Symptom Distress Scale, Sickness Impact Profile) and a significant (p<0.05) correlation was found. Studies two through five evaluated the relationship between the NeuroQOL and disease stage, psychological, neuropsychological and neurological measures, and a significant correlation was also found with each domain. The internal consistency reliability (alpha=0.96), split half reliability (r(12)=0.97), and test-retest reliability (coefficients were 0.78 for 6 months and 0.67 for one year intervals between test and retest) were all found to be high and adequately stable. Overall, these results indicate acceptable reliability and initial construct validity for the NeuroQOL.     

Reliability, validity, and factor structure of the geriatric depression scale in Turkish elderly: are there different factor structures for different cultures?

The purpose of this study was to examine the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) translated into Turkish for its reliability, discriminant validity, and factor structure in a sample of 276 community-dwelling elderly and 30 patients with major depression. One item (Item 5) was discovered to have conceptual difficulty for Turkish elderly and was transformed to negative form. Item 2 was transformed to positive form to keep the number of positive and negative items equal to that in the original GDS. A reasonable time stability with 1-week interval (r: .74) and a high level of internal consistency (alpha=.91) were observed. Student's t test resulted in a significant discriminant validity for the scale total score. Factor study with principal component analysis and varimax rotation gave rise to a structure with seven factors. Results of the same analysis with two factors were found to be easier to interpret. The first factor was composed of 19 items reflecting "depressive affect and thought content." The other 11 items representing "decrease in motivation and cognitive functions" loaded in the second factor. In conclusion, the Turkish GDS was found to have reasonable time reliability, high internal consistency, and discriminant validity for Turkish elderly. Its two-factor structure can be used as an informative instrument for epidemiological studies, reflecting two main dimensions of depression in the elderly.     

A psychometric evaluation of a Chinese version of the Cardiac Depression Scale

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the validity, reliability, and cultural relevance of the Cardiac Depression Scale (CDS) as a disease-specific screening tool for Chinese cardiac patients. METHODS: The language equivalency and content validity of the Chinese version of the CDS (C-CDS) were evaluated. Measurement performance was tested on 200 Chinese cardiac patients and repeated on 40 patients for test-retest reliability. RESULTS: One item pertaining to sexual activity was removed from the Chinese version due to poor cultural relevance. The C-CDS demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of .91 for the total scale and .53-.78 for the subscales). The high correlation (r=.64-.89) between items and the remainder of their own scale provides further evidence of internal consistency. The test-retest reliability was satisfactory with intraclass correlation coefficients of .94 for the overall scale and .73-.92 for the six subscales. The total and subscale scores that were not significantly different (P>.05) over a 2-week period further support the stability of the instrument. There was acceptable concurrent validity with moderate (r>or=.3, P<.001) correlations between the C-CDS and the Chinese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Principal component analysis revealed six factors, and one dimension was extracted from the data set, which closely resembles the structure of the original instrument. CONCLUSION: Empirical data support the C-CDS as a valid and reliable disease-specific tool in assessing depressed mood in Chinese-speaking patients with cardiac disease.     

Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia: a study of the validity of a French-language version in a population of schizophrenic patients

The Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) is a nine-item structured interview scale developed by Addington et al. to assess depression in schizophrenics. This paper describes the testing of the reliability and validity of the French version of the CDSS in a population of 70 schizophrenic patients. The validity of the CDSS as a measure of depression was confirmed; a single factor accounted for 41 % of the variance of the nine items. The total score on the CDSS was strongly correlated with those on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and also the G6 item (depression) of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The correlation with the Psychomotor Retardation Scale (ERD) total score was much less significant and was better with the ‘subjective’ subscore. The internal consistency was good, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.79. A high level of inter-rater reliability was observed (weighted kappa values were >0.75 in all cases). The CDSS has a lower stability over time than other depression scales. It is a simple, quick and reliable scale for assessing depression in schizophrenic populations.