Diagnostic utility of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS‐C16 and QIDS‐SR16) in the elderly

Doraiswamy PM, Bernstein IH, Rush AJ, Kyutoku Y, Carmody TJ, Macleod L, Venkatraman S, Burks M, Stegman D, Witte B, Trivedi MH. Diagnostic utility of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS‐C₁₆ and QIDS‐SR₁₆) in the elderly. Objective: To evaluate psychometric properties and comparability ability of the Montgomery‐Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) vs. the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology–Clinician‐rated (QIDS‐C₁₆) and Self‐report (QIDS‐SR₁₆) scales to detect a current major depressive episode in the elderly. Method: Community and clinic subjects (age ≥60 years) were administered the Mini‐International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for DSM‐IV and three depression scales randomly. Statistics included classical test and Samejima item response theories, factor analyzes, and receiver operating characteristic methods. Results: In 229 elderly patients (mean age = 73 years, 39% male, 54% current depression), all three scales were unidimensional and with nearly equal Cronbach α reliability (0.85–0.89). Each scale discriminated persons with major depression from the non‐depressed, but the QIDS‐C₁₆ was slightly more accurate. Conclusion: All three tests are valid for detecting geriatric major depression with the QIDS‐C₁₆ being slightly better. Self‐rated QIDS‐SR₁₆ is recommended as a screening tool as it is least expensive and least time consuming.