Screening post-stroke depression in Chinese older adults using the hospital anxiety and depression scale

Co-prevalence and incidence of myocardial infarction and/or stroke in patients with depression and/or anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Co-prevalence and incidence of depression and/or anxiety with stroke and myocardial infarction are currently unclear. This paper explores the relationships, as these are important comorbidities affecting patient outcomes.

METHODS

A systematic search across five databases (PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Embase, Cochrane) was conducted for observational studies reporting co-prevalence of depression or anxiety with stroke or myocardial infarction. We used random-effects models in all meta-analyses and evaluated heterogeneity using I².

RESULTS

This analysis included 48 studies with a total of 57,342 patients. In patients with depression, the pooled prevalence of stroke was 5.9% (95% CI = 5.53-6.37). In patients with myocardial infarction, the pooled prevalence of anxiety and depression was 9.1% (95% CI = 7.07-11.40, I² = 85.6%) and 25.9% (95% CI = 18.46-34.12, I² = 99.1%), respectively, and the pooled cumulative incidence of depression at one year was 20.5% (95% CI = 18.36-22.79). The pooled prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with stroke was 13.5% (95% CI = 7.67-22.66, I² = 96.9%) and 23.0% (95% CI = 17.93-28.99, I² = 96.7%), respectively. The pooled cumulative incidences of depression at two weeks, three months, six months, and one year, were 29.1% (95% CI = 26.60-31.81), 17.0% (95% CI = 10.74-25.92, I² = 98.0%), 7.4% (95% CI = 6.52-8.49), and 9.1% (95% CI = 3.71-20.79, I² = 99.8%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis outlines the co-morbid burden between depression/anxiety and stroke/myocardial infarction. Future research should be done to evaluate the effectiveness of screening anxiety/depression in myocardial infarction/stroke.

Effects of a nurse-led peer support intervention for stroke survivors: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Many stroke survivors have unmet psychosocial needs during the recovery phase following a stroke. There is emerging evidence that peer support interventions may play a valuable role in managing stroke. However, evidence regarding the effectiveness of peer support interventions on the psychosocial outcomes of stroke survivors is uncertain. This study aims to develop a nurse-led peer support intervention for stroke survivors based on the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance Model and evaluate its effects on the psychosocial outcomes of stroke survivors.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is an assessor-blinded two-arm randomised controlled trial. A convenience sample of 120 stroke survivors will be recruited from two community centres and one rehabilitation unit in Yangzhou, a medium-sized city in eastern China, with 60 participants each in the intervention and control groups. The participants allocated to the intervention group will receive the nurse-led peer support intervention, which includes 6 weekly peer support sessions facilitated by a nurse and at least one peer facilitator. Participants randomised to the control group will receive the same dose of interpersonal interaction as intervention participants, including weekly individual face-to-face session for 6 weeks. The primary outcomes are social participation and participation self-efficacy. The secondary outcomes are psychosocial distress, social support, stigma towards disease, self-efficacy in managing chronic conditions and quality of life. Data will be collected at baseline, immediately after the intervention and 3 months after the intervention. A process evaluation will be conducted qualitatively and quantitively to examine the mechanism by which the intervention impacts the psychosocial outcomes of stroke survivors. All outcomes will be analysed following the intention to treat principle. Generalised Estimation Equation models will be used to assess the intervention effect.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol was approved by the Joint Chinese University of Hong Kong-New Territories East Cluster Clinical Research Ethics Committee (CREC Ref. No.: 2021.196-T). All participants will be required to provide written informed consent. Results of the study will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentation at local or international conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR2100050853.

Effects of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Autonomic dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and psychological distress are associated with poorer prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback (BF) improves autonomic dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and psychological distress in other patient populations, but its effect in patients with AIS is still unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the effects of an HRVBF intervention on autonomic function, cognitive impairment, and psychological distress in patients with AIS.

METHOD

In this randomized, controlled, single-blind trial, patients with AIS were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. The experimental group received four HRVBF training sessions. The control group received usual care. Repeated measures of HRV, mini-mental status examination (MMSE), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS) were collected prior to and at 1 and 3 months postintervention.

RESULTS

A total of 35 patients completed the study (19 experimental, 16 control). HRV and HADS significantly improved in the experimental group (p < .001) but not in the control group. Likewise, only the experimental group showed significant improvements in HRV, MMSE, and HADS over time (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

HRVBF is a promising intervention for improving autonomic function, cognitive impairment, and psychological distress in patients with AIS. More studies of HRVBF interventions are needed to further optimize the effects of HRVBF on autonomic, cognitive, and psychological function in patients with AIS.

Proposing a new stroke-specific screening tool for depression: Examination of construct validity and reliability

Objectives

The optimal tool for identifying depression after stroke is yet to be identified. In the present study, we propose a new context-specific screening tool for PSD and examined its construct validity and reliability within existing data on recent stroke survivors.

Methods

We assessed baseline data being collected as part of an intervention to improve one-year blood pressure control among recent (≤ one month) stroke survivors. Depression was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D). We also independently administered the 26-items Health Related Quality of Life in Stroke Patients (HRQOLISP-26), a stroke-specific measure developed from a large cross-cultural sample. Using standard protocol, we identified 6 psychoemotional-domain items of the HRQOLISP-26 fitting a single dimensional model with phenomenological and conceptual overlap with the depression framework in the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). We examined construct validity by comparing HRQOLISP-E with the HADS-D, and known group validity by comparing with age, gender, and stroke severity using both the Pearson product moment coefficient and multivariate regression analyses. Internal consistency and split-half reliability were also determined.

Results

Each HRQOLISP-E item (r = − 0.40 to − 0.53, all p < 0.001), as well as the total HRQOLISP-E score (− 0.53, p < 0.001) showed significant correlation with the HADS-D. The HRQOLISP-E scores also correlated significantly with age and stroke severity. Depression assessed using the HRQOLIPS-E was independently associated with older age and stroke severity. All HRQOLISP-E items scale correlations were > 0.8 (0.81–0.93) compared with 0.56–0.68 for the HADS-D (Cronbach's alpha = 0.939, versus 0.742 for the HADS-D, Split-half reliability = 0.899, versus 0.739 for HADS-D).

Conclusion

These results provides preliminary support for further development of the HRQOLISP-E as a context-specific screening tool for PSD through an investigation comparing the proposed measure against a referent-standard clinical diagnostic criteria such as the ICD 10 or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Fourth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

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The optimal tool for identifying post-stroke depression (PSD) is yet to be identified.

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We derived HRQOLISPE from a context-specific tool, the Health Related Quality of Life in Stroke Patients.

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HRQOLISPE demonstrated good construct validity.

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HRQOLISPE had better reliability compared with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Rating Scale.

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We propose the HRQOLISPE as a context-specific screening tool for PSD.

Incidence and risk factors of poststroke depression in patients with acute ischemic stroke: A 1-year prospective study in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Poststroke depression (PSD) is one of the most frequent and devastating neuropsychiatric consequences of stroke. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors for PSD in a general hospital in Taiwan.

METHODS

One hundred and one patients with ischemic stroke were enrolled initially, and 91 (90.1%) completed the 1-year study. Assessments were performed at baseline, and at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th month after enrolment. The definition of PSD was in accordance with the diagnostic criteria of major depressive episode in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition (DSM-IV).

RESULTS

The accumulated incidence rates of PSD at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th, month were 4%, 8%, 9%, and 10%, respectively, and the overall incidence at 1 year was 11%. In multivariate regression analysis, female gender, higher depression score, and severity of stroke were significant risk factors. In subgroup analysis, a higher depression score was significantly associated with PSD, regardless of gender; however, stroke severity was a risk factor only in the female group.

CONCLUSION

The 1-year incidence of PSD was 11%, based on the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. More attention should be paid to patients with more risk factors to enable earlier detection and intervention.

Validating screening tools for depression in stroke and transient ischemic attack patients

OBJECTIVE

The best screening questionnaires for detecting post-stroke depression have not been identified. We aimed to validate four commonly used depression screening tools in stroke and transient ischemic attack patients.

METHODS

Consecutive stroke and transient ischemic attack patients visiting an outpatient stroke clinic in Calgary, Alberta (Canada) completed a demographic questionnaire and four depression screening tools: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9, PHQ-2, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Participants then completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), the gold-standard for diagnosing major depression. The questionnaires were validated against the SCID and sensitivity and specificity were calculated at various cut-points. Optimal cut-points for each questionnaire were determined using receiver-operating curve analyses.

RESULTS

Among 122 participants, 59.5% were diagnosed with stroke and 40.5% with transient ischemic attack. The point prevalence of SCID-diagnosed current major depression was 9.8%. At the optimal cut-points, the sensitivity and specificity for each screening tool were as follows: PHQ-9 (sensitivity: 81.8%, specificity: 97.1%), PHQ-2 (sensitivity: 75.0%, specificity: 96.3%), HADS-D (sensitivity: 63.6%, specificity: 98.1%), and GDS-15 (sensitivity: 45.5%, specificity: 84.8%). Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were as follows: PHQ-9 86.6%, PHQ-2 86.7%, HADS-D 85.9%, and GDS-15 66.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

The PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 are both suitable depression screening tools, taking less than 5 minutes to complete. The HADS-D does not appear to have any advantage over the PHQ-based scales, even though it was designed specifically for medically ill populations. The GDS-15 cannot be recommended for general use in a stroke clinic based on this study as it had worse discrimination due to low sensitivity.

The Role of Alexithymia in the Incidence of Poststroke Depression

Poststroke depression (PSD) is the most frequent neuropsychiatric consequence of stroke, and alexithymia is a construct characterized by the inability to identify and describe emotions. Our study aimed to determine whether alexithymia is a risk factor for the development of PSD. Patients with ischemic stroke admitted to a general teaching hospital were enrolled in this 6-month study. The patients were evaluated with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHHS), and Mini-Mental Status Examination at baseline and then followed up each month for detection of PSD using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression scale. In all, 285 patients with ischemic stroke were enrolled, and 93.3% completed the 6-month study. The overall incidence of PSD within 6 months was 16.5%. In multivariate regression analyses, the incidence of PSD was significantly associated with higher BAI, higher NIHSS, and higher TAS-20 scores. In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of alexithymic symptoms as a risk factor for PSD.

Screening for mood disorders after stroke: a systematic review of psychometric properties and clinical utility

BACKGROUND

Routine mood screening is recommended after stroke. However, clinicians report difficulty selecting appropriate tools from the wide range available. We aimed to systematically review the psychometric properties and clinical utility of mood screening tools for stroke survivors.

METHOD

Electronic databases (AMED, EMBASE, CINAHL, Medline and PsycINFO) were searched to identify studies assessing the sensitivity and specificity of mood screening tools. Tools that demonstrated at least 80% sensitivity and 60% specificity with stroke survivors with identifiable cut-off scores indicating major and/or any mood disorder in at least one study were selected and clinical utility was assessed. Those with high clinical utility (against predefined criteria) were selected for recommendation.

RESULTS

Thirty papers examining 27 screening tools were identified and 16 tools met the psychometric and clinical utility criteria: 10 were verbal self-report tools, four were observational and two incorporated visual prompts for those with communication problems. Only the Stroke Aphasic Depression Questionnaire -Hospital version (SADQ-H) met all the psychometric and utility criteria. The nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) can detect major depression and the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) can identify milder symptoms; both are feasible to use in clinical practice. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was the only tool able to identify anxiety accurately, but clinical utility was mixed.

CONCLUSIONS

Valid and clinically feasible mood screening tools for stroke have been identified but methodological inconsistency prevented recommendations about the optimal cut-off scores.

Screening for poststroke major depression: a meta-analysis of diagnostic validity studies

BACKGROUND

Major depression is common in stroke patients and associated with increased rates of disability and mortality. Identifying depression may improve mental and physical health. The aim of this review was to determine the most accurate tool for detecting poststroke depression.

METHODS

Seven databases were searched up to November 2012. Two authors selected studies using International Classification of Disease  or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual diagnosis of depression as the reference standard. Two authors extracted data and assessed methodological quality. Included studies were synthesised using meta-analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 24 included studies provided data on 2907 participants. The Center of Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CESD) (sensitivity: 0.75; 95% CI 0.60 to 0.85; specificity: 0.88; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.95), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) (sensitivity: 0.84; 95% CI 0.75 to 0.90; specificity:0.83; 95% CI 0.72 to 0.90) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 (sensitivity: 0.86; 95% CI 0.70 to 0.94; specificity: 0.79; 95% CI 0.60 to 0.90) appeared to be the optimal measures for screening measures. However, the clinical utility of all tools was modest for case-finding.

INTERPRETATION

There are a number of possible instruments that may help in screening for poststroke depression but none are satisfactory for case-finding. Preliminary data suggests the CESD, HDRS or the PHQ-9 as the most promising options. Although it should be noted such scales should not be used in isolation but followed up with a more detailed clinical assessment. While there is promising data for the PHQ-2 in other populations, it performed less well than other measures.

Exploring the experience of psychological morbidity and service access in community dwelling stroke survivors: a follow-up study

PURPOSE

Post-stroke depression occurs in one-third of stroke survivors with a similar risk of development across short, intermediate and long-term recovery stages. Knowledge of factors influencing psychological morbidity beyond the first year post-stroke can inform long-term interventions and improve community service access for stroke survivors. This paper aimed to identify the physical and psycho-social functioning status of stroke survivors beyond 12 months post-stroke. Qualitative processes explored the longer term experiences of psychological morbidity and service access needs.

METHOD

A cross-sectional follow-up of participants from a prospective cohort study. In that study, patients and were followed for 12 months post-stroke. In this study, participants from that cohort study were interviewed up to five years post-stroke. Data generation and analysis were concurrent and were analysed thematically, employing a process of constant comparison.

RESULTS

Our sample included 14 participants, aged 58-89 years at an average of three years post-stroke (range 18 months to five years). Our qualitative key themes emerged as follows: physical impacts on post-stroke psychological morbidity, the experience of psychological distress, factors attenuating distress and service delivery implications.

CONCLUSIONS

The experience of psychological morbidity persists beyond 12 months post-stroke, having a profound impact on community access, and social participation. Clinical implications are a need for long-term psychological monitoring post-stroke and for ongoing rehabilitation that addresses disability, community participation and social support.

Questionnaire assessment of usual practice in mood and cognitive assessment in Scottish stroke units

Purpose

National and International guidelines recommend cognition and mood assessment for all stroke survivors. However, there is no consensus on preferred screening tool or method of assessment. We aimed to describe clinical practice in cognitive and mood assessment across Scottish stroke services.

Method

We used a questionnaire based survey. After local piloting, we distributed the questionnaire using mixed methodologies (online and paper) across all Stroke Managed Clinical Networks in Scotland. We also distributed the questionnaire to specialist societies representing stroke physicians, nurses and allied health professionals and through the UK Stroke Forum delegate pack.

Results

We received 174 responses from nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists and medical staff. Medical staff made up the largest group of respondents (61, 35%). Of the respondents 148 (85%) routinely assess cognition and 119 (72%) mood. A variety of tools were used (cognitive n = 45 tools; mood n = 17); Mini Mental State Examination (n = 103, 59% of respondents) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (n = 76, 44%) were the most commonly employed tools.

Conclusion

Response rate was modest but included all mainland Scottish regions with active stroke services. Although the majority of responders are assessing cognition and mood there is substantial heterogeneity in measures used and certain commonly used tools are not validated or appropriate for use in stroke. We suggest development of evidence based, standardised assessment protocols.

Implications for Rehabilitation

Case identification of depression in patients with chronic physical health problems: a diagnostic accuracy meta-analysis of 113 studies

BACKGROUND

Depression is more likely in patients with chronic physical illness, and is associated with increased rates of disability and mortality. Effective treatment of depression may reduce morbidity and mortality. The use of two stem questions for case finding in diabetes and coronary heart disease is advocated in the Quality and Outcomes Framework, and has become normalised into primary care.

AIM

To define the most effective tool for use in consultations to detect depression in people with chronic physical illness.

DESIGN

Meta-analysis.

METHOD

The following data sources were searched: CENTRAL, CINAHL, Embase, HMIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge, from inception to July 2009. Three authors selected studies that examined identification tools and used an interview-based ICD (International Classification of Diseases) or DSM (Diagnostic and statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) diagnosis of depression as reference standard. At least two authors independently extracted study characteristics and outcome data and assessed methodological quality.

RESULTS

A total of 113 studies met the eligibility criteria, providing data on 20,826 participants. It was found that two stem questions, PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire), the Zung, and GHQ-28 (General Health Questionnaire) were the optimal measures for case identification, but no method was sufficiently accurate to recommend as a definitive case-finding tool. Limitations were the moderate-to-high heterogeneity for most scales and the facts that few studies used ICD diagnoses as the reference standard, and that a variety of methods were used to determine DSM diagnoses.

CONCLUSION

Assessing both validity and ease of use, the two stem questions are the preferred method. However, clinicians should not rely on the two-questions approach alone, but should be confident to engage in a more detailed clinical assessment of patients who score positively.

Is the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) an appropriate screening tool for use in an alcohol-dependent population?

AIMS

To examine the psychometric properties of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in selected research to determine the suitability of this instrument for use in an alcohol-dependent population.

BACKGROUND

Anxiety and depression represent a significant comorbid problem encountered with alcohol dependency. Effective screening for clinically relevant anxiety and depression is crucial for tailoring effective treatment intervention. However, no guidance exists to suggest the most appropriate screening measure in this clinical group.

DESIGN

Narrative review.

METHODS

Three criteria were used: factor analysis, test-retest reliability and internal consistency reliability.

RESULTS

Factor analysis studies highlighted a mostly bi-dimensional model or a tripartite model, with only a couple of exceptions. Test-retest reliability came from only five studies, and while they all showed significantly positive correlated scores, only one study fulfilled criteria for a good or efficient reliability measure. The last evaluation, internal consistency reliability, faired much better in terms of recommended scores for reliability. Nearly all the studies showed a high level of internal consistency reliability.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale is likely to be a suitable screening tool for use in an alcohol-dependent population.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Effective screening for anxiety and depression can significantly enhance treatment efficacy when working with those patients presenting with alcohol dependency. This review suggests that the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale may be an appropriate instrument to use in this group based on observation of the tools measurement characteristics.

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: a diagnostic meta-analysis of case-finding ability

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the accuracy of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) as a case-finding instrument for anxiety and depressive disorders.

METHOD

MEDLINE, PSYCHINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, BNI, and AMED were searched from January 1983 to June 2006. Studies were included that administered the HADS, used a standardized psychiatric interview to establish a diagnosis of anxiety or depression, and provided sufficient data on sensitivity and specificity (N=41). Summary sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and diagnostic odds ratios were calculated for each study. Random effects meta-analytic pooling across studies at the recommended clinical (7/8) and research (10/11) cutoff points was undertaken and summary receiver operating characteristic curves constructed.

RESULTS

For major depressive disorders, a cut point of ≥8 gave a sensitivity of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.73-0.89) and a specificity of 0.74 (95% CI, 0.60-0.84) and a cut point ≥11 gave a sensitivity of 0.56 (95% CI, 0.40-0.71) and a specificity of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.79-0.97).

CONCLUSIONS

Many studies have shown that the HADS is a useful screening tool to identify emotional distress in nonpsychiatric patients. However, it does not appear to be superior to other screening instruments in terms of identifying specific mental disorders in physical health settings.

Management of depression in elderly stroke patients

Poststroke depression (PSD) in elderly patients has been considered the most common neuropsychiatric consequence of stroke up to 6-24 months after stroke onset. When depression appears within days after stroke onset, it is likely to remit, whereas depression at 3 months is likely to be sustained for 1 year. One of the major problems posed by elderly stroke patients is how to identify and optimally manage PSD. This review provides insight to identification and management of depression in elderly stroke patients. Depression following stroke is less likely to include dysphoria and more likely characterized by vegetative signs and symptoms compared with other forms of late-life depression, and clinicians should rely more on nonsomatic symptoms rather than somatic symptoms. Evaluation and diagnosis of depression among elderly stroke patients are more complex due to vague symptoms of depression, overlapping signs and symptoms of stroke and depression, lack of properly trained health care personnel, and insufficient assessment tools for proper diagnosis. Major goals of treatment are to reduce depressive symptoms, improve mood and quality of life, and reduce the risk of medical complications including relapse. Antidepressants (ADs) are generally not indicated in mild forms because the balance of benefit and risk is not satisfactory in elderly stroke patients. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the first choice of PSD treatment in elderly patients due to their lower potential for drug interaction and side effects, which are more common with tricyclic ADs. Recently, stimulant medications have emerged as promising new therapeutic interventions for PSD and are now the subject of rigorous clinical trials. Cognitive behavioral therapy can also be useful, and electroconvulsive therapy is available for patients with severe refractory PSD.

The ineffectiveness of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for diagnosis in an Omani traumatic brain injured population

BACKGROUND

The rehabilitation of the traumatic brain injury (TBI) patient is especially challenging in non-western populations as the phenotypic indicators as well as the neurobehavioral assessments for the survivors of brain injury are limited.

OBJECTIVE

The study screened for the prevalence of anxiety and depressive states among patients with TBI and examined the validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to identify TBI patients with comorbid affective dysfunctions, specifically anxiety and depressive disorders, in an Omani population.

METHODS

Sixty-eight survivors of TBI were screened with the semi-structured, Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and the HADS. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was calculated to discriminate the power of the HADS for every possible threshold score.

RESULTS

The semi-structured interview revealed the prevalence rate of 57.4% for depressive disorder and 50% for anxiety disorder. The sensitivity (53.8%) and specificity 75.9%, gave the best compromise using the cut-off score of 4, suggesting HADS is not a useful screening tool for this particular population.

CONCLUSIONS

Phenotypic indicators as detected by CIDI revealed that prevalence of affective dysfunctionality is common among this TBI population. Although the HADS is the most widely used screening instrument in other clinical populations, it does not appear to be a reliable resource in identifying depression and anxiety in people with traumatic brain injury in Oman.

An evaluation of two self-report screening measures for mood in an out-patient chronic heart failure population

OBJECTIVE

To examine the criterion validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item (GDS-15) in a community sample of Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) out-patients.

METHODS

Eighty-eight of 203 older adults with confirmed CHF responded to a postal survey and participated in a face-to-face interview. The GDS-15 and HADS were compared to diagnoses from the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I), using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and positive and negative predictive values, sensitivity and specificity for various cut-off points.

RESULTS

For all depressive disorders, the area under the ROC curve for the GDS-15 was 0.883 and a cut-off of 5 gave a sensitivity of 0.818 and a specificity of 0.833. The area under the ROC curve for the HADS Depression (D) and Anxiety (A) were 0.889 and 0.941 respectively. At a cut-off of 7, the HADS-A gave a sensitivity of 0.938 and a specificity of 0.847. At a cut-off of 4, the HADS-D gave a sensitivity of 0.864 and a specificity of 0.788.

CONCLUSIONS

The GDS-15 and HADS are valid screening tools for detecting depression in aged CHF out-patients. However, use of the HADS requires reduced cut-points to ensure that patients with mood disorder are not missed in this population.

Exclusion and inclusion criteria for people with aphasia in studies of depression after stroke: a systematic review and future recommendations

BACKGROUND/AIMS

A third of individuals are depressed following stroke. A similar proportion have aphasia. The extent of their inclusion in depression following stroke studies affects the generalizability of findings.

METHODS

We systematically reviewed published studies (to December 2005) that diagnosed depression following stroke. We identified aphasia screening methods, aphasia exclusion and inclusion criteria and respective numbers of individuals with aphasia.

RESULTS

Of 129 studies (n = 19,183), aphasia screening methods were only reported by 57 (31 described a published aphasia-specific tool). No mention of aphasia was made in 13 studies. Most studies (92, 71%) reported some exclusion of people with aphasia (49 reported how many: n = 3,082, range = 2-554). Almost half of the studies (60, 47%) actually reported participants with aphasia (37 specified numbers: n = 829, range = 5-60). Aphasia exclusion or inclusion was not associated with sample source (community, acute hospital, other) or study purpose (observation, intervention, screening). Studies that reported screening for aphasia were more likely to describe aphasia exclusion and inclusion criteria and include participants with aphasia.

CONCLUSION

Aphasia screening, exclusion and inclusion criteria reporting across studies of depression following stroke has been highly inconsistent. This impairs the interpretation of generalizability. Improved aphasia screening and reporting of exclusion and inclusion criteria are urgently recommended.

Choosing an Appropriate Depression Assessment Tool for Chinese Older Adults: A Review of 11 Instruments

The purpose of this article is to compare the advantages and limitations of developed depression assessment tools and provide recommendations for clinical staff to select an appropriate tool for use with Chinese older adults. A total of 7 Western tools translated into Chinese and 4 tools developed specifically for assessing Chinese older adults were found in 12 articles. Variability in instrument psychometric properties and cutoff scores is discussed. A reasonable strategy to efficiently assess depression in Chinese older adults is to first administer the Single Question or Geriatric Depression Scale-4 (GDS-4). If depression is likely, the Chinese GDS-15 could be used to increase the probability of identifying depression in Chinese older adults.

Update on depression in neurologic illness: stroke, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis

The risk of depression is increased in chronic neurologic illness and can adversely affect the course of disease. Recent literature is reviewed for depression in stroke, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. Depression can share pathophysiologic aspects of the comorbid illness, such as neurotransmitter pathway disturbances, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal pathway disturbances, and changes in immunologic function. Depression also can be a psychologic reaction to the burden of the neurologic condition. Risk factors for development of depression are reviewed. Depression and other medical conditions can have shared symptoms (eg, fatigue, psychomotor retardation) that can complicate the diagnosis of depression in neurologic illness. Proper selection of antidepressant treatment is necessary to avoid worsening the neurologic disorder.

Is it possible to carry out high-quality epidemiological research in psychiatry with limited resources?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review covers the epidemiological research from developing countries to identify the scope of research in the various aspects of epidemiology and the strengths of research. The period covered is June 2004 to June 2005. The literature survey used searches of Medline, key psychiatric journals and personal correspondence with leading psychiatric researchers from developing countries.

RECENT FINDINGS

There is a new interest in epidemiological studies in developing countries. These studies have been driven by three factors, namely international collaboration; specific situations like disasters, terrorism and severe acute respiratory syndrome; and international attention to specific topics like maternal depression. There is limited long-term research on specific conditions. There are a number of leads suggesting local social-cultural factors contribute to the distribution of psychiatric problems. Child psychiatry continues to be low in priority. There is also lack of research in areas such as personality disorders and organic psychiatric disorders.

SUMMARY

It is possible to carry out high quality epidemiological research in developing countries. Such research has provided new insights into the distribution, causation, course and outcome of mental disorders. There is need for greater attention to the development of epidemiological assessment tools to suit local conditions. Specific centers/institutions developing long-term research interests on specific subjects would be valuable for future efforts. There is also need to widen the conditions to be studied.