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Reliability and validity of the Symptoms of Depression Questionnaire (SDQ)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 October 2014

Paola Pedrelli ,
Mark A. Blais ,
Jonathan E. Alpert ,
Richard C. Shelton ,
Rosemary S. W. Walker  and
Maurizio Fava
Paola Pedrelli*
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Massachussetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Mark A. Blais
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Massachussetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Jonathan E. Alpert
Affiliation:
Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachussetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Richard C. Shelton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Rosemary S. W. Walker
Affiliation:
Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachussetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Maurizio Fava
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: Paola Pedrelli, Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Bowdoin Square, 6th Fl, Boston, MA 02114, USA. (Email: ppedrelli@partners.org)
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Abstract

Current measures for major depressive disorder focus primarily on the assessment of depressive symptoms, while often omitting other common features. However, the presence of comorbid features in the anxiety spectrum influences outcome and may effect treatment. More comprehensive measures of depression are needed that include the assessment of symptoms in the anxiety–depression spectrum. This study examines the reliability and validity of the Symptoms of Depression Questionnaire (SDQ), which assesses irritability, anger attacks, and anxiety symptoms together with the commonly considered symptoms of depression. Analysis of the factor structure of the SDQ identified 5 subscales, including one in the anxiety–depression spectrum, with adequate internal consistency and concurrent validity. The SDQ may be a valuable new tool to better characterize depression and identify and administer more targeted interventions.

Keywords

anxious depressionassessmentdepression

Information

Type
Original Research
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 19 , Issue 6 , December 2014 , pp. 535 - 546
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2014 

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