Identifying Depression in Medical Patients

Abstract

The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐III: Major Depressive Episode Section (SCID) as nursing assessment tools to detect depression in medically ill patients were evaluated by comparing depression ratings obtained by a nurse using these tools with depression ratings obtained by a therapist using an unstructured diagnostic interview. The subjects were 52 myocardial infarction patients assessed at hospital discharge and 8 weeks later. The findings suggest that, while the BDI serves as an indicator of depression, the SCID is the optimal method for assessing depression in patients with medical illness.

Prevalence of depression in survivors of acute myocardial infarction

“…Of the 24 included articles, 8 used a standardized interview for the diagnosis of depression (e.g., Structured Clinical Interview for DSM [SCID] or Diagnostic Interview Schedule [DIS]) 6,8,33–38 . Seventeen studies used validated questionnaires or rating scales, including the BDI, 3,6,39–42,44,47,48 the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, 41,43 the HADS, 25–29 the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale, 45 or the Holland Sgroi Anxiety Depression Scale 46…”

Work and Marital Status in Relation to Depressive Symptoms and Social Support among Women with Coronary Artery Disease

“…23 For example, a study that measured depression in hospital and 6-8 weeks afterward showed that 40% of initially depressed patients were no longer depressed at follow-up. 53 Other studies point in the same direction and indicate that 30%-63% of patients who are diagnosed with depression in hospital reduce their depression scores in the subsequent year. 50,54,55 A further limitation of our study is that only 85% of the study group had available data on ejection fraction, an important clinical variable that may affect both return to work and psychosocial outcomes.…”

Journal Writing As a Complementary Therapy for Reactive Depression: A Rehabilitation Teaching Program

“…They are characterized by depressed mood, sense of loss, no pleasure in daily activities, or impairment in social and daily function. In one study (Carney, Freedland, Eisen, Rich, & Jaffe, 1995) depressive symptoms reoccurred in the majority of patients involved in rehabilitation; in other studies health professionals were able to readily identify these symptoms (Davis & Jensen, 1988; Simon & VonKorff, 1995).…”