Publication Abstract Display
Type: Published Manuscript
Title: Screening for major depression in persons with HIV infection: the concurrent predictive validity of the Profile of Mood States Depression-Dejection Scale.
Authors: Patterson K, Young C, Woods SP, Vigil O, Grant I, Atkinson JH, and the HNRC Group
Contact: Steven Paul Woods, HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center, Department of Psychiatry (0847), University of California, San Diego, 150 West Washington Street, 2nd floor, San Diego CA 92103, USA. Telephone: (+1) 619 543-5004. Fax: (+1) 619 543-1235
Year: 2006
Publication: International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Pages: 75-82
Abstract:Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is among the most prevalent but underdiagnosed psychiatric disorders in persons with HIV infection. Given the known adverse impact of comorbid MDD on HIV disease progression and health-related quality of life, it is important both for research and for efficient, effective clinical care, to validate existing screening measures that may discriminate between MDD and the somatic symptoms of HIV (such as fatigue). In the current study, we evaluated the concurrent predictive validity of the Profile of Mood States (POMS) Depression-Dejection scale in detecting current MDD in 310 persons with HIV infection. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) diagnosis of MDD and the Cognitive-Affective scale from the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-CA) served as comparative diagnostic and severity measures of depression, respectively. Results demonstrated that the POMS Depression-Dejection scale accurately classified persons with and without MDD SCID diagnoses, with an overall hit rate of 80%, sensitivity of 55%, specificity of 84%, and negative predictive power of 91% using a recommended cutpoint of 1.5 standard deviations above the normative mean. Moreover, the POMS performed comparably to the BDI-CA in classifying MDD. Findings support the predictive validity of the POMS Depression-Dejection scale as a screening instrument for MDD in persons with HIV disease.
Keywords: HIV, major depression, psychological assessment, screening tests

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