Unipolar Depression: Contemporary Study Kroenke et al

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

See how effective the PHQ-8 method in measuring depression in large population based surveys

Question 2

IV

Answer 2

Whether respondent is classified as clinically depression using the PHQ-8 method

Question 3

DV

Answer 3

Number of telephone respondents who were diagnosed with depression

Question 4

Sample

Answer 4

198,700 americans, from 38 different states

Question 5

Procedure

Answer 5

Participants filled out a questionaire, the data was then analysed.

Question 6

Procedure: What questionaire did they use

Answer 6

PHQ-8

Question 7

Procedure: What did the PHQ-8 method consist of

Answer 7

8 questions covering 8 of DSM-V symptoms

• They were asked to give ‘number of days in the past 2 weeks’ they experienced the symptoms
• Then they were allocated points based on the numbers they gave

Question 8

Procedure: How did the point system work

Answer 8

0 points for 0/1 days
1 point for 2/6 days
2 points for 7/11 days
3 points for 12/14

Question 9

Procedure: What are the 2 ways PHQ assesed current depression

Answer 9

Diagnostic algorithm method

Cutpoint method

Question 10

Procedure: How does the diagnostic algorithm method work

Answer 10

Diagnoses MDD for more than half the days on 5 or more symptoms

Any other depressive disorder on more than half the days on 2-4 symptoms

Question 11

Procedure: How does the cutpoint method work

Answer 11

Defines depression if the score was 10 or more

Question 12

Results for Diagnostic algorithm method

Answer 12

4.3% were found to have major depressive disorder (MDD)

9.1% were found to have some form of depression

Question 13

Results for cutpoint method

Answer 13

8.6% of people had depression

Question 14

Conclusion

Answer 14

PHQ-8 method was useful in measuring population-based studies

Question 15

Weakness of Kroenke et al generalisability

Answer 15

The sample used for the surveys may have been baised

Question 16

Weakness generalisability: Why might the sample be baised

Answer 16

The survey excluded people from institutions and people who did not have telephones.

• These people might be the ones suffering the most from depression

Question 17

Weakness generalisability: What does this bais mean for results

Answer 17

study may have underestimated the true prevalence of depression

Question 18

Strength of application

Answer 18

Shows PHQ-8 can be used to arrive at an initial diagnosis through telephone interview or even online survey

Question 19

Strength of application: how can this help people

Answer 19

can encourage people to seek out help from doctors who can then make further diagnosis using DSM-V or ICD-10

Question 20

Strength of application: why is this a strength

Answer 20

Early identification can be cost effective and help avoid distress

Question 21

Strength of the reliability

Answer 21

It has a clear standardised procedures

Question 22

Strength of reliability: How is the procedure standardised

Answer 22

Used a well structured questionnaire and it was delivered by trained interviewers.

• As they followed a protocol, the structure and experince of interview was the same for each participant

Question 23

Weakness of reliability

Answer 23

Asking questions over telephone creates realiability issues

Question 24

Weakness of reliability: Why does asking questions over telephone create issues

Answer 24

Some participants may not want to disclose their issues to a stranger.

• participants may not answer on the 4 point scale, they might describe their experience instead of giving a number forcing researchers to make a subjective decision on a score