Use of the Long and Short Forms of the Depression in the Medically Ill Questionnaire in a Spanish Population

• Published in: Assessment (Odessa, Fla.) Vol. 20; no. 4; pp. 511 - 520
• Main Authors: Orive, Miren, Padierna, Jesús A., Las Hayas, Carlota, Vrotsou, Kalliopi, Quintana, Jose M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.08.2013
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Comorbidity; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Depressive Disorder, Major - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology; Disease - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Personality Assessment - statistics & numerical data; Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data; Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data; Reproducibility of Results; Sick Role; Spain; Surveys and Questionnaires; Translating; Spain; psychometrics; depression; validation studies; patients; Spain
• ISSN: 1073-1911; 1552-3489
• DOI: 10.1177/1073191110397273

This study sought to translate, using a back-translation procedure, and evaluate the psychometric characteristics of Depression in the Medically Ill questionnaire (DMI-18) and its short version (DMI-10) in a Spanish population. Patients with somatic disorders (N = 366) completed the translated DMI-18 and another depression questionnaire. Among these, 167 were also assessed by a mental health professional (gold standard) to test criterion validity. Furthermore, coefficient alpha for both the versions were high (>.90), and convergent validity assessed against the Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 was satisfactory (r > .74). Confirmatory factor analysis results supported the one-factor model. When compared with the gold standard, sensitivity and specificity were 93% and 73% for DMI-18 and 87% and 74% for DMI-10, respectively. Thus, both the versions are acceptable measures that can be used by nonpsychiatric professionals to detect affective comorbidities in their patients.