Validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Korean version in the elderly population: the Ansan Geriatric study

• Published in: Comprehensive psychiatry Vol. 49; no. 2; pp. 218 - 223
• Main Authors: Han, Changsu, Jo, Sangmee Ahn, Kwak, Ji-Hyun, Pae, Chi-Un, Steffens, David, Jo, Inho, Park, Moon Ho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.03.2008; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - ethnology; Biological and medical sciences; Bulimia; Clinical trials; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - ethnology; Female; Health Status; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Middle Aged; Mortality; Older people; Physicians; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Questionnaires; Reproducibility of Results; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Techniques and methods; Validity; Asia; South Korea; Korea; Human; Mood disorder; Social environment; Foreign language version; Questionnaire; Mental health; Internal consistency; Psychometrics; Depression; Medical screening; Test reliability; Intertrial interval; Test validation; Construct validity; Cutoff note; Convergent validity; Receiver operating characteristic curves; Elderly; Predictive validity; Public health
• ISSN: 0010-440X; 1532-8384
• DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2007.08.006

We evaluated the diagnostic validity of the 9-item depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in elderly Korean patients and suggest an optimal cutoff score to screen for major depressive disorders. The PHQ-9 and an elderly health questionnaire were administered to 1060 subjects older than 60 years, chosen using a stratified random sample of the community. The PHQ-9 was measured and compared with the Geriatric Depression Scale, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory scores. Reliability and validity tests, factor analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were performed. The PHQ-9 indicated that 175 subjects had depressive disorders, and 885 subjects were rated as healthy. The PHQ-9 showed significant positive internal consistency ( r = 0.88) and test-retest reliability ( r = 0.60). The convergent validity with Geriatric Depression Scale and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was significantly positive ( r = 0.74 and 0.66, respectively). We suggest a score of 5 as the optimal cutoff point when screening for depressive disorders using the PHQ-9. The Korean version of the PHQ-9 is an appropriate diagnostic tool for depression, and a score of 5 is the optimal cutoff for Korean elderly subjects. Screening for depression in the elderly population using the PHQ-9 would be valuable when medically ill patients show depressive symptoms in a primary health care setting.