New depression scale short and accurate

The PSYCH-6 scale at a cut off point of 3 is equivalent to the HADS-T for detecting anxiety and depression in the outpatient oncology population, an Australian study concludes. The researchers from the psycho-oncology service, Calvary hospital and the Brain and Mind Research Institute Sydney noted that the PSYCH-6 scale could be completed in less than half the time it took to complete the HADS-T scale. In fact, they estimated that using the PSYCH-6 scale could save 67 hours per 1000 people screened. The relatively new six item PSYCH-6 is a subscale of the SPHERE-12 scale, the researchers explained. SPHERE-12 was developed as a screening measure for use in Australian general practice to detect common mental disorders. The researchers noted that a previous UK study among cancer professionals had found that lack of time was the primary barrier to screening in clinical practice. With this in mind, the researchers identified the PSYCH-6 scale as a promising candidate as it was shorter than other established questionnaires. In a population of 340 oncology outpatients the researchers found ‘substantial agreement” between the PSYCH-6 and the HADS-T. Agreement between the scales was higher at a cut-off point of 3+ on the PSYCH-6 than at the previously published cut-off point of 2+, they said. “It would be reasonable to use the PSYCH-6 at a cut-off point of 3+ as an equivalent instrument to the HADS-T for the identification of cases and non-cases of anxiety and depression in the present sample,” they concluded. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2009; 43:682-688....