Self-report and clinician-rated measures of depression severity: can one replace the other?

Depress Anxiety. 2012 Dec;29(12):1043-9. doi: 10.1002/da.21993. Epub 2012 Aug 29.

Abstract

Background: It has been suggested that clinician-rated scales and self-report questionnaires may be interchangeable in the measurement of depression severity, but it has not been tested whether clinically significant information is lost when assessment is restricted to either clinician-rated or self-report instruments. The aim of this study is to test whether self-report provides information relevant to short-term treatment outcomes that is not captured by clinician-rating and vice versa.

Methods: In genome-based drugs for depression (GENDEP), 811 patients with major depressive disorder treated with escitalopram or nortriptyline were assessed with the clinician-rated Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), and the self-report Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). In sequenced treatment alternatives to relieve depression (STAR*D), 4,041 patients treated with citalopram were assessed with the clinician-rated and self-report versions of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-C and QIDS-SR) in addition to HRSD.

Results: In GENDEP, baseline BDI significantly predicted outcome on MADRS/HRSD after adjusting for baseline MADRS/HRSD, explaining additional 3 to 4% of variation in the clinician-rated outcomes (both P < .001). Likewise, each clinician-rated scale significantly predicted outcome on BDI after adjusting for baseline BDI and explained additional 1% of variance in the self-reported outcome (both P < .001). The results were confirmed in STAR*D, where self-report and clinician-rated versions of the same instrument each uniquely contributed to the prediction of treatment outcome.

Conclusions: Complete assessment of depression should include both clinician-rated scales and self-reported measures.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00021528.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Citalopram / therapeutic use
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nortriptyline / therapeutic use
  • Observer Variation
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Psychometrics
  • Self Report
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antidepressive Agents
  • Citalopram
  • Nortriptyline

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00021528