Validity of four screening scales for major depression in MS

What is it about?

Depression is a very common issue in Multiple Sclerosis. It is a burdensome problem that leads to diminished quality of life, lowered functioning and an elevated rate of suicide. The goal of this study was to determine how well several commonly used scales for depression work in people with MS.

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Why is it important?

There is value in being able to measure depression using brief self-rated questionnaires. However, since MS produces symptoms that overlap with depression such as fatigue and cognitive problems there are questions about the accuracy of available scales. In this study we sought to evaluate the accuracy of three commonly used symptom rating scales, compared to a clinical interview. We found that each scale worked well, including the shortest scale, which is in the public domain, the PHQ-9.

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