The psychometric properties of the K10 and K6 scales in screening for mood and anxiety disorders in the South African Stress and Health study
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: Emerging research has provided support for the use of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scales in developing countries; however, this research has yet to be extended to southern Africa. This study sought to evaluate the performance of the Kessler scales in screening for depression and anxiety disorders in the South African population. The scales along with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) were included in the South African Stress and Health study, a nationally representative household survey. The K10/K6 demonstrated moderate discriminating ability in detecting depression and anxiety disorders in the general population; evidenced by area under the receiver operating curves of 0.73 and 0.72 respectively. However, both scales failed to meet our acceptability criteria of high sensitivity and high positive predictive value. Examinations of differences in responding by race/ethnicity revealed that the K10/K6 [Kessler Psychological Distress Scale 10-item (K10) and the abbreviated six-item (K6)] had significantly lower discriminating ability with respect to depression and anxiety disorders among the Black group (0.71) than among the combined minority race/ethnic groups of White, Colored, and Indian/Asian (0.78; p = 0.016). The difference in time period assessed on the K10/K6 (past 30 days) versus the CIDI (past 12 months) was a notable limitation of this study. Additional validation studies using clinician diagnostic instruments are recommended.
DOI: 10.1002/mpr.351
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funders: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, World Health Organization, University of Michigan, National Research Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Pfizer Foundation, Pan American Health Organization, Medical Research Council, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Fogarty International Center
Awards: G1037158725, World Mental Health Consortium Annual Meeting 2003-07, G2237026874, Social Role Disability and Mental-Physical Co-Morbidity, G22594740, G281960396, CROSS-NATIONAL STUDIES OF DRUG INVOLVEMENT: WMH2000, G3658001182, Trauma, Stress, and Mental Health in South Africa, G4076321871, G4134838996, Risk Factors for Psychopathology in the WHO WMH Surveys, World Mental Health Consortium Annual Meetings 2008-2012, G7284921876, G7433974870, G851565850, Lebanon-Epidemiology: The NCS Replication Study
OpenAlex ID: W2156350865