A brief and rapid procedure to measure the intensity of depressive symptoms in Primary Care.
Year: 2011
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Depression occupies a substantial part of medical visit attendance. However, medical practitioners have very little time so that a brief, quick and reliable procedure to evaluate the intensity of symptoms and their changes could be useful. Our objective has been to analyze the reliability of a self-applied Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to measure symptom intensity in depressed patients within this context. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred depressed outpatients (ICD-10) stated their clinical situation on a VAS. The psychiatrist evaluated them using a Global Clinical Impression (GGI) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The patient's VAS showed high correlation with the HDRS-17 and with the GCI used by the psychiatrist (r = 0.63 and r=0.58; p=0.000). This suggests that the use of a VAS in Primary Care could be useful and reliable for these purposes within the medical contexts of those having little time availability. Key-words: Depression, primary care, medical patients, assessment, evaluation.
Source: Actas Españolas de Psiquiatría
Authors: A Cordero-Villafáfila, J A Ramos-Brieva, R Gutiérrez Labrador, M L Zamarro Arranz
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2182492071