Abstract
BackgroundGiven the criticisms of life event checklists and the costs associated with interviews, life event research requires a sophisticated but easy-to-use measure for research and clinical practice. Therefore, the Computerized Life Events and Assessment Record (CLEAR), based on the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule (LEDS), was developed.ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to test CLEAR’s reliability, validity, and association with depression.MethodsCLEAR, the General Health Questionnaire, and the List of Threatening Experiences Questionnaire (LTE-Q) were completed by 328 participants (126 students; 202 matched midlife sample: 127 unaffected controls, 75 recurrent depression cases). Test-retest reliability over 3-4 weeks was examined and validity determined by comparing CLEAR with LEDS and LTE-Q. Both CLEAR and LTE-Q were examined in relation to depression.ResultsCLEAR demonstrated good test-retest reliability for the overall number of life events (0.89) and severe life events (.60). Long-term problems showed similar findings. In terms of validity, CLEAR severe life events had moderate sensitivity (59.1%) and specificity (65.4%) when compared with LEDS. CLEAR demonstrated moderate sensitivity (43.1%) and specificity (78.6%) when compared with LTE-Q. CLEAR severe life events and long-term problems were significantly associated with depression (odds ratio, OR 3.50, 95% CI 2.10 to 5.85, P<.001; OR 3.38, 95% CI 2.02 to 5.67, P<.001, respectively), whereas LTE-Q events were not (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.43 to 2.60, P=.90).ConclusionsCLEAR has acceptable reliability and validity and predicts depression. It, therefore, has great potential for effective use in research and clinical practice identifying stress-related factors for the onset and maintenance of depression and related disorders.
Highlights
BackgroundSevere life events and chronic long-term problems are significant factors in the onset and maintenance of depression and various clinical disorders [1,2,3,4,5,6] and an important focus of etiological research
This paper aims to assess the psychometric properties of Computerized Life Events and Assessment Record (CLEAR)
The Depression Case Control (DeCC) clinical group had the highest rate of current depression, which significantly differed from the control sample
Summary
Severe life events and chronic long-term problems are significant factors in the onset and maintenance of depression and various clinical disorders [1,2,3,4,5,6] and an important focus of etiological research. Severity, and independence are absent, despite being critical for determining their role as “provoking agents” prior to the onset of psychological disorders. Checklist life events lack information on focus and fall prey to “intracategory unreliability,” having no definition or benchmark for guidance [8]. Checklist approaches condense linked events (eg, solely endorsing a birth event, which can include antenatal and postnatal experience). Given the criticisms of life event checklists and the costs associated with interviews, life event research requires a sophisticated but easy-to-use measure for research and clinical practice. The Computerized Life Events and Assessment Record (CLEAR), based on the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule (LEDS), was developed
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