Depression Self-rating Scale Score Research Articles

Relationship between self-rated health and depression risk among children in Japan

Japan is facing a markedly high incidence of adolescent suicide. This study examines the relationship between depression and self-rated health, which is a significant factor driving people towards suicide, highlighting the importance of children’s assessments of their health. In this cross-sectional study, an original questionnaire combining text and illustrations was administered to 6421 elementary, junior, and senior high-school students and an effective way of using the questionnaire was proposed. To assess children’s self-rated health, the survey questions were classified into two domains: physical and mental health. The questions were further classified based on symptom duration. Depression assessment was based on the Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children. To provide a basis for the effective use of the self-rated health assessment tool, the respondents were classified into three groups based on physical/mental conditions together with the duration of those conditions, and comparisons were subsequently made. The groups were Favourable Health, Temporarily Poor Health, and Persistently Poor Health, and the results were analysed using an ANOVA. Self-rated health levels decreased, and depressive conditions worsened with age. Although most children led physically and mentally healthy school lives, the mean Depression Self-Rating Scale score was significantly higher for the Persistently Poor Health group than the other two, and the Temporarily Poor Health group scored significantly higher than the Favourable Health group for both physical and mental health (all p < 0.001). As the Temporarily and Persistently Poor Health groups in the domains of physical and mental health are more likely to be depressed, it is important to monitor the health of children in educational settings. In this study, completing this questionnaire was shown to help children understand themselves objectively and help the adults around them comprehend their condition quicker. It is especially important to promptly develop systems for appropriate and organic collaboration between educational settings and medical or welfare services.

School-based group interpersonal therapy for adolescents with depression in rural Nepal: a mixed methods study exploring feasibility, acceptability, and cost.

Adolescents with depression need access to culturally relevant psychological treatment. In many low- and middle-income countries treatments are only accessible to a minority. We adapted group interpersonal therapy (IPT) for adolescents to be delivered through schools in Nepal. Here we report IPT's feasibility, acceptability, and cost. We recruited 32 boys and 30 girls (aged 13-19) who screened positive for depression. IPT comprised of two individual and 12 group sessions facilitated by nurses or lay workers. Using a pre-post design we assessed adolescents at baseline, post-treatment (0-2 weeks after IPT), and follow-up (8-10 weeks after IPT). We measured depressive symptoms with the Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS), and functional impairment with a local tool. To assess intervention fidelity supervisors rated facilitators' IPT skills across 27/90 sessions using a standardised checklist. We conducted qualitative interviews with 16 adolescents and six facilitators post-intervention, and an activity-based cost analysis from the provider perspective. Adolescents attended 82.3% (standard deviation 18.9) of group sessions. All were followed up. Depression and functional impairment improved between baseline and follow-up: DSRS score decreased by 81% (95% confidence interval 70-95); functional impairment decreased by 288% (249-351). In total, 95.3% of facilitator IPT skills were rated superior/satisfactory. Adolescents found the intervention useful and acceptable, although some had concerns about privacy in schools. The estimate of intervention unit cost was US $96.9 with facilitators operating at capacity. School-based group IPT is feasible and acceptable in Nepal. Findings support progression to a randomised controlled trial to assess effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

Behavioral Intervention in Children with Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders: A Promising Option.

The objectives of this study were to identify and classify patients with functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPD) into its various subtypes as per the Rome IV criteria and to evaluate the underlying psychological factors and the effect of behavioral intervention in children with FAPD. A validated Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms (QPGS) based on Rome IV criteria was used to identify and classify children presenting with abdominal pain. The children diagnosed as having FAPD were referred for psychological screening to evaluate for underlying psychosocial problems. The scales namely Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS), Depression self-rating scale (DSRS), and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were administered to children to assess the response of the child to behavioral therapy. Of 100 children, 32, 26, 22, and 20% of children belonged to the subtypes of functional abdominal pain-not otherwise specified, abdominal migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, and functional dyspepsia, respectively. The most common associated psychosocial factors were academic burden, poor financial condition, exam-related stress, and bullying at school. The influence of behavioral therapy was statistically significant (P < .05). The mean (±standard deviation) PARS and DSRS scores were significantly reduced at 3 months of follow-up. The most common subtypes reported were functional abdominal pain-not otherwise specified and abdominal migraine. Psychological factors such as academic burden, poor financial condition, exam-related stress, and bullying at school need to be ruled out in children with this condition. Non-pharmacological intervention such as behavioral therapy can confer a remarkable improvement in the symptoms of children with FAPD.

Effect of healthy behavior intervention on the expectation level and negative emotions of patients with lung cancer surgery

Objective To analyze the effect and clinical value of health behavior intervention on postoperative hope level and negative emotional in patients with lung cancer surgery. Methods From December 2014 to October 2017, 170 cases with lung cancer in Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang were selected.According to the intervention methods, 85 cases were divided into control group and observation group.The patients in the control group were treated with routine nursing, the observation group received routine nursing combined with healthy behavior intervention nursing mode, and the nursing effect of the two groups was analyzed. Results After intervention, the anxiety self-rating scale score, depression self-rating scale score in the observation group were (45.43±3.08)points, (46.02±3.45)points, respectively, which in the control group were (50.02±6.62)points, (53.65±6.31)points, respectively, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant(t=5.287, 5.187, all P<0.05). After intervention, the positive attitude, positive action, and keep close relationship with others in the observation group were (13.04±2.88)points, (12.99±2.97)points, (13.23±2.96)points, respectively, which in the control group after intervention were (10.02±1.71)points, (10.13±1.86)points, (10.09±1.69)points, the differences between the two groups were statistically significant(t=4.871, 5.017, 4.418, all P<0.05). After intervention, the scores of physical function, role function, emotional function, cognitive function, social function, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain in the observation group were (74.04±7.73)points, (76.99±6.34)points, (75.01±7.86)points, (73.76±8.54)points, (75.92±6.18)points, (77.98±7.08)points, (79.32±8.32)points, (72.11±7.18)points, respectively, which were higher than those in the control group, the differences were statistically significant(t=11.387, 10.386, 12.487, 11.672, 13.987, 9.438, 14.687, 10.438, all P<0.05). Conclusion The application of healthy behavior intervention in patients with lung cancer can reduce anxiety and depression negative emotions, improve the hope level, improve the quality of life, and deserve to be applied in clinical application. Key words: Health education; Lung neoplasms; Hope level; Negative emotions

A case-control study of the difficulties in daily functioning experienced by children with depressive disorder

ObjectiveThe parent-assessed children-with-difficulties questionnaire (Questionnaire-Children with Difficulties; QCD) is designed to evaluate a child׳s difficulties in functioning during specific periods of the day. This study aimed to use the QCD to evaluate the difficulties in daily functioning experienced by children with depressive disorders. MethodsA case-control design was used. The cases comprised 90 junior high school students with depressive disorder, whereas a community sample of 363 junior high school students was enrolled as controls. Behaviors were assessed using the QCD, Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS), Tokyo Autistic Behavior Scale (TABS), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-rating scale (ADHD-RS), and Oppositional Defiant Behavior Inventory (ODBI). We then analyzed the effects of sex and diagnosis on the QCD scores as well as the correlation coefficients between the QCD and the other questionnaires. ResultsWe included 90 cases (33 boys, 57 girls) with depressive disorders and 363 controls (180 boys, 183 girls). The QCD scores for the children with depressive disorders were significantly lower compared with those from the community sample (P<0.001). The morning, school-time, and night subscores of the QCD were lower for the children with both depressive disorders and truancy problems than for those with depressive disorders alone (P<0.001). Significant correlations were observed between the following: the night QCD subscore and the DSRS scores among boys, the morning QCD subscore and ADHD-RS inattention scores for all groups, and the evening QCD subscore and the TABS score. ConclusionsParents reported that children with depressive disorders experienced greater difficulties in completing basic daily activities compared with community controls. These difficulties were dependent on sex, symptoms, and the time of day. The use of QCD to assess children with depressive disorders enables clinicians to clarify the time periods at which the children face difficulties.

High impulsivity as a risk factor for the development of internalizing disorders in detained juvenile offenders

BackgroundWhilst impulsivity is most commonly linked to the development of internalizing disorders, high levels of impulsivity, anxiety, and depression have been found in detained juvenile offenders. We therefore sought to determine whether impulsivity is associated with the development of self-reported anxiety or depression in a sample of detained juvenile offenders. Methods323 male juvenile offenders and 86 typically developing controls, aged 15–17 were assessed. The Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present and Lifetime (SADS-PL) was used to assess psychiatric diagnoses, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11) was used to measure impulsivity, and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and the Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS) were used to assess self-reported anxiety and depression respectively. ResultsCompared to controls, juvenile offenders had significantly higher scores on the BIS-11 total, as well as on the motor and nonplanning subscales (all p values <0.001), as well as higher DSRS (p<0.001) and SCARED (p<0.05) scores. Within the juvenile offender group, scores on the SCARED correlated positively with BIS-11 total, attention subscale, motor subscale, and total DSRS (all p values <0.01). DSRS scores correlated positively with BIS-11 total, attention subscale, nonplanning subscale, and total SCARED scores (all p values <0.01). Participants were then categorized low, middle or high impulsivity according to scores on the BIS-11. One-way ANOVAs demonstrated a significant difference between these tertiles on DSRS [F(2,320)=4.862, p<0.05] and SCARED total scores [F(2,320)=3.581, p<0.05]. Specifically, post-hoc analyses found that the high impulsivity tertile scored significant higher than the remaining tertiles on both DSRS (16.1±0.3 vs. 14.0±0.6, p<0.05) and SCARED (23.3±0.9 vs. 18.4±1.4, p<0.05) scores. Using multiple linear regression, BIS-11 attention scores, number of months served in custody, age, and BIS-11 nonplanning scores predicted higher levels of anxiety, whilst only BIS-11 attention and nonplanning scores predicted higher levels of depression. ConclusionsIn detained juvenile offenders, high impulsivity may be an important risk factor not only for the externalizing disorders, but also for anxiety and depression. Results of this study, therefore, suggest that specific facets of impulsivity may represent one mechanism underlying the emergence of anxiety and depression in this population.

Time course of the development of depressive mood and oppositional defiant behavior among boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Differences between subtypes

The aim of this research was to clarify the development of depression among boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by examining the correlation between depressive mood, oppositional defiant behavior, and age for each ADHD subtype. The Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS) was used to evaluate depressive mood while the Oppositional Defiant Behavior Inventory (ODBI) was used to evaluate oppositional defiant behavior. The 90 subjects were divided into three groups: 22 boys (mean age, 12.4 ± 1.9 years) were placed in the ADHD predominantly inattentive type (ADHD-I) group; 45 boys (mean age, 10.4 ± 2.0 years) were placed in the ADHD combined type (ADHD-C) group; and 23 boys (mean age, 12.7 ± 2.4 years) were placed in the depressive disorder (DD) group. The DD group was included to highlight characteristics of depressive mood among boys with ADHD. The DSRS score was significantly higher in the DD group compared to the ADHD-I and ADHD-C groups. The ODBI score was significantly higher in the ADHD-C group compared to the ADHD-I (P = 0.043) and DD (P = 0.013) groups. In the DD group, ODBI was seen to decrease with increasing age. A certain degree of oppositional defiant behavior was seen in each ADHD subtype. The DSRS score correlated with the ODBI score in the ADHD-C group, while the DSRS score correlated with age in the ADHD-I group. The characteristics of developing depressive mood in childhood ADHD appeared to differ between subtypes and also differed from depression without ADHD.

Depression and PTSD symptoms among bereaved adolescents 6½ years after the 1988 spitak earthquake

ObjectiveTo compare depression and PTSD symptoms of parentally bereaved adolescents and a comparison group after a catastrophic natural disaster. MethodSix and a half years after the Spitak earthquake, 48 parentally bereaved adolescents and a comparison group of 44 subjects with no parental loss were evaluated using the Depression Self - Rating Scale (DSRS) and Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (CPTSD-RI). ResultsOrphans scored significantly higher on depression than those who lost a father (Mean DSRS scores: 20.2±3.3 vs. 16.6±5.2; p<0.001), who in turn scored significantly higher than those who lost a mother (Mean DSRS scores: 16.6±5.2 vs. 12.7±4.1; p<0.002). Depression scores for orphans fell above the cut-off for clinical depression, while those who lost a father scored slightly below. PTSD scores within each group fell in the moderate range of severity, with girls scoring higher than boys (Mean CPTSD-RI scores: 35.9±11.3 vs. 29.3±10.1; p<0.04). LimitationAs self-report instruments were used, responses may have been over- or under- reported. Participants belonged to the same ethnic group and therefore the results may not be generalizable to other populations. ConclusionLoss of both parents and, to a lesser degree, loss of a father is a significant risk factor for depression, but not for PTSD. This study extends prior findings documenting post-disaster chronicity of depression and PTSD among bereaved adolescents, and underscores the need for post-disaster mental health and social programs, especially for those who suffer the loss of both parents.

A Prospective Study of Posttraumatic Stress and Depressive Reactions Among Treated and Untreated Adolescents 5 Years After a Catastrophic Disaster

This study evaluated 1) the natural course of posttraumatic stress and depressive reactions among untreated adolescents from two cities in an earthquake zone (Gumri and Spitak) and one at the periphery (Yerevan) who were differentially exposed to the 1988 Spitak earthquake in Armenia and 2) the effectiveness of brief trauma/grief-focused psychotherapy among adolescents from Gumri. One hundred twenty-five adolescents were assessed with the Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (CPTSD-RI) and the Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS) at 1.5 and 5 years postearthquake. At 1.5 years, trauma/grief-focused group and individual psychotherapy was provided over 6 weeks to a group of students in Gumri. CPTSD-RI scores among untreated adolescents from Gumri and Spitak subsided significantly but mildly at follow-up, with scores from Spitak, the city at the epicenter, remaining above the cutoff for a diagnosis of PTSD. DSRS scores increased mildly in both earthquake cities but only significantly in Gumri. Among treated adolescents in Gumri, improvement in CPTSD-RI scores was three times that of the untreated Gumri comparison group. The treated group also tended to improve on their DSRS scores, whereas these scores worsened significantly among untreated subjects. Untreated adolescents exposed to severe trauma are at risk for chronic PTSD and depressive symptoms. Brief trauma/grief-focused psychotherapy is effective in reducing PTSD symptoms and halting the progression of depression. This study supports the implementation of mental health intervention programs in schools after disasters to reduce trauma-related psychopathology.

Violence and mental health problems among urban high school students

We sought to determine the extent of exposure to violence and its relationship to other mental health risks among an urban teenage population. Students attending regularly scheduled physical education classes completed a Violence Survey, a Suicidal Ideation Survey, the Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS), and the Adolescent Alcohol Involvement Scale. Of the 630 students who completed the anonymous assessment 45% were male, 55% female, 61% black, 30% Hispanic; 54% grades 9-10, and 46% grades 11-12. Half of the students reported knowing someone who had been murdered, 61% indicated they had witnessed a robbery, 59% had witnessed a beating, 37% had witnessed a shooting, and 31% had witnessed a stabbing. Mental health problems reported by these students included: depression (DSRS score > 13) in 31%, suicidal ideation in 16%, suicide attempts in 10%, drinking > 1 x per month in 21%, and drinking daily in 5%. Univariate analysis revealed that students who witnessed a shooting or stabbing were more likely (p < .05) to be both male and black. Multivariate analysis revealed that students reporting knowing someone who was murdered were twice as likely to report suicidal ideation and four times as likely to report suicide attempts. Witnessing a stabbing was associated with twice the likelihood of reporting suicide ideation and three times the likelihood of reporting suicide attempts. Witnessing a shooting was associated with twice the likelihood of alcohol use. Witnessing a beating or robbery had no significant relationship to measured variables. Among this population of urban teenagers there are many who have witnessed violence and a subgroup who have witnessed shootings and stabbings and are at increased risk for mental health problems. A comprehensive medical and psychosocial history should include a violence assessment for all urban teens.