Psychometric properties of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (QIDS-SR) in depressed adolescents

Abstract

Background: Accurate and reliable self-report measurement tools examining depressive symptoms are scant in child psychiatry. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Chinese Version of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (C-QIDS-SR) in depressed adolescents in China. Methods: Adolescents with major depressive episodes or bipolar depressive episodes were assessed using the C-QIDS-SR. The structure validity of the C-QIDS-SR was estimated using principal component analysis with varimax rotation. Results: A total of 246 depressed adolescents were included in the study. Cronbach's alpha was 0.77. The correlation coefficient between the baseline and endpoint assessments was 0.49 (p < 0.001), whereas, the correlation coefficient between the C-QIDS-SR and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17 items (HAMD-17) was 0.63 (p < 0.001). Principal component analysis with varimax rotation demonstrated the unidimensional structure of the C-QIDS-SR. Conclusion: The C-QIDS-SR is a reliable and valid instrument with acceptable psychometric properties to measure depressive symptoms in adolescents.