Validity of self-reporting depression in the Tabari cohort study population

Aims: Depression is a common cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. To detect depression, we compared BDI-II scoring as a valid tool with participants’ self-reporting depression.

Methods: The sample size was determined to include 155 participants with positive self-reporting of depression in a total of 1300 samples with 310 healthy participants were included in the study through random selection. In order to evaluate the diagnostic value of self-reporting, BDI-II was completed by blind interviewing to the case group as well as to another group who reported that they were not depressed, as control.

Results: Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, false positive, false negative, positive, and negative predictive values of self-reporting were calculated 58.4%, 79.1%,73.4%, 20.8%, 41.6%, 51.8%, and 83.2% for the total population, respectively, as well as, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive, and negative predictive values of self-report in males were 83.3%, 77.2%, 77.1%, 43.8%, and 95.6% and 53.7%, 78.1%, 71.2%, 49.2%, and 81.1% for females, respectively.

Conclusion: The positive predictive value and sensitivity of self-reporting are insufficient in total population and females, and therefore self-reporting cannot detect depressed patients, but regarding to its average positive predictive value, perhaps, it can be used to identify nondepressant individuals.