All measuring instruments require further validation both in the setting for which they were designed and in other fields. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was designed for detection and assessment of those mood disorders in the setting of hospital medical and surgical clinics. Reasons are given for supposing it has advantages over other similar scales. The present study undertakes a further validation of the scale in a general hospital setting. The opportunity is taken to assess the usefulness, in this setting of the Irritability Depression and Anxiety Scale and also of two subscales of the General Health Questionnaire, the one relating to the concept of depression and the other to the concept of anxiety. Score ranges of the latter two subscales are suggested and will require replication for confirmation of their usefulness.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗

PubMed1987

Defining "depression".

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Depression↗

PubMed1987

The concepts of mild depression.

The term 'depression' is now used to cover a wider range of emotional disturbances than was the case when psychiatrists confined their attention to patients referred to psychiatric hospitals. There is considerable confusion about the variety of meanings and the loose terminology leads to claims and counter-claims about aetiology and treatment. The current classificatory systems and the variety of rating scales do not clarify issues concerning appropriate management. The guidelines for a clearer definition of a biogenic form of the concept of depression, which is likely to respond to antidepressant drug therapy, would be of considerable value to psychiatrists, non-psychiatric physicians and others who try to treat or help people in states of disordered emotion. Such guidelines are proposed.

Depression↗

PubMed1986

The hospital anxiety and depression scale.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Anxiety Disorders↗

PubMed1986

Grade scores of the Montgomery-Asberg Depression and the Clinical Anxiety Scales.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Rating scales for depression and anxiety: a current perspective.

Research now requires instruments capable of a better distinction between depressive and anxiety disorders. The study is concerned with two relatively recent clinician-rated scales, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Clinical Anxiety Scale together with two recent self-assessment scales, the Irritability-Depression-Anxiety Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The concurrent validity of these scales as measures of the separate concepts of anxiety and depression is examined.

Anxiety↗

PubMed1985

The relationship of concurrent benzodiazepine administration to seizure duration in ECT.

The relationship of concurrent benzodiazepine administration to seizure duration in ECT was examined. Administration of a standard oral dose of 10 mg diazepam to a series of patients suffering from major depressive disorder produced a significant reduction in men seizure length during ECT compared to length of ECT-induced seizure in those patients when they were benzodiazepine free. This finding is discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Irritability: definition, assessment and associated factors.

The heading of 'Irritable Mood' was introduced into the Index Medicus in 1985 and it is noted that this term is frequently used but seldom defined. It is therefore important that a consensus is reached concerning its definition in the context of psychopathology and a definition is offered. It seems important to distinguish irritable mood and its outward manifestations from violently assaultive behaviour although there may be a continuum of disturbance from mildly to severely disordered behaviour. Irritability has so far not attracted much attention from clinicians and yet it is a common mood associated with many psychiatric and non-psychiatric conditions. Severe irritability may cause considerable distress both to the patient, his associates and sometimes also those attempting to treat or otherwise help him. It may overshadow other symptoms and the correct diagnosis and management may be missed. The validity and reliability of a convenient self-assessment scale is re-examined in the light of further data. Data from previous studies in the context of mood disorders suggests that irritability is a mood state which is independent of the other major moods of depression and anxiety; the severity of irritability probably has an inverse correlation with age. The most important associated factors are listed in order to inform researchers of the possible methodological pitfalls.

Adult↗