Evidence summary on meta-analysis of depression scales for major depression
| Instrument | Total sample size (number of studies) | Sensitivity (95% CI) | Specificity (95% CI) | Positive predictive value (95% CI)* | Negative predictive value (95% CI)* | Rule-in clinical utility** | Rule-out clinical utility** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDI | 940 (5) | 0.88 (0.81 to 0.93) | 0.67 (0.43 to 0.84) | 0.27 (0.15 to 0.50) | 0.97 (0.88 to 0.99) | Poor | Good |
| PHQ-9 | 552 (3) | 0.86 (0.70 to 0.94) | 0.79 (0.60 to 0.90) | 0.41 (0.23 to 0.62) | 0.97 (0.92 to 0.99) | Poor | Good |
| PHQ-2 | 552 (3) | 0.79 (0.55 to 0.92) | 0.76 (0.62 to 0.85) | 0.36 (0.20 to 0.51) | 0.96 (0.89 to 0.98) | Poor | Good |
| HADS-D | 848 (5) | 0.82 (0.70 to 0.90) | 0.76 (0.72 to 0.80) | 0.37 (0.27 to 0.46) | 0.96 (0.92 to 0.98) | Poor | Good |
| HADS-T | 379 (3) | 0.79 (0.45 to 0.94) | 0.79 (0.57 to 0.91) | 0.39 (0.15 to 0.64) | 0.96 (0.86 to 0.99) | Poor | Good |
| HDRS† | 567 (3) | 0.86 (0.72 to 0.93) | 0.89 (0.79 to 0.96) | 0.57 (0.37 to 0.80) | 0.97 (0.94 to 0.99) | Fair | Excellent |
*Assumes depression prevalence of 14.5%.
**See www.clinicalutility.co.uk for more information.
†All scales are self report except the HDRS which is a clinician administered scale.
BDI, Beck Depression Inventory; CES-D, Center of Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale; HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HDRS, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; PHQ, Patient Health Questionnaire.