Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/29745
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dc.contributor.authorDunstan, Debra Aen
dc.contributor.authorScott, Neden
dc.date.accessioned2020-12-02T03:16:42Z-
dc.date.available2020-12-02T03:16:42Z-
dc.date.issued2019-06-11-
dc.identifier.citationBMC Psychiatry, v.19, p. 1-7en
dc.identifier.issn1471-244Xen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/29745-
dc.description.abstract<b>Background</b>: Zung’s Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) is an established norm-referenced screening measure used to identify the presence of depressive disorders in adults. Despite widespread usage, issues exist concerning the recommended cut-off score for a positive diagnosis. First, confusion arising from the conversion of raw scores to index scores had resulted in a considerably higher cut-off score than that recommended being used by many researchers. Second, research in China [Chin J Nervous Mental Dis. 12:267-268; 2009] and Australia [BMC Psychiatry. 17:329; 2017] had suggested that the current recommended cut-off is lower than ideal, at least in those countries.<br/> <b>Method</b>:To explore these matters further, sensitivity and specificity figures for alternative cut-off points were examined in positive clinical and negative community samples respectively. The positive clinical sample (n = 57) consisted of adults receiving treatment from a medical professional for some kind of depressive disorder, whose diagnosis was positively confirmed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). The negative community sample (n = 172) was derived from a representative sample of adults whose absence of any depressive disorder was similarly confirmed by the PHQ.<br/> <b>Results</b>: Mathematical models, including Youden’s Index and the Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve, suggest that the recommended cut-off (a raw score of 40) is indeed too low. More detailed comparisons, including consideration of the likely numbers of false positives and negatives given prevalence rates, confirm that, ironically, the incorrect SDS cut-off score mistakenly applied by many researchers (a raw score of 50) would appear to provide far greater accuracy.<br/> <b>Conclusions</b>: Research in China [Chin J Nervous Mental Dis. 12:267-268; 2009] has resulted in an elevated SDS cut-off score of 42 being used in many Chinese studies. Research by Dunstan and Scott [BMC Psychiatry. 17:329; 2017] in an Australian context, suggested that a greater increase, to a raw score of 44 might be required. Based on this study, an even larger adjustment is required. Specifically, we recommend the use of an SDS raw score of 50 as the cut-off point for clinical significance.en
dc.languageenen
dc.publisherBioMed Central Ltden
dc.relation.ispartofBMC Psychiatryen
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.titleClarification of the cut-off score for Zung's self-rating depression scaleen
dc.typeJournal Articleen
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/s12888-019-2161-0en
dcterms.accessRightsUNE Greenen
local.contributor.firstnameDebra Aen
local.contributor.firstnameNeden
local.subject.for2008170106 Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychologyen
local.subject.seo2008920410 Mental Healthen
local.profile.schoolSchool of Healthen
local.profile.schoolSchool of Psychology and Behavioural Scienceen
local.profile.emailddunstan@une.edu.auen
local.profile.emailnscott21@une.edu.auen
local.output.categoryC1en
local.grant.number13134en
local.record.placeauen
local.record.institutionUniversity of New Englanden
local.publisher.placeUnited Kingdomen
local.identifier.runningnumber177en
local.format.startpage1en
local.format.endpage7en
local.identifier.scopusid85067128074en
local.peerreviewedYesen
local.identifier.volume19en
local.access.fulltextYesen
local.contributor.lastnameDunstanen
local.contributor.lastnameScotten
dc.identifier.staffune-id:ddunstanen
dc.identifier.staffune-id:nscott21en
local.profile.orcid0000-0002-0298-7393en
local.profile.roleauthoren
local.profile.roleauthoren
local.identifier.unepublicationidune:1959.11/29745en
dc.identifier.academiclevelAcademicen
dc.identifier.academiclevelAcademicen
local.title.maintitleClarification of the cut-off score for Zung's self-rating depression scaleen
local.relation.fundingsourcenoteFunding for the study was provided by a Staff Research Incentive Grant from the School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences at the University of New England.en
local.output.categorydescriptionC1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journalen
local.search.authorDunstan, Debra Aen
local.search.authorScott, Neden
local.open.fileurlhttps://rune.une.edu.au/web/retrieve/1624dfb9-ab1a-4254-aa4a-46924e548dfeen
local.uneassociationYesen
local.atsiresearchNoen
local.sensitive.culturalNoen
local.identifier.wosid000471335800002en
local.year.published2019-
local.fileurl.openhttps://rune.une.edu.au/web/retrieve/1624dfb9-ab1a-4254-aa4a-46924e548dfeen
local.fileurl.openpublishedhttps://rune.une.edu.au/web/retrieve/1624dfb9-ab1a-4254-aa4a-46924e548dfeen
local.subject.for2020520302 Clinical psychologyen
local.subject.seo2020200409 Mental healthen
dc.notification.tokenb492c19c-32eb-4e23-82bf-822841e6a77aen
local.profile.affiliationtypeUnknownen
local.profile.affiliationtypeUnknownen
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School of Health
School of Psychology
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