Validating screening tools for depression in stroke and transient ischemic attack patients

ObjectiveThe best screening questionnaires for detecting post-stroke depression have not been identified. We aimed to validate four commonly used depression screening tools in stroke and transient ischemic attack patients.MethodsConsecutive stroke and transient ischemic attack patients visiting an outpatient stroke clinic in Calgary, Alberta (Canada) completed a demographic questionnaire and four depression screening tools: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9, PHQ-2, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Participants then completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), the gold-standard for diagnosing major depression. The questionnaires were validated against the SCID and sensitivity and specificity were calculated at various cut-points. Optimal cut-points for each questionnaire were determined using receiver-operating curve analyses.ResultsAmong 122 participants, 59.5% were diagnosed with stroke and 40.5% with transient ischemic attack. ...