ABSTRACT
In order to provide additional data on the diagnostic efficiency of the DACL in a situation in which dual diagnoses that involve depression also are considered, two groups of psychiatric patients completed DACL list E and independently were assigned psychiatric diagnoses via the Psychiatric Diagnostic Interview. Findings indicate that the DACL may be of considerable use in screening for depression. Sensitivity was high for both males and females (.84 and .80, respectively) with a cutting score of 12/13. Correct classification rates were also between 4 and 10% higher than base rates.
Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder/diagnosis , Mass Screening , Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Depressive Disorder/epidemiology , Depressive Disorder/psychology , Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry) , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Missouri/epidemiology , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
Psychometric characteristics of the trait version of Set 2 (E, F, G) of the Depression Adjective Check Lists (DACL) were studied in a sample of 177 consecutive admissions to a university medical center clinic of adult psychiatric outpatients (60 males, 117 females). The SCL-90-R and the Psychiatric Diagnostic Interview also were administered. The trait DACL was shown to have high internal consistency (.90 to .92) and alternate form reliability (.86 to .92) and good concurrent (.76) and discriminant validity. The DACL (E, F, G) was able to differentiate between those with or without the presence of a Major Depression. There was a significant correlation between DACL E and levels of distress and psychopathology. In addition, the magnitude of DACL score significantly differentiated psychiatric diagnostic groups.
Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder/diagnosis , Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Ambulatory Care , Anxiety Disorders/diagnosis , Anxiety Disorders/psychology , Bipolar Disorder/diagnosis , Bipolar Disorder/psychology , Comorbidity , Depressive Disorder/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of Results , Substance-Related Disorders/diagnosis , Substance-Related Disorders/psychologyABSTRACT
The lifetime co-morbidity of major psychiatric disorders among male alcoholics was examined with the structured Psychiatric Diagnostic Interview (PDI), which was administered to 928 patients undergoing alcoholism treatment at six Veterans Administration Medical Centers. Thirty-eight percent were positive for alcoholism only; 62% fulfilled inclusive lifetime diagnostic criteria for at least one other additional psychiatric syndrome. Thirty percent satisfied criteria for one additional syndrome; 16% for two additional syndromes; 12% for three; and 4% for four or more disorders in addition to alcoholism. Depression and antisocial personality were the most frequently identified co-occurring syndromes (36% and 24%, respectively) followed by drug abuse and mania (17% each). The additional psychiatric syndromes in this sample were clearly not randomly distributed; instead, certain disorders tended to cluster together such as: drug abuse and antisocial personality; mania and depression; depression and anxiety disorder; and schizophrenia and affective disorder. Implications for classification and treatment are discussed.
