TY - JOUR
T1 - The internal and external validity of the Major Depression Inventory in measuring severity of depressive states
AU - Olsen, Lis Raabaek
AU - Jensen, D. V.
AU - Noerholm, V.
AU - Martiny, K.
AU - Bech, P.
PY - 2003/2/1
Y1 - 2003/2/1
N2 - Background. We have developed the Major Depression Inventory (MDI),consisting of 10 items, covering the DSM-IV as well as the ICD-10 symptoms of depressive illness. We aimed to evaluate this as a scale measuring severity of depressive states with reference to both internal and external validity. Method. Patients representing the score range from no depression to marked depression on the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) completed the MDI. Both classical and modern psychometric methods were applied for the evaluation of validity, including the Rasch analysis. Results. In total, 91 patients were included. The results showed that the MDI had an adequate internal validity in being a unidimensional scale (the total score an appropriate or sufficient statistic). The external validity of the MDI was also confirmed as the total score of the MDI correlated significantly with the HAM-D (Pearson's coefficient 0.86, P≤0.01, Spearman 0.80, P≤0.01). Conclusion. When used in a sample of patients with different states of depression the MDI has an adequate internal and external validity.
AB - Background. We have developed the Major Depression Inventory (MDI),consisting of 10 items, covering the DSM-IV as well as the ICD-10 symptoms of depressive illness. We aimed to evaluate this as a scale measuring severity of depressive states with reference to both internal and external validity. Method. Patients representing the score range from no depression to marked depression on the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) completed the MDI. Both classical and modern psychometric methods were applied for the evaluation of validity, including the Rasch analysis. Results. In total, 91 patients were included. The results showed that the MDI had an adequate internal validity in being a unidimensional scale (the total score an appropriate or sufficient statistic). The external validity of the MDI was also confirmed as the total score of the MDI correlated significantly with the HAM-D (Pearson's coefficient 0.86, P≤0.01, Spearman 0.80, P≤0.01). Conclusion. When used in a sample of patients with different states of depression the MDI has an adequate internal and external validity.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037319809&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0033291702006724
DO - 10.1017/S0033291702006724
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 12622314
AN - SCOPUS:0037319809
SN - 0033-2917
VL - 33
SP - 351
EP - 356
JO - Psychological Medicine
JF - Psychological Medicine
IS - 2
ER -