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Validity of Self-Reports of Medication Treatment of Depression in General Population Surveys Publisher Pubmed



Mojtabai R1 ; Aminesmaeili M1, 2
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
  2. 2. Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Source: Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Published:2022


Abstract

Purpose: To assess the concurrent validity of a single question on medication use for depression in a general population survey. Methods: Using data from 2015 to 2016 and 2017 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we compared responses to a single question on medication use for depression with responses to a detailed questionnaire confirmed by inspecting medication packages or pharmacy printouts. Results: There was a strong agreement (96.4%) between response to a single question about using medication for depression and responses to questions about using antidepressants or other psychiatric medications for depression on the detailed questionnaire. The single-question assessment had excellent sensitivity (93.8%) and specificity (96.7%), positive predictive value (71.5%), and kappa (0.79). Psychometric properties were mostly consistent across population subgroups. Conclusions: Single-question assessments of medication use for depression have acceptable concurrent validity against more detailed assessments and provide an efficient method for assessing medication treatment of depression in population health surveys. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.