Screening for depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) among the general population in Hong Kong

Objective: To assess the psychometric properties of the Hebrew version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in the general population. Methods: Using an online survey, we assessed test-retest reliability with a two-week time interval. A total of 118 participants enrolled in the study, of whom 103 completed the survey twice. Each participant filled out the PHQ-9 and the 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12). Our statistical analysis includes Cronbachs alpha, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC2,1), Spearmans rank correlation coefficient, Standard Error of Measurement (SEM), and Minimal Detectable Change (MDC). Results: Internal consistency of the Hebrew version of the PHQ-9 ranged from alpha=0.79-0.83. The test-retest reliability of the questionnaire is good (ICC2,1= 0.81), and it is moderately and negatively correlated to the mental component of the SF-12 (Spearman rho;= -0.57, p< .05). The SEM of the PHQ-9 is 1.83 points, and the MDC was found to be 5 points. Conclusion: The Hebrew version of the PHQ-9 is valid and reliable for screening self-reported depressive symptoms online in the general Hebrew-speaking population.

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Direct Participation in and Indirect Exposure to the Occupy Central Movement and Depressive Symptoms: A Longitudinal Study of Hong Kong Adults

American Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/aje/kww103 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 184 (9) ◽

pp. 636-643 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Michael Y. Ni ◽

Tom K. Li ◽

Herbert Pang ◽

Brandford H. Y. Chan ◽

Betty Y. Yuan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Major Depression ◽

Patient Health Questionnaire ◽

Health Questionnaire ◽

Personal Involvement ◽

Patient Health ◽

Population Mental Health ◽

History Of ◽

Occupy Central

Abstract Despite the extensive history of social movements around the world, the evolution of population mental health before, during, and after a social movement remains sparsely documented. We sought to assess over time the prevalence of depressive symptoms during and after the Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong and to examine the associations of direct and indirect exposures to Occupy Central with depressive symptoms. We longitudinally administered interviews to 909 adults who were randomly sampled from the population-representative FAMILY Cohort at 6 time points from March 2009 to March 2015: twice each before, during, and after the Occupy Central protests. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess depressive symptoms and probable major depression (defined as Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥10). The absolute prevalence of probable major depression increased by 7% after Occupy Central, regardless of personal involvement in the protests. Higher levels of depressive symptoms were associated with online and social media exposure to protest-related news (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06, 1.55) and more frequent Facebook use (IRR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.71). Higher levels of intrafamilial sociopolitical conflict was associated with more depressive symptoms (IRR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.09). The Occupy Central protests resulted in substantial and sustained psychological distress in the community.

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