Assessing depression in fibromyalgia patients

Arthritis Care Res. 1994 Mar;7(1):35-9. doi: 10.1002/art.1790070108.

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the relationships among four methods of detecting depression in patients with fibromyalgia.

Methods: Data were obtained from 100 women (mean age 43 years) who had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Instruments included a computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule (C-DIS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), an adjusted "disease-free" BDI (BDI-A), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory depression subscale (MMPI-D). Chance-corrected concordance, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy among the four methods were calculated.

Results: The C-DIS detected 22% and BDI-A 29% with current major depression. The BDI and MMPI-D yielded higher estimates of 55% of the 44%, respectively. Agreement on the diagnosis among the four methods was significantly greater than chance. When compared with the C-DIS, the BDI was the most sensitive instrument and the BDI-A most specific.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Depressive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Depressive Disorder / etiology*
  • Female
  • Fibromyalgia / complications
  • Fibromyalgia / psychology*
  • Humans
  • MMPI
  • Middle Aged
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity