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Sexual interest in children is an important factor contributing to sexual (re)offending against children. The current state of research makes it difficult to conclude if people with pedophilia are overly interested in children, or have lower interest in adults, or both. This is relevant knowledge in treatment for preventing sexual (re)offenses against children. This study aimed to systematically analyze sexual interest in both children and adults in samples of men with pedophilia and comparison groups. A total of 55 studies (N = 8465) were included in four meta-analyses and a systematic review. Most included studies considered people who had sexually offended against children (PSOC; nPSOC = 5213). Results indicated that PSOC with pedophilia did not have a clear sexual preference for either children or adults. Compared to comparison groups, they had more absolute sexual interest in children and lower sexual interest in adults. We conclude that the lack of sexual interest in adults may be a relevant factor in PSOC with pedophilia. More studies are needed to disentangle sexual interest in children from sexual interest in adults, while using carefully matched comparison groups and appropriate research designs.

Sexual interest in children is an important factor contributing to sexual (re)offending against children. The current state of research makes it difficult to conclude if people with pedophilia are overly interested in children, or have lower interest in adults, or both. This is relevant knowledge in treatment for preventing sexual (re)of-fenses against children. This study aimed to systematically analyze sexual interest in both children and adults in samples of men with pedophilia and comparison groups. A total of 55 studies (N = 8465) were included in four meta-analyses and a systematic review. Most included studies considered people who had sexually offended against children (PSOC; nPSOC = 5213). Results indicated that PSOC with pedophilia did not have a clear sexual preference for either children or adults. Compared to comparison groups, they had more absolute sexual interest in children and lower sexual interest in adults. We conclude that the lack of sexual interest in adults may be a relevant factor in PSOC with pedophilia. More studies are needed to disentangle sexual interest in children from sexual interest in adults, while using carefully matched comparison groups and appropriate research designs.

Background: Identifying high-risk groups for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during evacuation situations requires a valid short screening tool. The re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD are considered helpful for distinguishing those with PTSD from those without, as they are thought to be specific to PTSD, have less ambiguity for respondents, and are representative of all PTSD symptoms. Objective: To develop a new short version of the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) comprising only re-experiencing symptom items. Method: We used existing data (N = 169) from our previous study on the Japanese version of the PDS and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). The sample included both clinical outpatients (n = 106) and university students (n = 63), all of whom reported one or more traumatic experiences. We created candidate 2- and 3-item versions of the PDS and compared their psychometric characteristics against the CAPS. Results: The best candidate (comprising items for ‘intrusive images’, ‘nightmares’, and ‘physiological reactions when reminded of the trauma’) demonstrated an area under the curve of .95, 94.8% sensitivity, 86.1% specificity for the best cut-off score of three. The candidate scale also showed a strong correlation with CAPS-evaluated severity score and internal consistency. Conclusions: The brief re-experiencing PDS had good psychometric properties among Japanese adults with and without PTSD.

Background Early morning off (EMO) is a common feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study aimed to characterize its clinical features and develop a convenient and pragmatic self-assessment instrument in a Chinese nationwide population. Methods This study was conducted on 942 PD patients admitted to 55 clinic centers for movement disorders between June 2018 and May 2019 in China. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were performed to determine potential risk factors and the most predictive symptoms of EMO, as well as whether EMO was an independent risk factor of functional dependency in daily life. Based on this, a 7-question scale was derived for EMO screening. Diagnostic accuracy of this scale was assessed from the area under the receiver operative characteristic curve (AUROC) and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We further calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for the optimal cutoff point. Results EMO occurred in 49.2% of PD patients across all disease stages. We identified 7 symptoms most predictive of EMO, including bradykinesia or rigidity, excessive sweating or salivation, difficulty in turning on or getting out of bed, muscle cramp, fatigue or sleepiness, frozen state or freezing gait, and tremor. The resulting 7-item scale was confirmed to be of good discrimination with a relatively large AUROC of 0.83, a relatively high sensitivity of 75.7%, specificity of 77.5%, PPV of 76.5%, and NPV of 76.7%. Nonideal nighttime sleep, long PD duration, advanced H&Y stages, posture instability gait difficulty-dominant or mixed subtypes, and high levodopa dose were independently associated with increased risk of EMO. EMO patients were at 87% higher (OR = 1.87, 95%CI: 1.07–3.32) risk of experiencing functional dependency in daily living compared with their counterparts. Conclusions We demonstrated that EMO is a common feature for PD patients across all disease stages and put forward an EMO-specific screening card of sufficient accuracy and brevity. Meanwhile we have thrown some light upon potential determinants and negative health effects of EMO. Our findings may exert great impact on improving the awareness, recognition and management of EMO in PD patients.

Background Increasingly pregnancy-related anxiety is acknowledged as a distinct anxiety type, characterised by specific fears/worries. The Pregnancy-related Anxiety Scale (PrAS) screens for this distinct anxiety and refinements to the scale have prompted further validity examination. This study aims to: replicate findings that distinguished pregnancy-related anxiety from general anxiety/depression using the PrAS; confirm the PrAS's factor structure, and examine the validity of the PrAS subscales: Acceptance of Pregnancy, Avoidance and Worry About Self. Methods Pregnant women (N = 608) were recruited online and completed the PrAS, Pregnancy Acceptance Questionnaire, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Cambridge Worry Scale, Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, State Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Edinburgh Depression Scale. Results Multiple regression analysis confirmed general anxiety/depression contributed little to the PrAS's variance, supporting the scale's validity and distinctiveness of pregnancy-related anxiety. Structural equation modelling confirmed the PrAS's factor structure, and the three PrAS subscales generally correlated more highly with convergent measures than the discriminant measures. Limitations Limitations included the cross-sectional design of the study and the use of some convergent/discriminant measures that lacked validity evidence for prenatal use. Conclusions This study provides evidence of the distinctiveness of pregnancy-related anxiety from state/trait anxiety and depression and also adds to the psychometric properties of the PrAS. The PrAS is a useful screening scale that can be used for antenatal screening potentially reducing the risk of adverse outcomes associated with pregnancy-related anxiety. The PrAS is also a useful research tool providing a more comprehensive assessment of pregnancy-related anxiety.

International audience; Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (Aβ peptides and tau proteins) improved the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in research and clinical settings. We previously described the PLM-scale (Paris-Lille-Montpellier study), which combines Aβ42, tau, and phosphorylated ptau(181) biomarkers in an easy to use and clinically relevant way. The purpose of this work is to evaluate an optimized PLMR-scale (PLM ratio scale) that now includes the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio to detect AD versus non-AD (NAD) participants in clinical routine of memory centers.Methods: Both scales were compared using 904 participants with cognitive impairment recruited from two independent cohorts (Mtp-1 and Mtp-2). The CSF Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio was measured systematically in Mtp-1, and only on biologically discordant cases in Mtp-2. Two different ELISA kit providers were also employed. The distribution of AD and NAD patients and the discrepancies of biomarker profiles were computed. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were used to represent clinical sensitivity and specificity for AD detection. The classification of patients with the net reclassification index (NRI) was also evaluated.Results: Nine hundred and four participants (342 AD and 562 NAD) were studied; 400 in Mtp-1 and 504 in Mtp-2. For AD patients, the mean CSF Aβ42 and CSF Aβ42/40 ratio was 553 ± 216 pg/mL and 0.069 ± 0.022 pg/mL in Mtp-1 and 702 ± 335 pg/mL and 0.045 ± 0.020 pg/mL in Mtp-2. The distribution of AD and NAD differed between the PLM and the PLMR scales (p < 0.0001). The percentage AD well-classified (class 3) increased with PLMR from 38 to 83% in Mpt-1 and from 33 to 53% in Mpt-2. A sharp reduction of the discordant profiles going from 34 to 16.3% and from 37.5 to 19.8%, for Mtp-1 and Mtp-2 respectively, was also observed. The AUC of the PLMR scale was 0.94 in Mtp-1 and 0.87 in Mtp-2. In both cohorts, the PLMR outperformed CSF Aβ42 or Aβ42/40 ratio. The diagnostic performance was improved with the PLMR with an NRI equal to 44.3% in Mtp-1 and 28.8% in Mtp-2.Conclusion: The integration of the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio in the PLMR scale resulted in an easy-to-use tool which reduced the discrepancies in biologically doubtful cases and increased the confidence in the diagnosis in memory center.

Background: On February 27, 2010 (F-27), an earthquake and tsunami occurred having a significant impact on the mental health of the Chilean population, leading to an increase in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objectives: Within this context, validated for the first time in Chile was the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS) using three samples (each one consisting of 200 participants), two of them random from the Chilean population. Results: Reliability analyses (i.e., α=0.933), concurrent validity (63% of the items are significantly correlated with the criteria variable ‘‘degree of damage to home’’) and construct validity (i.e., CMIN=3.754, RMSEA= 0.118, NFI=0.808, CFI=0.850 and PNFI=0.689) indicate validity between regular and good for DTS. However, a new short version of the scale (DTS-SF) created using the items with heavier factor weights, presented better fits (CMIN=2.170, RMSEA=0.077, NFI=0.935, CFI=0.963, PNFI=0.697). Discussion: Finally, the usefulness of DTS and DTS-SF is discussed, the latter being briefer, valid and having better psychometric characteristics. Keywords: Post-traumatic stress disorder; screening scale; exploratory factor analysis; confirmatory factor analysis; earthquake; tsunami; psychosocial impact (Published: 22 August 2013) For the abstract or full text in other languages, please see Supplementary files in the column to the right (under Article Tools). Citation: European Journal of Psychotraumatology 2013, 4 : 21239 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v4i0.21239

On February 27, 2010 (F-27) there was an earthquake and a tsunami m Chile that has caused a great impact on the mental health of the population of this country, specifically in the increase of cases of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In view of count better instruments to measure PTSD was applied for the first time since it was created, the SPRINTE scale in a population other than the U.S., specifically in 291 people who experienced the F-27. The analysis of reliability (α=. 916), concurrent validity (all items significantly correlated with the scale used as a criterion DTS) and construct validity (CMIN=2.237, RMSEA=.092, NFI=.901, CFI=.942 and PNFI=.704 for two-factor model) indicate that SPRINT-E is a valid and reliable scale to measure PTSD in this population. Finally, some reflections about new factor structure discovered in this analysis, which is consistent with the meaning of items and with theoretical models such as covert stimuli. It also reflects on the usefulness of a brief scale, proven valid and very good psychometric characteristics in a Spanish-speaking population prone to natural disasters such as Chilean F-27, Japan (March 11, 2011) or Spain (May 11, 2011).

application/pdf, Journal of rehabilitation and health sciences. 2006, 4, p.31-37

On February 27, 2010 (F-27) there was an earthquake and a tsunami m Chile that has caused a great impact on the mental health of the population of this country, specifically in the increase of cases of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In view of count better instruments to measure PTSD was applied for the first time since it was created, the SPRINTE scale in a population other than the U.S., specifically in 291 people who experienced the F-27. The analysis of reliability (α=. 916), concurrent validity (all items significantly correlated with the scale used as a criterion DTS) and construct validity (CMIN=2.237, RMSEA=.092, NFI=.901, CFI=.942 and PNFI=.704 for two-factor model) indicate that SPRINT-E is a valid and reliable scale to measure PTSD in this population. Finally, some reflections about new factor structure discovered in this analysis, which is consistent with the meaning of items and with theoretical models such as covert stimuli. It also reflects on the usefulness of a brief scale, proven valid and very good psychometric characteristics in a Spanish-speaking population prone to natural disasters such as Chilean F-27, Japan (March 11, 2011) or Spain (May 11, 2011). El 27 de febrero de 2010 (27-F) se produjo un terremoto y un tsunami que ha causado alto impacto en la salud mental de la población chilena, específicamente en el aumento de los casos de estrés post-traumático (TEPT). Para contar con mejores instrumentos que midan el TEPT se aplicó, por primera vez desde que fue creada, la escala SPRINT-E en una población distinta a la estadounidense, específicamente en 291 personas que experimentaron el 27-F. Los análisis de fiabilidad (α=.916), validez concurrente (todos los ítems correlacionan significativamente con la escala DTS utilizada como criterio) y validez de constructo (CMIN=2.237, RMSEA=.092, NFJ=.901, CFJ=.942 y PNFJ=.704 para el modelo de dos factores) indican que el SPRINT-E es una escala fiable y válida para medir TEPT en esa población. Finalmente, se reflexiona respecto de la nueva estructura factorial descubierta en este análisis, la cual concuerda con el significado de los ítems y con modelos teóricos explicativos (estímulos encubiertos). También se reflexiona respecto de la utilidad de una escala breve, válida y de probadas muy buenas características psicométricas en una población de habla hispana propensa a catástrofes naturales como la chilena del 27-F, la japonesa del 11 de marzo de 2011, o la española del 11 de mayo de 2011.

Objective: To evaluate the validity and reliability of 16-item self-report version of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR16) scale in comparison with BDI-II-Turkish (BDI-II-T) in a young sample of Turkish university students. Methods: A slightly modified version of the QIDS-SR16-Turkish (QIDS-SR16-T) available at www.ids-qids.org, along with the BDI-II-T, was administered to 628 young Turkish university students who attended the Family Health Center in Uludag University Campus between February and April 2010. Descriptive analyses, Student's t-test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and confirmatory factor analyses were used in the study. Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.1 +/- 2.16 (SD) years; 67.8% were female and 32.2% were male. Cronbach's a coefficient for internal consistency of the QIDS-SR16-T was found to be 0.769. The mean item-total correlation was 0.45, ranging from 0.29 to 0.71. The correlation between the BDI-II-T and QIDS-SR16-T was 0.72. ROC curve analysis suggested 9 as the optimal cut-off for a clinical depression level for the QIDS-SR16-T. Conclusion: We observed that the QIDS-SR16-T demonstrated good psychometric properties in a sample of young Turkish students and has convergent validity with the BDI-II-T, a widely used scale for depression. It is essential to diagnose reliably the major depressive disorder and to follow up the patients by valid screening instruments in primary care setting. The internal consistencies of the QIDS determined in studies from the United States were greater than our Cronbach's alpha coefficient, but there was no statistically significant difference between them (z=0.55, p>0.05). The QIDS-SR16-T can be reliably used in primary care settings. Genç Türk üniversite öğrencileri arasında Hızlı Depresif Belirti Envanteri’nin (HDBE) 16 maddelik Özbildirim Formu‘nun, Beck Depresyon Envanteri-II (BDE-II) ile karşılaştırılarak geçerlilik ve güvenilirliğinin saptanması. Yön tem ler: www.ids-qids.org’tan ulaşılabilecek Hızlı Depresif Belirti Envanteri-Özbildirim Formu’nun (HDBE16-ÖF) hafifçe değiştirilmiş olan versiyonu, BDE-II ile beraber Uludağ Üniversitesi Kampüsü içinde yer alan Aile Sağlığı Merkezine ayaktan başvuran 628 genç Türk üniversite öğrencisine Şubat 2010 ve Nisan 2010 tarihleri arasında uygulandı. Betimleyici istatistik, student t testi, ROC analizi ve doğrulayıcı faktör analizleri çalışmada kullanılmıştır. Bul gu lar: Ortalama yaş 21,1±2,16 (SD) olarak saptandı. Örneklemin %67,8’i kadın, %32,2’si erkek idi. İç tutarlılık α-Cronbach katsayısı 0,769 olarak saptandı. Ortalama madde-toplam madde korelasyonu 0,45 (0,29-0,71) olarak bulunmuştur. ROC analizine göre, HDBE16-ÖF için klinik depresyon açısından 9 puan sınır değer olarak saptanmıştır. So nuç: HDBE16-ÖF ile çok sık kullanılan bir depresyon ölçeği olan BDE-II, iyi psikometrik uyum geçerliliği göstermiştir. 1. Basamakta majör depresif epizodu güvenle teşhis etmek ve hastalığı, geçerliliği kanıtlanmış araçlarla takip etmek önemlidir. Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nde HDBE ile ilgili çalışmalarda elde edilen iç tutarlılık katsayısı α Cronbach bizim çalışmamızdan daha yüksek bulunsa da, aralarında istatiksel olarak bir farklılık yoktur (z=0,55, p>0,05). HDBE16-ÖF 1.basamakta güvenle kullanılabilecek bir ölçektir.

Amaç: Öğrenci ağırlıklı Türk örneklemine uygulanan Türkçe’ye çevrilmiş 16 maddelik Hızlı Depresif Belirti Envanteri-Özbildirim Formu’nun (HDBE16-ÖF): a) Amerikalı üniversite öğrencilerine uygulanan orijinal Amerikan versiyonu (QIDS-SR_{16}-US) ve b) aynı Türk öğrenci örnekleminde Beck Depresyon Envanteri-II (BDI-II) ile karşılaştırılarak geçerlik ve güvenirliğinin ortaya konması amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmamız Türkiye ve Amerika Birleşik Devletleri arasında yapılan bir kültürlerarası geçerlilik çalışmasıdır. Metod: Uludağ Üniversitesi yerleşkesi Aile Sağlığı Merkezi’ne ayaktan başvuran öğrenci ağırlıklı 626 hastaya; www.ids-qids.org adresinden ulaşılabilen ve kısmen modifiye edilerek Türkçe’ye çevrilen HDBE_{16}-ÖF ve BDI-II testleri uygulandı. Ayrıca Güneybatı Teksas Üniversitesi’nde HDBE16-ÖF envanterinin İngilizce orijinal versiyonu olan QIDS-SR_{16}-US 584 öğrenciye uygulanmıştır. Betimleyici istatistik, klasik açıklayıcı faktör analizi ve madde tepki kuramı analizleri, SAS ve MPlus istatistik programları ile yapılmıştır. Bulgular: Türk deneklerin ortalama yaşı 21,12,16 (standart sapma) olup %67,8’i kadındı. Türk öğrencilerin aile içi depresyon öyküsü: annede %29, babada %8, kardeşte %14, kendisinde %16 ve akrabada %5 olarak bulundu. Amerikalı deneklerden 225 olguda hiç yaş belirtilmemiş haldeyken ortalama yaş 20.03,5 (standart sapma) ve tüm deneklerin %63,6’sı kadın olarak saptandı. HDBE_{16}-ÖF’nın madde ortalaması 6,944,85 (standart sapma) bulundu. HDBE_{16}-ÖF’ün iç tutarlılık katsayısı (Cronbach ?) 0,78 idi ve ortalama madde-toplam korrelasyon katayısı 0,47 (0,33- 0,61) bulundu. QIDS-SR_{16}-US’nin kaşılaştırılabilir madde ortalaması 6,093,76, Cronbach ? 0,74, madde-toplam korrelasyon katsayısı 0,43 (0,24-0,54) olarak bulundu. Hem HDBE_{16}-ÖF hem de QIDS-SR_{16}-US tek boyutlu iken BDIII tek boyutlu olarak bulunmadı. HDBE_{16}’ün ve QIDS-SR_{16}-US’un madde-total korelasyon ortalaması birbirine benzerdi. BDI-II ile HDBE_{16}-ÖF arasındaki korelasyon katsayısı 0.72 bulundu, bu değer disattenüe edildiğinde 0.90’a çıkmaktaydı. Çoklu grup doğrulayıcı faktör analizi HDBE_{16}-ÖF ve QIDS-SR_{16}-US’un aynı faktör yüküne sahip olduğu farklı değişik eşiklerinin olduğunu ortaya çıkarmıştır. Bu durum depresyon düzeyinde grup farklılıklarını ortaya koymaktadır. Türk deneklerin, Amerikalı deneklerden farklı olarak daha fazla depresyon geçirdikleri söylenebilir. Ayrıca HDBE_{16}-ÖF ve BDI-II’nın skorları birbirlerine eşitlenmiştir. Tartışma: HDBE_{16}-ÖF’ün, hem Türkiye hem de Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nde depresyon tanısı için çok sık kullanılan BDI-II testi gibi iyi psikometrik özellikleri ve yapısal geçerliliği olduğu saptanmıştır. Pek çok ortamda HDBE_{16}-ÖF’ün kullanılmasını önermekteyiz. Objective: To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, selfreported version, in a Turkish student sample (QIDS-SR_{16}-T) by comparing it to (a) the American version (QIDS-SR_{16}-US) and (b) the Turkish version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II-T). Materials and Methods: Slightly modified versions of the QIDS-SR_{16}-T, and the BDI-II-T were administered to 626 outpatients at the Uludağ University campus-based family health center. The QIDS-SR_{16}-US was administered to 584 respondents at an American university. SAS and MPlus were used to provide descriptive statistics, classical exploratory factor analysis, and item response theory analyses (in the form of a multiple group confirmatory factor analysis). Results: The internal consistency (Cronbach α) of the QIDS-SR_{16}-T was 0.77. Both QIDS-SR_{16} versions were unidimensional, but the BDI-II-T was not. The mean QIDS-SR_{16}-T and QIDS-SR_{16}-US item-total correlations were similar. The correlation between the QIDS-SR_{16}-T and BDIII- T was 0.72 (.90 when disattenuated). Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the QIDS-SR_{16}-T and QIDS-SR16-US had the same factor loadings but different intercepts. This reflects group differences in level of depression, perhaps because the Turkish respondents, unlike their US counterparts, were seen in a medical context where illness-related depression is more prevalent. Scores on the QIDS-SR_{16}-T and the BDI-II-T were also equated. Discussion: The QIDS-SR_{16}-T has good psychometric properties and convergent validity with the BDI-II-T. Its use is recommended when a self-reported instrument is appropriate.

The aim of this study was to adapt the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) for Argentinean population. We conducted a linguistic adaptation of the instrument and an analysis of its psychometric properties. To assess the reliability of the scale, analysis of internal consis- tency was made through Cronbach’s alpha and temporal stability of the items was examined in two different subsamples. In addition, the scale’s validity was assessed, taking into account convergent validity, criterion validity by contrasting groups and factorial composition of the K10. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was carried out to assess sensitivity, specificity and the area under the curve (AUC). The results of the present study indicate that the K10 is an adequate instrument presenting strong psychometric properties for screeningpsychological distress in our environment. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue realizar la adaptación argentina de la Escala de Malestar Psicológico de Kessler (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-K10). Para esto, se llevó a cabo una adaptación lingüística del instrumento y un análisis de sus propiedades psicométricas. Para evaluar la confiabilidad de la escala, se efectuó un análisis de la consistencia interna y se examinó la estabilidad temporal de los ítems. La validez del instrumento fue evaluada teniendoen consideración diferentes indicadores de la misma. Se calcularon, a través de las curvas ROC, los niveles de sensibilidad, especificidad y el área bajo la curva (ABC) de la prueba. Los resultados indican que se puede contar con la K10 como un instrumento de despistaje de malestar psicológico que reúne los requisitos psicométricos necesarios para ser utilizado en población argentina.

Adattamento e validazione italiana della Postpartum Depression Screening Scale, uno strumento di autovalutazione utilizzato per lo screening dei disturbi depressivi in epoca postnatale. Sviluppo e standardizzazione della versione originale statunitense. Adattamento, validazione e proprietà psicometriche della versione italiana della PDSS.

The aim of this study was to adapt the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) for Argentinean population. We conducted a linguistic adaptation of the instrument and an analysis of its psychometric properties. To assess the reliability of the scale, analysis of internal consistency was made through Cronbach�s alpha and temporal stability of the items was examined in two different subsamples. In addition, the scale�s validity was assessed, taking into account convergent validity, criterion validity by contrasting groups and factorial composition of the K10. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was carried out to assess sensitivity, specificity and the area under the curve (AUC). The results of the present study indicate that the K10 is an adequate instrument presenting strong psychometric properties for screening psychological distress in our environment.

Background Screening scales for bipolar disorder including the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (BSDS) have been plagued by high false positive rates confounded by presence of borderline personality disorder. This study examined the accuracy of these scales for detecting bipolar disorder among patients referred for eating disorders and explored the possibility of simultaneous assessment of co-morbid borderline personality disorder. Methods Participants were 78 consecutive female patients who were referred for evaluation of an eating disorder. All participants completed the mood and eating disorder sections of the SCID-I/P and the borderline personality disorder section of the SCID-II, in addition to the MDQ and BSDS. Predictive validity of the MDQ and BSDS was evaluated by Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis of the Area Under the Curve (AUC). Results Fifteen (19%) and twelve (15%) patients fulfilled criteria for bipolar II disorder and borderline personality disorder, respectively. The AUCs for bipolar II disorder were 0.78 (MDQ) and 0.78 (BDSD), and the AUCs for borderline personality disorder were 0.75 (MDQ) and 0.79 (BSDS). Conclusions Among patients being evaluated for eating disorders, the MDQ and BSDS show promise as screening questionnaires for both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder.