A. Okun et al., CONTENT VALIDITY OF THE PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOM INDEX, CES-DEPRESSION SCALE, AND STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF DSM-IV, Psychological reports, 79(3), 1996, pp. 1059-1069
We compared the item content of three commonly used scales of psychiat
ric symptoms [the broad-band Psychiatric Symptom Index (Ilfeld) and tw
o narrow-band scales, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression
Scale (Radloff) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger)],
with diagnostic criteria and criterion-based symptoms for Major Depres
sive Episode and Generalized Anxiety Disorder as they appeared in DSM-
IV. The Psychiatric Symptom Index and the Center for Epidemiologic Stu
dies-Depression Scale each measured 7 of 9 criterion-based symptoms of
Major Depressive Episode. The Psychiatric Symptom Index and State-Tra
it Anxiety Inventory each measured 5 of 8 domains for Generalized Anxi
ety Disorder. The Psychiatric Symptom Index had comparable content val
idity to the narrow-band measures. All met a majority of DSM-IV criter
ia for depression and anxiety, supporting their applicability for curr
ent research.