USE OF THE FOR-EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDIES-DEPRESSION-(CES-D)-SCALE IN KOREA

We translated the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale into Korean, paying careful attention to culturally different mo des of expression of depressive feelings and thoughts. The final trans lated version (CES-D-K) was administered to 164 psychiatric patients a nd 464 normal subjects residing in the community. Reliability, validit y, and the optimal cutoff point of this scale were estimated, includin g ROC analysis. The CES-D-K was reliable and valid for the Korean popu lation. Two optimal cutoff points were suggested: 24/25, the point whi ch best corresponded to the clinical. diagnosis of depression, and 20/ 21, which most effectively detects and covers depressive symptoms duri ng screening. The higher cutoff points than those in Western countries may be due to different ways of expressing affect, especially the sup pression of positive affect, in cultures based on Confucian ethics.