Gc. Patton et al., A computerised screening instrument for adolescent depression: population-based validation and application to a two-phase case-control study, SOC PSY PSY, 34(3), 1999, pp. 166-172
Computer-administered questionnaires have been little explored as a potenti
ally effective and inexpensive alternative to pencil and paper screening te
sts. A self-administered computerised form of the revised Clinical Intervie
w Schedule (CIS-R) was compared with the Composite International Diagnostic
Interview (CIDI) in a two-phase study of 2032 Australian high school stude
nts (mean age 15.7 years) drawn from a stratified random sample of 44 schoo
ls in the state of Victoria, Australia. Prevalence, sensitivity and specifi
city were estimated using weighting to compensate for the two-phase samplin
g. Point prevalence estimates of depression using the CIS-R were 1.8% for m
ales and 5.6% for females-an overall prevalence of 3.2%. Prevalence estimat
es for depression in the past 6 months using the CIDI were 5.2% for males a
nd 16.9% for females-an overall estimate of 12.1%. The CIS-R had a positive
predictive value (PPV) of 0.49 and negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.91
for CIDI depression in the past 6 months. Specificity was very high (0.97)
but sensitivity low (0.18), indicating that a majority of those with a CID
I-defined depressive episode in the past 6 months were not recognised at a
single screening using the CIS-R. Even so, the CIS-R has proved at least as
good as any pencil and paper questionnaire in identifying cases for nested
case-control studies of adolescent depression. Further exploration of stra
tegies such as serial screening to enhance sensitivity is warranted.