The reliability and validity of the inventory to diagnose depression in alcohol-dependent men and women

Purpose: This study examined the reliability and validity of the Inventory to Diagnose Depression (IDD) in alcohol-dependent men and women. The IDD is a self-report instrument that provides a continuous score reflecting depre ssion severity and a DSM-IV major depression diagnosis (MDD). Methods: Part icipants (N = 57) were administered the IDD, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI ), and the mood module of the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM (SC ID). Results: Infernal reliability and item-total correlations were general ly good and the IDD severity score correlated highly with the BDI. The diag nostic performance of the the IDD using the DSM-IV scaring algorithm was go od overall but excellent for currently abstinent participants and fair for participants who had recently consumed alcohol. The IDD cut-off score for i dentifying cases of depression appears stringent compared to the BDI and SC ID. Implications: The present investigation provides some support for the u se of the LDD with abstinent alcoholic outpatient samples when a self-repor t diagnostic instrument is desirable. For a current drinker; a positive IDD does not distinguish between an alcohol-induced depression and MDD.