This study investigated the utility of the Beck Depression Inventory for survey use in a college population by determining its concurrent validity, using psychiatric rating of depth of depression as the criterion (N-56). Interrater reliability of psychiatric estimate as measured by a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was .62, perhaps because the primary and secondary raters used different diagnostic procedures. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between the inventory and the psychiatric rating was .77. These findings indicate that the Beck Depression Inventory is indeed a valid instrument for use in a college population. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between the inventory and the psychiatric estimate fell to .30 in a second sample in which 1-14 days intervened between administration of the inventory and the psychiatric interview (n = 27). This attenuation in subjects who experienced a time delay is consistent with the nature of the depression inventory as a measure of state as opposed to trait depression. The apparent decline in measured depression additionally suggests the need for longitudinal study to determine its course and outcome.Depression is widely viewed as the most frequently occurring psychic disorder among college students. Seligman (1973) contends that it is not only the most common of the psychological dysfunctions among students, but it is also increasing in frequency. Very little information is available concerning the prevalence of depression in college populations.Recently, however, Oliver, Croghan, and Katz (Note 1) have estimated the prevalence of depression in college students by administering the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck,
Sixty-four per cent of 874 freshmen and sophomore women sent questionnaires about premenstrual and menstrual symptoms returned them. They differed from those not returning the questionnaires only in year of school. As predicted, women reporting premenstrual affective symptoms were more likely than those who did not report them to seek psychiatric care at the Student Health Service and to be diagnosed as affective disorder at the service.
SYNOPSIS
Seventy‐four subjects with a chief complaint of headache of functional origin were tested using the California Psychological Inventory (CPI). No associations were found between individual headache types and personality dimension factors on the CPI. The differences found related to the effect of depression on psychologic test performance. Future studies of personality and headache types need to control for the effect of depression on psychologic testing.
The premenstrual occurrence or exacerbation of affective symptoms has been noted (Dalton, 1964). This symptom exacerbation may be sufficient to require hospitalization (Dalton, 1959; Janowsky et al., 1966). Data presented by Coppen (1965) indicate that women with affective disorder are more likely to report the premenstrual symptom of depression than women with other psychiatric disorders. These findings suggest that there may be some relationship between depressive disorder and premenstrual symptoms. However, we are aware of no previous report that would suggest any relationship between premenstrual symptoms and bipolar affective disorder.
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