IntroductionDepression is one of the most common health issues impacting the university student population. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a short measure that has the potential to serve as a dual-purpose instrument that establishes depressive disorder diagnoses as well as grades the depressive symptom severity.ObjectivesThe current study was designed to study the psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of the PHQ-9 in a sample of university students.AimsSpecifically, we examined the internal reability and convergent validity of the measure.MethodsThe English language of the PHQ-9 was translated into Portuguese. The process involved back-translation, crosscultural adaptation, field testing of the pre-final version, as well as final adjustments. A sample of university students completed the PHQ-9, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).ResultsComplete data were obtained from 1241 participants. The mean age of the participants was 23.81 years (SD = 4.87) and 75.3% of them were females. The mean PHQ-9 score was 4.15 (SD = 4.05). The Portuguese version of the PHQ-9 had satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86) and showed moderate convergent validity with the HADS anxiety (r = 0.61; p < 0.01) and HADS depression (r = 0.59; p < 0.01), and strong convergent validity with the BDI (r = 0.85; p < 0.01).ConclusionsThe PHQ-9 has good psychometric properties amongst Portuguese university students. Implications for using the measure as an assessment instrument in the university setting are discussed.
IntroductionAdolescents and young adults are an understudied and often a misrepresented population in oncology research and practice.ObjectivesThe current study was designed to assess the impact of cancer on a sample of Portuguese young adults with cancer, regarding emotional distress, quality of life (QOL) and personal growth.AimsThe specific aims of the present work are 1) to assess current emotional distress, QOL and personal growth of young adults with cancer, which are compared to those of a group of healthy controls, and 2) to assess current emotional distress, QOL and personal growth of young adults with cancer according to treatment status (patients or off treatment survivors).MethodsA sample of 36 Portuguese young adults with cancer and 435 healthy controls was evaluated through four instruments: Socio-demographic and clinical questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), and Personal Growth Subscale (PG) from the Psychological Well Being Scale.ResultsCancer patients scored lower than controls in the role, cognitive and social domains of QOL and in personal growth. Cancer patients scored lower than cancer survivors in the role domain of QOL and personal growth.ConclusionsThe cancer patients revealed QOL and personal growth difficulties, mainly those undergoing treatment. These issues need to be considered in the psychosocial intervention within adolescents and young adults’ oncology care.
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