Developing a Depression Inventory for Screening the Fars Ethnicity in Iran

Abstract

Background: Depression is a major public health concern that accounts for a high global disease burden. Objectives: The aim of this study, developing a depression inventory for screening the Fars ethnicity in Iran. Methods: The research was carried out using a combined (multi-stage) method in the Persian ethnicity between April 2016 and March 2017. Individual interviews were conducted in Tehran, Iran, with depressed patients, the patients' relatives or friends and key informants. In the next stage, a 28-item tool was designed. The face, content, criterion and construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis) of the designed tool were assessed in order to determine its validity. Data were analyzed by Amos 24 and spss16. Results: This study was conducted on 150 individuals, 55% female and 45% male, selected from the general public through convenience sampling with a mean age of 35.28 ± 12. 38. The impact score for all the items was between 1.8 and 5, CVR was between 0.7 and 1 for all the items and S-CVI/Ave was 97.09 ± 0.63. Based on the results of the confirmatory factor analysis, all the components were approved as factors used to screen for depression. The model fit coefficients, the CMIN/DF was calculated as 1.93. NFI, CFI and GFI were 0.70, 0.54 and 0.73 respectively. For reliability, Cronbach's alpha was calculated as 0.88 with an internal consistency coefficient that is 0.7. Conclusions: This depression screening tool for the Fars ethnicity was designed based on the Fars ethnicity and the Iranian culture and appears to be an appropriate tool due to its good reliability, validity, simplicity and applicability in different situations.

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“…In recent years, the burden of mental health problems, with their significant effects on health, socioeconomic consequences, and human rights in all countries of the world, has been increasing. According to studies, 1 in every 5 individuals suffers from some kind of mental health problem (1). However, lack of appreciation of the need for treatment and financial and other barriers hindering access to it, stigmata associated with mental health problems, disadvantages experienced by minorities, and cultural differences impede early diagnosis and treatment (2), which can lead to increased mental health treatment gap due to limitations in evidence-based mental health intervention resources (3).…”