The French version of the HSCL-25 has now been validated for use in primary care

Abstract

Background The Hopkins Symptom Checklist in 25 items (HSCL-25) helps to assess anxiety and depression in Primary Care. Anxiety and depression show considerable overlap in primary care. This self-administrated questionnaire is valid, reliable and ergonomic in the original US version. We have translated it into French. The aim of this study was to estimate the test characteristics of the HSCL-25, in its French version (F-HSCL-25), by comparing it to the Present State Examination-9 French version (F-PSE-9) and by determining its internal validity and dimensions. Method Outpatients from three French General Practice settings (rural, semi-rural and urban) were recruited: approximately 20,000 outpatients among 17 GPs. Two groups were formed: F-HSCL-25 ≥1.75 and F-HSCL-25 <1.75. A validated cut-off score of > 1.75 was considered to indicate a clinically relevant level of symptoms of depression and anxiety. In order to obtain two balanced groups, a different method of randomization was chosen for each group. The F-PSE-9 was randomly administered to 1 in 2 patients in the F-HSCL-25 ≥1.75 group, and to 1 in 16 in the (much larger) F-HSCL-25 <1.75 group. The diagnostic performance was assessed and the test results obtained from both groups were compared with their F-PSE-9 results. Results Of the 1126 patients who completed the F-HCL-25, 886 joined the F-HSCL-25 <1.75 group and 240 the F-HSCL-25 ≥1.75 group. The overall prevalence of depression, using the F-HSCL-25, was 21% in these medical practices. The diagnostic performance of the F-HSCL-25 versus the F-PSE-9, the external criteria were as follows: Positive Predictive Value (PPV) 69.8%, Negative Predictive Value (NPV) 87%; Sensitivity 59.1%, and Specificity 91.4%. The Principal Component Analysis showed that F-HSCL-25 is a one-dimensional tool (anxiety and depression dimensions combined) with a Cronbach Alpha of 0.93. Conclusion The F-HSCL-25 is an appropriate diagnostic tool for anxiety and depression in primary care in France due to its high specificity and high NPV. The HSCL-25 scale has a high eigenvalue. This pilot study will be extended throughout Europe; however, preliminary evidence suggests that the HSCL-25 is a reliable and suitable diagnostic tool for primary care.

Likely clinical depression and HIV-related decline in antiretroviral therapy untreated women who seroconverted during participation in microbicide trials in sub-Saharan Africa

“…Mean clinical depression screening scores were calculated for each participant, and a clinically accepted cutoff score of 1.75 was used to indicate "likely clinical depression." 21,22 This cutoff is consistent with findings from a study examining the pooled prevalence of likely clinical depression among untreated or mixed groups of PLWHA in sub-Saharan Africa (31.0%). 23 Viral load, the dependent variable, was categorized into the following groups: low HIV VL (≤400 RNA copies/mL), [24][25][26] medium HIV VL (401-20,000 RNA copies/mL), and high HIV VL (>20,000 RNA copies/ mL).…”

Nine Forward–Backward Translations of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 With Cultural Checks

“…The external and internal validity of each version has to be evaluated to ensure that their reliability is comparable with that of the original version. This will be achieved through quantitative studies in primary care daily practices ( 52 ).…”

Traducción y adaptación transcultural al español, catalán y gallego de la escala Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 para la detección de depresión en Atención Primaria

“…A pesar de que existen otros instrumentos validados en español para un fin similar, esta escala se ha considerado mejor en cuanto a su comodidad para utilizarla en el contexto de AP debido a la facilidad para llevarla a cabo durante la consulta habitual del MF, así como por sus adecuadas propiedades psicométricas 18 , 20 . En la versión francesa, se ha objetivado una sensibilidad del 59,1% y una especificidad del 91,4% 23 . La escala HSCL-25 evalúa síntomas de depresión y ansiedad, esto supone una ventaja ya que es frecuente encontrar síntomas de ansiedad en pacientes diagnosticados de depresión y a que muchas veces ansiedad y depresión se presentan como comorbilidades asociadas entre sí 27 .…”

“…Por este motivo, se decidió traducirla a 3 idiomas oficiales de nuestro país, realizando también la adaptación cultural. Este paso es indispensable para poder analizar las propiedades psicométricas y validar posteriormente los instrumentos para su uso en un contexto concreto, tal y como se ha realizado en otros idiomas y en diferentes contextos 22 , 23 , 28 , 29 , 30 . Por tanto, antes de poder utilizarla en nuestro entorno, se requiere su validación para comprobar su efectividad.…”

“…El diagnóstico de sospecha de depresión se considera si la puntuación total es ≥ 1,75 21 , 22 . Se necesitan entre 5 y 10 min para completar la escala 23 .…”