Self-administered depression screening tool compared to structured clinical interviews: Implications for practice and research

Abstract

Background and objective Nurses are at a higher risk for depression compared to the general public, thus requiring regular screening for depression. It remains unclear if a self-assessment screening tool may be recommended. The objective of this study was to compare a self-administered screening tool versus a clinician-guided interview.

Methods Twenty-five nurses completed BDI-II and the SCID-5-RV. We used descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation for analyses.

Results BDI-II identified 44% as screening positive for depression, and SCID-5-RV identified 40.0%.

Conclusions Self-administered tools like BDI-II may be cost-effective for screening, while clinical interviews remain the diagnostic gold standard. Future research should focus on improving screening accuracy.

Keywords

BDI-II / Depression / Nurses / SCID-5

References

[1] National Institute of Mental Health. Depression. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. 2024. Available from: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression

[2] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2021 NSDUH annual national report. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. 2023. Available from: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2021-nsduh-annual-national-report

[3] Ślusarska B, Nowicki GJ, Niedorys-Karczmarczyk B, et al. Prevalence of depression and anxiety in nurses during the first eleven months of the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and metaanalysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(3): 1154. PMid:35162183 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031154

[4] Shechter A, Diaz F, Moise N, et al. Psychological distress, coping behaviors, and preferences for support among New York healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. General Hospital Psychiatry. 2020; 66: 1-8. PMid:32590254 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2020.06.007

[5] Brandford AA, Reed DB. Depression in registered nurses: A state of the science. Workplace Health & Safety. 2016; 64(10): 488-511. PMid:30209987 https://doi.org/10.1177/2165079916659108

[6] Letvak S, Ruhm CJ, McCoy T. Depression in hospital-employed nurses. Clinical Nurse Specialist. 2012; 26(3): 177-182. PMid:22504476 https://doi.org/10.1097/NUR.0b013e3182503ef0

[7] Flaubert JL, Le Menestrel S, Williams DR, et al. Supporting the health and professional well-being of nurses. In The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. 2021; pp. 371-416. National Academies Press; https://doi.org/10.17226/25982

[8] Melnyk BM, Orsolini L, Tan A, et al. A national study links nurses’ physical and mental health to medical errors and perceived worksite wellness. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2018; 60(2): 126-131. PMid:29065061 https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001198

[9] Melnyk BM, Tan A, Hsieh AP, et al. Critical care nurses’ physical and mental health, worksite wellness support, and medical errors. American Journal of Critical Care. 2021; 30(3): 176-184. PMid:34161980 https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2021301

[10] Schroers G, Ross JG, Moriarty H. Sources of nurses’ practice errors in the management of medications: A scoping review focusing on the possible role of depression. Journal of Nursing Regulation. 2021; 12(3): 16-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(21)00099-9

[11] Jones S, Agud K, McSweeney J. Barriers and facilitators to seeking mental health care among first responders: “Removing the darkness. ” Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. 2020; 26(1): 43-54. PMid:31509058 https://doi.org/10.1177/1078390319871997

[12] Bergman A, Rushton CH. Overcoming stigma: Asking for and receiving mental health support. AACN Advanced Critical Care. 2023; 34(1): 67-71. PMid:36877645 https://doi.org/10.4037/aacnacc2023684

[13] Rogers R, Williams MM, Wupperman P. Diagnostic interviews for assessment of mental disorders in clinical practice. In C. D. Llewellyn, S. Ayers, C. McManus, S. Newman, K. Petrie, T. Revenson, J. Weinman (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of psychology, health and medicine (3rd ed., pp. 179-183). Cambridge University Press; 2019. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316995808.037

[14] Wang YP, Gorenstein C. Assessment of depression in medical patients: A systematic review of the utility of the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Clinics. 2013; 68(9): 1274-1287. PMid:24141845 https://doi.org/10.6061/clinics/2013(09)15

[15] Hoyer J, Wieder G, Hofler M, et al. Can SCID-5-CV diagnoses be derived from SCID-5-RV? Psychopathology. 2020; 53(5-6): 262-270. PMid:33564294 https://doi.org/10.1159/000511568

[16] Jiang X, Merikangas KR, Swendsen J, et al. Validation of SCID-5 diagnoses using the NIMH LEAD standard in a family study of mental disorders. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research. 2021; 30(3): e1872. PMid:33835615 https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.1872

[17] Beck AT, Steer RA, Brown GK. Beck Depression Inventory manual (2nd ed.). Psychological Corporation. 1996.

[18] Cohen J. A power primer. Psychological Bulletin. 1992; 112(1): 155-159. PMid:19565683 https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155

[19] Van de Mortel TF. Faking it: Social desirability response bias in self-report research. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2008; 25(4): 40-48.