Elsevier

Schizophrenia Research

Volume 11, Issue 3, February 1994, Pages 239-244
Schizophrenia Research

Specificity of the Calgary Depression Scale for schizophrenics

https://doi.org/10.1016/0920-9964(94)90017-5Get rights and content

Abstract

This study sought to determine the specificity of the Calgary Depression Scale (CDS), a depression rating scale for schizophrenics. The specificity is the degree to which the scale assesses depression rather than negative or extrapyramidal symptoms. Subjects were 100 outpatients (OP) and 50 inpatients (IP) meeting DSM-III-R criteria for schizophrenia. Negative symptoms were assessed with the Positve and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS); extrapyramidal symptoms were assessed with the Simpson Angus Scale (SA) and depression with the CDS. Results were that the CDS showed no correlation with SA, but weak (0.33) statistically significant correlations with the PANSS negative symptom score in inpatients but not outpatients. Confirmatory factor analysis using Lisrel 6.0 showed that the model hypothesizing specificity of depression, negative symptoms and extrapyramidal symptoms, was significant, with a goodness of fit index of 0.89 and a root mean square residual of 0.07. It is concluded that the CDS achieves a useful degree of separation between measures of depression, negative and extrapyramidal symptoms in subjects with schizophrenia, when combined with the other measures used in this study.

References (24)

  • T.J. Craig et al.

    Measurement of mood and affect in schizophrenic inpatients

    Am. J. Psychiatry

    (1985)
  • J. de Leon et al.

    Measurement of negative symptoms in schizophrenia

    Psychiatric Dev.

    (1989)
  • Cited by (244)

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text