Inter-rater reliability among psychiatrists when assessing depression according to the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale

• Introduction: Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) is a validated tool for rating the depth of depression. The structured interview guide for the MADRS (SIGMA) is an interview guide that has been developed in order to increase the inter-rater reliability. Patients often meet more than one psychiatrists during their hospitalization for depression. A divergent rating of depression between psychiatrists could affect both the treatment and the outcome. This makes knowledge of the inter-rater reliability among psychiatrists important. Aim: The primary aim of this study was to measure the inter-rater reliability between psychiatrists when rating depression using the MADRS. Methods: Ten in-patients, who were diagnosed with depression, were filmed while being interviewed using the SIGMA. The patients were after that instructed to rate themselves using the self-rating version of the MADRS. Ten psychiatrists rated the pre-recorded interviews according to the MADRS. The inter-rater reliability was measured using intra-class correlation (ICC). Results: The mean ICC for the total MADRS score was 0.952 (95% CI 0.891–0.986; p<.001) and Cronbach’s alpha 0.961. ICC values for each item ranged between 0.866 and 0.978 (p<.001). Cronbach’s alpha ranged between 0.905 and 0.984. The ICC values, when comparing the psychiatrists rating to the patients rating, ranged between 0.307 and 0.809 (p<.001). Conclusion: All of the ICC values in the study, except when comparing the psychiatrists rating to the patients self-rating, were considered to be excellent. This study confirms the findings of reliability found in similar studies which involved fewer raters and not exclusively psychiatrists. © 2021 The Nordic Psychiatric Association.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Psykiatri (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Psychiatry (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

depression

MADRS

psychiatry

Psychometry

reliability

adult

article

clinical article

controlled study

Cronbach alpha coefficient

female

hospital patient

human

interrater reliability

male

Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale

psychiatrist

structured interview

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)