ArticleDepression research and treatment2018
Assigning Clinical Significance and Symptom Severity Using the Zung Scales: Levels of Misclassification Arising from Confusion between Index and Raw Scores.
Article in Depression research and treatment, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
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- Abnormal Degree Centrality in Zoster-Associated Pain with or Without Psychiatric Comorbidities: A Resting-State Functional MRI Study.Journal of pain research · 2024Article
- Association Between Frequent Use of Makeup and Presence of Depressive Symptoms-Population-Based Observational Study, Including 2400 Participants.Dermatology and therapy · 2023Article
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- Occupational Stress and Quality of Life among Health Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of critical care medicine (Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie din Targu-Mures) · 2022Article
- Associations of Depressive Symptoms and Cognition in the FINGER Trial: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomised Clinical Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Analysis of risk factors for mental health problems of inpatients with chronic liver disease and nursing strategies: A single center descriptive study.Brain and behavior · 2021Article
- Optimal movement behaviors: correlates and associations with anxiety symptoms among Chinese university students.BMC public health · 2021Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) are two norm-referenced scales commonly used to identify the presence of depression and anxiety in clinical research. Unfortunately, several researchers have mistakenly applied index score criteria to raw scores when assigning clinical significance and symptom severity ratings. This study examined the extent of this problem.
method102 papers published over the six-year period from 2010 to 2015 were used to establish two convenience samples of 60 usages of each Zung scale.
resultsIn those papers where cut-off scores were used (i.e., 45/60 for SDS and 40/60 for SAS), up to 51% of SDS and 45% of SAS papers involved the incorrect application of index score criteria to raw scores. Inconsistencies were also noted in the severity ranges and cut-off scores used.
conclusionsA large percentage of publications involving the Zung SDS and SAS scales are using incorrect criteria for the classification of clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety. The most common error-applying index score criteria to raw scores-produces a substantial elevation of the cut-off points for significance. Given the continuing usage of these scales, it is important that these inconsistencies be highlighted and resolved.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.