Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Oxford Depression Questionnaire (ODQ-Chinese)

Abstract

Backgrounds: Emotional blunting is regularly reported in depressed patients on antidepressant treatment. It is uncertain whether this phenomenon represents residual symptoms of depression or side-effects of antidepressant treatment. At present, there is no adequate instrument to measure this phenomenon in China. This study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of The Oxford Depression Questionnaire (ODQ-Chinese).

Methods: The study sample comprised of 312 patients with major depressive disorder. All participants were assessed with the ODQ-Chinese, the Beck Depression Inventory-13 (BDI-13), the UKU side effects rating scale (UKU-SERS), and the 'gold standard' question related to the participant's experience of emotional side-effects. 20 % of the participants completed the ODQ-Chinese and BDI-13 within 1 or 2 weeks after the initial assessment.

Results: The Cronbach α statistic was 0.91 for the ODQ-Chinese. It had good split-half reliability. The scale showed excellent test-retest reliability and demonstrated significant correlation with the BDI-13. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting emotional side-effects according to patients' responses to the "gold standard" question were 69 % and 67 % for a cutoff point ≥ 13 of Antidepressant as the cause (AC) domain, AUCs was 0.74 (95 % CI: 0.68-0.79).

Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that the Chinese version of the ODQ has good validity and reliability. It is an effective self-report measure of emotional blunting symptoms of depression.

Keywords: Antidepressants; Depression; Emotional blunting; ODQ; Reliability; Validity.