MEASURING WELLBEING IN THE WORKPLACE: SINGLE-ITEM SCALES OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

This paper examines the use of single-items to assess the degree of depression and anxiety in a workforce. One hundred and twenty university staff were assessed for depression and anxiety using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and a single-item measure for each factor. Results show that scores from 1-10 on a single-item can be used to identify likelihood of depression or anxiety with a sensitivity between 71% and 87% and a specificity between 73% and 88%. The findings provide initial support for the use of a single item to measure these common mental disorders in a way that is quick and easy, and therefore reduces barriers to assessing mental well-being in the workplace.