Comparison of the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Older Adult Health and Mood Questionnaire for Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms After Spinal Cord Injury

Objective: To directly compare estimates of potential depressive disorders and clinically significant depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Older Adult Health and Mood Questionnaire (OAHMQ) among participants with spinal cord injury (SCI). Research Design: 727 participants from a hospital in the Southeastern United States were administered the PHQ-9 and OAHMQ during a follow-up survey. We compared the rates of depressive disorders using cutoff scores and diagnostic criteria for each instrument. No independent psychiatric diagnostic interviews were conducted. Results: The PHQ-9 and OAHMQ were significantly correlated (r = .78), and both were correlated with satisfaction with life (r = -.48, -.54). Using recommended diagnostic scoring procedures, 10.7% of participants met the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder with the PHQ-9; 9.3% met the criteria for major depression based on PHQ-9 >= 10; and 19.7% based on PHQ-9 >= 15. Using the OAHMQ, 19.7% reported probable major depression and 44.5% clinically significant symptomatology. Conclusions: The measures were highly correlated overall. However, the estimated prevalence of depressive disorders varied substantially between the 2 instruments. These estimates were comparable to those previously reported for each instrument (i.e., higher rates with the OAHMQ). Therefore, differing estimates of depressive disorders reported in the literature using these instruments were largely attributable to the instruments themselves.