Clinical assessment of bipolar depression: Validity, factor structure and psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS)

Young Eun Jung, Moon Doo Kim, Won Myong Bahk, Young Sup Woo, Jonghun Lee, Sae Heon Jang, Seunghee Won, Kyung Joon Min, Sangkeun Chung, Young Joon Kwon, Duk In Jon, Kwanghun Lee, Bo Hyun Yoon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS) is a scale for assessment of the clinical characteristics of bipolar depression. The primary aims of this study were to describe the development of the Korean version of the BDRS (K-BDRS) and to establish more firmly its psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity. Methods: The study included 141 patients (62 male and 79 female) who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, were currently experiencing symptoms of depression, and were interviewed using the K-BDRS. Other measures included the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Scale (MADRS), the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). Additionally, the internal consistency, concurrent validity, inter-rater reliability, and test-retest reliability of the K-BDRS were evaluated. Results: The Cronbach's α-coefficient for the K-BDRS was 0.866, the K-BDRS exhibited strong correlations with the HAMD (r=0.788) and MADRS (r=0.877), and the mixed symptoms score of the K-BDRS was significantly correlated with the YMRS (r=0.611). An exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors that corresponded to psychological depressive symptoms, somatic depressive symptoms, and mixed symptoms. Conclusions: The present findings suggest that the K-BDRS has good psychometric properties and is a valid and reliable tool for assessing depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder.

Original languageEnglish
Article number239
JournalBMC Psychiatry
Volume16
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Jul 2016

Keywords

  • BDRS
  • Bipolar depression
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Korean
  • Reliability
  • Validity

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