DEPRESSION AND PHYSICAL-DISABILITY - RELATIONSHIP OF SELF-RATED AND OBSERVER-RATED DISABILITY TO DEPRESSION

The relationship between disability and depression was investigated in three groups of chronically ill and/or disabled patients with Parkinson's disease, right hemisphere stroke, or amputation. Both patients' (self) ratings and staff/family (other) ratings of disability were obtained. Self-reported disability and depression were significantly correlated for amputee and stroke groups. Self-reported disability ratings were better predictors of depression than were other ratings of disability. Depression and disability ratings were generally independent in the Parkinson group. Discrepancies between self-rated and other-rated disability suggested that patients who rated their disability as greater than staff/family ratings also were more depressed, and the converse. Self-perceptions of extent of disability are related to the subjective experience of depression for certain disabled patients. Results also supported the presence of underrating of disability in the stroke group.