Comparison of self-rating of cognition and depression in patients with major depressive disorder

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discover if there is a correlation between scores on the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Cognitive and Physical Functioning Questionnaire (CPFQ) scores of 43 patients with major depression. Design/methodology/approach In total, 43 adult patients with major depression were evaluated during their regularly scheduled outpatient appointment in a mental health clinic. Findings There was anR(2)value of 0.6544 between the patients' scores, a moderate-to-strong correlation which matches other observations that cognitive impairment increases in conjunction with severity of depression. This correlation lends further clinical support to the legitimacy of using the CPFQ as a simpler alternative to traditional neuropsychological testing, with further testing of the correlation between CPFQ and traditional neuropsychological testing results being a worthwhile potential field of study. Originality/value Cognitive dysfunction is a frequent comorbidity in patients with depression, but while there is a brief and effective self- assessment for depression, the BDI, in common use, there is no equivalent test for cognitive dysfunction, and physicians are forced to rely on less accessible methods of neuropsychological testing.