Depression Scale (DEPS) in schizophrenia

Objective: To explore the applicability of the Depression Scale (DEPS), a screening instrument for detecting depression in primary health care, in schizophrenia. Method: The DEPS was compared with the Calgary Depression Scale (CDS) among 63 patients with schizophrenia. Results: Using the CDS as a gold standard, the positive and negative predictive values of the DEPS for the diagnosis of depression were 41% and 97%, respectively. The correlation between the total CDS scores and the total DEPS scores was 0.73. Conclusion: The DEPS appears to be useful for screening depression among schizophrenic patients, but the positive diagnosis must be confirmed with a clinical interview.