Reliability and validity of the Kessler 10 and Patient Health Questionnaire among injecting drug users

Objective: To examine the reliability and validity of the Kessler 10 (K1 0) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) in a sample of injecting drug users (IDUs). Method: Participants were 103 IDUs with a current substance use disorder accessing a needle and syringe programme. Presence of mental health disorders was assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Results: Both the K10 and PHQ had high levels of internal consistency and concurrent validity. Individuals with a positive screen on the K10 were ten times more likely to have a current affective disorder, while those with a positive PHQ screen had nearly 14 times the risk. Conclusions: The K10 and PHQ are recommended as brief screening and diagnostic tools for current affective disorders among IDUs.