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Development of the EURO–D scale – a European Union initiative to compare symptoms of depression in 14 European centres

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

M. J. Prince ,
F. Reischies ,
A. T. F. Beekman ,
R. Fuhrer ,
C. Jonker ,
S. -L. Kivela ,
B. A. Lawlor ,
A. Lobo ,
H. Magnusson  and
M. Fichter
...Show all authors
M. J. Prince*
Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London
F. Reischies
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Universität Klinikum Eschenallee 3, Berlin, Germany
A. T. F. Beekman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
R. Fuhrer
Affiliation:
Hôpital de la Salpetriere, 75652 Paris, Cedex 13, France
C. Jonker
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081C, 1081 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
S. -L. Kivela
Affiliation:
Unit of General Practice PB5000, 90401 Oulu, Finland
B. A. Lawlor
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry of the Elderly, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
A. Lobo
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Zaragoza, Spain
H. Magnusson
Affiliation:
Iceland
M. Fichter
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Munich, Munich, Germany
H. Van Oyen
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Scientific Institute of Public Health, J. Wytsmanstraat 4, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
M. Roelands
Affiliation:
Department of Behaviour Therapy and Counselling, University of Gent, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
I. Skoog
Affiliation:
Sahlgrenska sjukhuset, 413 45 Goteborg, Sweden
C. Turrina
Affiliation:
Ospendale Civile, Breschia, Italy
J. R. M. Copeland
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Human Ageing, University of Liverpool, Liverpool
*
M. J. Prince, Epidemiology Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WCIE 7HT
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Abstract

Background

In an 11-country European collaboration, 14 population-based surveys included 21 724 subjects aged ⩾65 years. Most participating centres used the Geriatric Mental State (GMS), but other measures were also used.

Aims

To derive from these instruments a common depression symptoms scale, the EURO–D, to allow comparison of risk factor profiles between centres.

Method

Common items were identified from the instruments. Algorithms for fitting items to GMS were derived by observation of item correspondence or expert opinion. The resulting 12-item scale was checked for internal consistency, criterion validity and uniformity of factor-analytic profile.

Results

The EURO–D is internally consistent, capturing the essence of its parent instrument. A two-factor solution seemed appropriate: depression, tearfulness and wishing to die loaded on the first factor (affective suffering), and loss of interest, poor concentration and lack of enjoyment on the second (motivation)

Conclusions

The EURO–D scale should permit valid comparison of risk-factor associations between centres, even if between-centre variation remains difficult to attribute.

Type
Eurodep Study
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 174 , Issue 4 , April 1999 , pp. 330 - 338
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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Footnotes

Declaration of interest

The European Commission BIOMEDI initiative funded this Concerted Action Programme.

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