Alv A. Dahl

The validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - An updated literature review

OBJECTIVE To review the literature of the validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). METHOD A review of the 747 identified papers that used HADS was performed to address the following questions: (I) How are the factor structure, discriminant validity and the internal consistency of HADS? (II) How does HADS perform as a case finder for anxiety disorders and depression? (III) How does HADS agree with other self-rating instruments used to rate anxiety and depression? RESULTS Most factor analyses demonstrated a two-factor solution in good accordance with the HADS subscales for Anxiety (HADS-A) and Depression (HADS-D), respectively. The correlations between the two subscales varied from.40 to.74 (mean.56). Cronbachs alpha for HADS-A varied from.68 to.93 (mean.83) and for HADS-D from.67 to.90 (mean.82). In most studies an optimal balance between sensitivity and specificity was achieved when caseness was defined by a score of 8 or above on both HADS-A and HADS-D. The sensitivity and specificity for both HADS-A and HADS-D of approximately 0.80 were very similar to the sensitivity and specificity achieved by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Correlations between HADS and other commonly used questionnaires were in the range.49 to.83. CONCLUSIONS HADS was found to perform well in assessing the symptom severity and caseness of anxiety disorders and depression in both somatic, psychiatric and primary care patients and in the general population.

Age-specific prevalence of the metabolic syndrome defined by the International Diabetes Federation and the National Cholesterol Education Program: the Norwegian HUNT 2 study

BackgroundThe 2005 International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition of the metabolic syndrome was designed to be useful worldwide, but to date few prevalence studies have used that definition in European populations. We estimated the age- and sex-stratified prevalence of IDF-defined metabolic syndrome in a county of Norway and compared it with the prevalence estimated using the revised National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel-III definition (2005 ATP III).MethodsCross-sectional analysis of 10,206 participants aged 20–89 years in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 1995–97 (HUNT 2).ResultsPrevalence of IDF-defined metabolic syndrome was 29.6% (95% CI: 28.8 to 30.5), compared to 25.9% (95% CI: 25.0 to 26.7) using the 2005 ATP III criteria. The prevalence of IDF-defined metabolic syndrome increased from 11.0% in the 20–29 years age group to 47.2% in the 80–89 years group in men, and from 9.2% to 64.4% for women in the corresponding age groups. Among men and women aged ≥60 years, the IDF criteria classified 56.7% and 75.0%, respectively, as having central obesity, and 89.3% and 90.9%, respectively, as being hypertensive.ConclusionAccording to both definitions, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome increased strongly with age. The IDF and the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines for clinical management of metabolic syndrome would classify a high proportion of elderly Norwegians as in need of overall risk assessment for cardiovascular disease.

The Association Between Anxiety, Depression, and Somatic Symptoms in a Large Population: The HUNT-II Study

Objective: Somatic symptoms are prevalent in the community, but at least one third of the symptoms lack organic explanation. Patients with such symptoms have a tendency to overuse the health care system with frequent consultations and have a high degree of disability and sickness compensation. Studies from clinical samples have shown that anxiety and depression are prevalent in such functional conditions. The aim of this study is to examine the connection between anxiety, depression, and functional somatic symptoms in a large community sample. Method: The HUNT-II study invited all inhabitants aged 20 years and above in Nord-Trøndelag County of Norway to have their health examined and sent a questionnaire asking about physical symptoms, demographic factors, lifestyle, and somatic diseases. Anxiety and depression were recorded by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Of those invited, 62,651 participants (71.3%) filled in the questionnaire. A total of 10,492 people were excluded due to organic diseases, and 50,377 were taken into the analyses. Results: Women reported more somatic symptoms than men (mean number of symptoms women/men: 3.8/2.9). There was a strong association between anxiety, depression, and functional somatic symptoms. The association was equally strong for anxiety and depression, and a somewhat stronger association was observed for comorbid anxiety and depression. The association of anxiety, depression, and functional somatic symptoms was equally strong in men and women (mean number of somatic symptoms men/women in anxiety: 4.5/5.9, in depression: 4.6/5.9, in comorbid anxiety and depression: 6.1/7.6, and in no anxiety or depression: 2.6/3.6) and in all age groups. The association between number of somatic symptoms and the total score on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was linear. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant relationship between anxiety, depression, and functional somatic symptoms, independent of age and gender. ME = myalgic encephalomyelitis; FSS = functional somatic symptoms; ECA = Epidemiological Catchment Area Study; HADS = Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS-A = anxiety subscale of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS-D = depression subscale of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS-AD = comorbid anxiety and depression on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS-T = total score on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; OR = odds ratio.

Depression in relation to age and gender in the general population: the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT)

Objective: Previous sample studies of depression have shown a higher prevalence of depression in women, and an inconsistent relation to age has been found for both genders. The aim of the present study was to investigate depression in relation to gender and age in the general adult population.

Does a higher educational level protect against anxiety and depression? The HUNT study

The relationship of education to the experience of anxiety and depression throughout adult life is unclear. Our knowledge of this relationship is limited and inconclusive. The aim of this study was to examine (1) whether higher educational level protects against anxiety and/or depression, (2) whether this protection accumulates or attenuates with age or time, and (3) whether such a relationship appears to be mediated by other variables. In a sample from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 1995--1997 (HUNT 2) (N=50,918) of adults, the cross-sectional associations between educational level and symptom levels of anxiety and depression were examined, stratified by age. The long-term effects of educational level on anxiety/depression were studied in a cohort followed up from HUNT 1 (1984--1986) to HUNT 2 (N=33,774). Low educational levels were significantly associated with both anxiety and depression. The coefficients decreased with increasing age, except for the age group 65-74 years. In the longitudinal analysis, however, the protective effect of education accumulated somewhat with time. The discrepancy between these two analyses may be due to a cohort effect in the cross-sectional analysis. Among the mediators, somatic health exerted the strongest influence, followed by health behaviors and socio-demographic factors. Higher educational level seems to have a protective effect against anxiety and depression, which accumulates throughout life.

Fatigue, Anxiety, and Depression in Long-Term Survivors of Testicular Cancer

PURPOSE To investigate the prevalence of chronic fatigue (CF), the levels of anxiety and depression, and the correlation between these conditions in long-term survivors of testicular cancer (TCSs). Occurrence of CF in TCSs is compared with findings in male survivors of Hodgkins disease (HDSs) and in males from the general population (GenPop). METHODS TCSs, HDSs, and two cohorts of the GenPop completed the Fatigue Questionnaire (FQ) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) as part of a questionnaire survey. Cases of CF were identified according to published cut-offs, and the levels of anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D) were calculated. RESULTS Among 791 TCSs, 16% displayed CF (HDSs, 24%; GenPop, 10%). In the age group younger than 30 years, the prevalence of CF was higher in TCSs than in the GenPop (P <.01). In TCSs, age, anxiety, depression, and comorbidity were independent predictors of CF. The mean HADS-A score in TCSs was significantly above the comparable figure of the GenPop and similar to that of HDSs. The mean HADS-D score in TCSs was below that of the GenPop. The highest and lowest mean scores of HADS-A and HADS-D were observed in the youngest TCSs. CONCLUSION The prevalence of CF is less in TCSs than in HDSs but exceeds that of the GenPop. Together with comorbidity and age, anxiety and depression predict CF in TCSs, warranting psychiatric intervention for cases of CF among TCSs. Anxiety is a larger problem in TCSs than depression, particularly among the youngest TCSs.

Testicular Cancer Survivorship: Research Strategies and Recommendations

Testicular cancer represents the most curable solid tumor, with a 10-year survival rate of more than 95%. Given the young average age at diagnosis, it is estimated that effective treatment approaches, in particular, platinum-based chemotherapy, have resulted in an average gain of several decades of life. This success, however, is offset by the emergence of considerable long-term morbidity, including second malignant neoplasms, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, pulmonary toxicity, hypogonadism, decreased fertility, and psychosocial problems. Data on underlying genetic or molecular factors that might identify those patients at highest risk for late sequelae are sparse. Genome-wide association studies and other translational molecular approaches now provide opportunities to identify testicular cancer survivors at greatest risk for therapy-related complications to develop evidence-based long-term follow-up guidelines and interventional strategies. We review research priorities identified during an international workshop devoted to testicular cancer survivors. Recommendations include 1) institution of lifelong follow-up of testicular cancer survivors within a large cohort setting to ascertain risks of emerging toxicities and the evolution of known late sequelae, 2) development of comprehensive risk prediction models that include treatment factors and genetic modifiers of late sequelae, 3) elucidation of the effect(s) of decades-long exposure to low serum levels of platinum, 4) assessment of the overall burden of medical and psychosocial morbidity, and 5) the eventual formulation of evidence-based long-term follow-up guidelines and interventions. Just as testicular cancer once served as the paradigm of a curable malignancy, comprehensive follow-up studies of testicular cancer survivors can pioneer new methodologies in survivorship research for all adult-onset cancer.

Maintaining success, reducing treatment burden, focusing on survivorship: highlights from the third European consensus conference on diagnosis and treatment of germ-cell cancer

In November 2011, the Third European Consensus Conference on Diagnosis and Treatment of Germ-Cell Cancer (GCC) was held in Berlin, Germany. This third conference followed similar meetings in 2003 (Essen, Germany) and 2006 (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) [Schmoll H-J, Souchon R, Krege S et al. European consensus on diagnosis and treatment of germ-cell cancer: a report of the European Germ-Cell Cancer Consensus Group (EGCCCG). Ann Oncol 2004; 15: 1377–1399; Krege S, Beyer J, Souchon R et al. European consensus conference on diagnosis and treatment of germ-cell cancer: a report of the second meeting of the European Germ-Cell Cancer Consensus group (EGCCCG): part I. Eur Urol 2008; 53: 478–496; Krege S, Beyer J, Souchon R et al. European consensus conference on diagnosis and treatment of germ-cell cancer: a report of the second meeting of the European Germ-Cell Cancer Consensus group (EGCCCG): part II. Eur Urol 2008; 53: 497–513]. A panel of 56 of 60 invited GCC experts from all across Europe discussed all aspects on diagnosis and treatment of GCC, with a particular focus on acute and late toxic effects as well as on survivorship issues. The panel consisted of oncologists, urologic surgeons, radiooncologists, pathologists and basic scientists, who are all actively involved in care of GCC patients. Panelists were chosen based on the publication activity in recent years. Before the meeting, panelists were asked to review the literature published since 2006 in 20 major areas concerning all aspects of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of GCC patients, and to prepare an updated version of the previous recommendations to be discussed at the conference. In addition, ∼50 E-vote questions were drafted and presented at the conference to address the most controversial areas for a poll of expert opinions. Here, we present the main recommendations and controversies of this meeting. The votes of the panelists are added as online supplements.

Help‐seeking behaviour in patients with anxiety disorder and depression

Objective:  The objective of this study was to investigate help‐seeking behaviour among persons with anxiety disorder and depression based on self‐rating in a Norwegian population (the HUNT study).

Screening for postnatal depression: Validation of the Norwegian version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and assessment of risk factors for postnatal depression

OBJECTIVE The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a self-rating scale developed to screen for postnatal depression. The aim of this study was to validate a Norwegian translation of the EPDS, study its psychometric properties, and identify risk factors for postnatal depression. METHOD EPDS was filled in by 411 women at 6-12 weeks postpartum. Of these, 100 were interviewed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for DSM-IV major and minor depressive disorders. RESULTS When using a cut-off of 11 on the EPDS, 26 of 27 women with major depression were identified (sensitivity 96%, specificity 78%). An aggregate point prevalence of 10.0% of major and minor depression was found. A one-factor model accounted for 46.6% of the variance. Strongest risk factors for postpartum depression were previous depression, depression in current pregnancy, and current somatic illness. LIMITATIONS Women screened using the EPDS who had a score above threshold, yet did not attend the diagnostic interview could cause the point prevalence of depression to be higher than indicated here. CONCLUSION The Norwegian translation of EPDS functions equally well as other translations as a screening tool for postnatal depression. The risk factors that were found are compatible with other studies.