Manote Lotrakul

Reliability and validity of the Thai version of the PHQ-9

BackgroundMost depression screening tools in Thailand are lengthy. The long process makes them impractical for routine use in primary care. This study aims to examine the reliability and validity of a Thai version Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as a screening tool for major depression in primary care patients.MethodsThe English language PHQ-9 was translated into Thai. The process involved back-translation, cross-cultural adaptation, field testing of the pre-final version, as well as final adjustments. The PHQ-9 was then administered among 1,000 patients in family practice clinic. Of these 1,000 patients, 300 were further assessed by the Thai version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Thai version of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). These tools served as gold-standards for diagnosing depression and for assessing symptom severity, respectively. In the assessment, reliability and validity analyses, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were performed.ResultsComplete data were obtained from 924 participants and 279 interviewed respondents. The mean age of the participants was 45.0 years (SD = 14.3) and 73.7% of them were females. The mean PHQ-9 score was 4.93 (SD = 3.75). The Thai version of the PHQ-9 had satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbachs alpha = 0.79) and showed moderate convergent validity with the HAM-D (r = 0.56; P < 0.001). The categorical algorithm of the PHQ-9 had low sensitivity (0.53) but very high specificity (0.98) and positive likelihood ratio (27.37). Used as a continuous measure, the optimal cut-off score of PHQ-9 ≥ 9 revealed a sensitivity of 0.84, specificity of 0.77, positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.21, negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.99, and positive likelihood ratio of 3.71. The area under the curve (AUC) in this study was 0.89 (SD = 0.05, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.92).ConclusionThe Thai version of the PHQ-9 has acceptable psychometric properties for screening for major depression in general practice with a recommended cut-off score of nine or greater.

Suicide in Thailand during the period 1998–2003

Abstract  The aim of this study was to examine the characteristic features of suicides in Thailand between 1998 and 2003. Collected data during 1998–2003 from the Bureau of Policy and Strategy, Ministry of Public Health were analyzed to reveal the mortality from suicide according to age, gender, rate and methods of suicides. Suicide rates were found to have increased to a peak of 8.6 per 100 000 (5290 suicides) in 1999 and then to have decreased to 7.1 per 100 000 in 2003. The average suicide rate during 1998–2003 was 7.9 per 100 000 with a male to female ratio of 3.4:1. Male suicide reached a peak for those aged 25–29 years (21.9 per 100 000) while female suicide showed less variation with age. Hanging was the most common method used, followed by ingestion of agricultural toxic substances. Suicide was most prevalent in upper northern region where HIV infection might be related to the high prevalence. Suicide prevention program should focus on males in early adulthood, and particular measures should be conducted to reduce risk factors related to HIV infection among people in northern Thailand.

Reliability and validity of the Thai version of the WHO-Five Well-Being Index in primary care patients

Aims:  Because of the high patient load in Thailand, we need a practical measurement to help primary physicians detect depression. This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Thai version of the World Health Organization‐Five Well‐Being Index (WHO‐5‐T), which is short and easy to use as a screening tool for major depression in primary care patients.

Psychiatric services in primary care settings: a survey of general practitioners in Thailand

BackgroundGeneral Practitioners (GPs) in Thailand play an important role in treating psychiatric disorders since there is a shortage of psychiatrists in the country. Our aim was to examine GPs perception of psychiatric problems, drug treatment and service problems encountered in primary care settings.MethodsWe distributed 1,193 postal questionnaires inquiring about psychiatric practices and service problems to doctors in primary care settings throughout Thailand.ResultsFour hundred and thirty-four questionnaires (36.4%) were returned. Sixty-seven of the respondents (15.4%) who had taken further special training in various fields were excluded from the analysis, giving a total of 367 GPs in this study. Fifty-six per cent of respondents were males and they had worked for 4.6 years on average (median = 3 years). 65.6% (SD = 19.3) of the total patients examined had physical problems, 10.7% (SD = 7.9) had psychiatric problems and 23.9% (SD = 16.0) had both problems. The most common psychiatric diagnoses were anxiety disorders (37.5%), alcohol and drugs abuse (28.1%), and depressive disorders (29.2%). Commonly prescribed psychotropic drugs were anxiolytics and antidepressants. The psychotropic drugs most frequently prescribed were diazepam among anti-anxiety drugs, amitriptyline among antidepressant drugs, and haloperidol among antipsychotic drugs.ConclusionMost drugs available through primary care were the same as what existed 3 decades ago. There should be adequate supply of new and appropriate psychotropic drugs in primary care. Case-finding instruments for common mental disorders might be helpful for GPs whose quality of practice was limited by large numbers of patients. However, the service delivery system should be modified in order to maintain successful care for a large number of psychiatric patients.

Development and validation of a screening instrument for bipolar spectrum disorder: The Mood Disorder Questionnaire Thai version.

Background The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) has been translated to many languages and has been used in many countries as a screening instrument for bipolar disorder. The main objective of this study was to evaluate validity of the Thai version of the MDQ as a screening instrument for bipolar disorder in a psychiatric outpatient sample, and to determine its optimum question #1 item threshold value for bipolar disorder. Methods The English language Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) was translated into Thai. The process involved back-translation, cross-cultural adaptation, field testing of the prefinal version, as well as final adjustments. Two hundred and fifty major depressive disorder outpatients were further assessed by the Thai version of the MDQ and the Thai version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). During the assessment, reliability and validity analyses, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis were performed. Results The Thai version of the MDQ screening had adequate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha =0.791, omega total =0.68, and omega hierarchical =0.69). The optimal question #1 item threshold value was at least five positive items, which yielded adequate sensitivity (76.5%), specificity (72.7%), positive predictive value (74.3%), and negative predictive value (75.0%). The ROC area under the curve (AUC) for this study was 0.82 (95% confidence interval: 0.70 to 0.90). Conclusion The Thai version of the MDQ had some useful psychometric properties for screening for bipolar disorder in a mood disorder clinic setting, with a recommended question #1 item threshold value of at least five positive items.

Reliability and validity of the Thai version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale - Second Edition in clinical samples.

Purpose The Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is regarded as the most acceptable tool for measuring obsessive–compulsive disorder symptom severity. Recently, the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale – Second Edition (Y-BOCS-II) was developed for better measurement. The study reported here aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Thai version of the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale – Second Edition (Y-BOCS-II-T). Patients and methods The original version of the Y-BOCS-II was translated into Thai, which involved forward translation, synthesis of the translation, and back translation. Modification and cross-cultural adaptation were completed accordingly. The developed Y-BOCS-II-T, together with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, was administered to 41 patients who had a primary diagnosis of obsessive–compulsive disorder. The patients then completed the Pictorial Thai Quality of Life instrument and Patient Health Questionnaire. Lastly, the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and the Clinical Global Impression – Severity Scale (CGI-S) of all patients were blindly rated by another experienced psychiatrist who was not the interviewer. Results The mean total score of the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale – Second Edition – Severity Scale (Y-BOCS-II-SS) and the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale – Second Edition – Symptom Checklist (Y-BOCS-II-SC) were 18.44 (standard deviation =10.51) and 15.85 (standard deviation =9.58), respectively. The Y-BOCS-II-T had satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha =0.94 for the Severity Scale, and Kuder–Richardson Formula 20 =0.90 for the Symptom Checklist). Inter-rater reliability was excellent for both the Y-BOCS-II-SS and Y-BOCS-II-SC. Factor analysis of Y-BOCS-II-SS items revealed a two-factor component associated with obsession and compulsion. The Y-BOCS-II-SS correlated highly with the CGI-S and GAF (r =0.75 and −0.76, respectively), but the Y-BOCS-II-SC correlated moderately (r=0.42 for CGI-S; r=−0.39 for GAF). The Y-BOCS-II-SS and Y-BOCS-II-SC slightly to moderately correlated with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Patient Health Questionnaire, and Pictorial Thai Quality of Life, which might indicate the comorbidity depression and its effect on quality of life. Conclusion The Y-BOCS-II-T is a psychometrically reliable and valid measure for the assessment of both severity and characteristics of obsessive–compulsive symptoms in Thai clinical samples.

How do general practitioners in Thailand diagnose and treat patients presenting with anxiety and depression

Aims:  To examine general practitioners’ (GPs’) diagnosis of a case vignette presenting both anxiety and depression symptoms, and to understand their treatment preferences for the case.

Reliability and Validity of the Thai Version of the Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory

This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Thai version of the FOCI (FOCI-T), which is a brief self-report questionnaire to assess the symptoms and severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Forty-seven OCD patients completed the FOCI-T, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Pictorial Thai Quality of Life (PTQL). They were then interviewed to determine the OCD symptom severity by the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale-Second Edition (YBOCS-II) and depressive symptoms by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), together with the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scales (CGI-S). The result showed that the FOCI-T had satisfactory internal consistency reliability on both the Symptom Checklist (KR-20 = 0.86) and the Severity Scale (α = 0.92). Regarding validity analyses, the FOCI-T Severity Scale had stronger correlations with the YBOCS-II and CGI-S than the FOCI-T Symptom Checklist. This implied the independence between the FOCI-T Symptom Checklist and the Severity Scale and good concurrent validity of the FOCI-T Severity Scale. Our results suggested that the FOCI-T was found to be a reliable and valid self-report measure to assess obsessive-compulsive symptoms and severity.

Efficacy of home-based non-pharmacological interventions for treating depression: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Objectives To systematically review and compare the efficacy of all available home-based non-pharmacological treatments of depression. Design Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Data sources Medline, Scopus and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases were searched since inceptions to 7 August 2016. Eligibility criteria Randomised controlled trials comparing the efficacy of home-based non-pharmacological interventions with usual care of patients with depression were included in the review. Main outcomes Depression symptom scores and disease remission rates at the end of treatment. Results Seventeen studies were included in the review. Home-based non-pharmacological interventions were categorised as (1) home-based psychological intervention, (2) home-based exercise intervention, (3) combined home-based psychological intervention with exercise intervention and (4) complementary medicine. Complementary medicine approaches were excluded from the meta-analysis due to heterogeneity. The standardised mean differences of post-treatment depression symptom scores between usual care groups and home-based psychological intervention, home-based exercise intervention and combined home-based psychological intervention with exercise intervention were −0.57 (95% CI −0.84 to −0.31), −1.03 (95% CI −2.89 to 0.82) and −0.78 (95% CI −1.09 to −0.47), respectively. These results suggest that only home-based psychological intervention and combined home-based psychological intervention with exercise intervention could significantly decrease depression scores. Compared with usual care groups, the disease remission rate was also significantly higher for home-based psychological intervention (pooled risk ratio=1.53; 95% CI 1.19 to 1.98) and combined home-based psychological intervention with exercise intervention (pooled risk ratio=3.47; 95% CI 2.11 to 5.70). Of all the studied interventions, combined home-based psychological intervention with exercise intervention had the highest probability of resulting in disease remission. Conclusion Our study confirms the efficacy of home-based psychological intervention and combined home-based psychological intervention with exercise intervention in the treatment of depression. Combined home-based psychological intervention and exercise intervention was the best treatment and should be considered for inclusion in clinical guidelines for managing depression.

Probability of major depression diagnostic classification using semi-structured versus fully structured diagnostic interviews

BACKGROUND Different diagnostic interviews are used as reference standards for major depression classification in research. Semi-structured interviews involve clinical judgement, whereas fully structured interviews are completely scripted. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), a brief fully structured interview, is also sometimes used. It is not known whether interview method is associated with probability of major depression classification.AimsTo evaluate the association between interview method and odds of major depression classification, controlling for depressive symptom scores and participant characteristics. METHOD Data collected for an individual participant data meta-analysis of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) diagnostic accuracy were analysed and binomial generalised linear mixed models were fit. RESULTS A total of 17 158 participants (2287 with major depression) from 57 primary studies were analysed. Among fully structured interviews, odds of major depression were higher for the MINI compared with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) (odds ratio (OR) = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.15-3.87). Compared with semi-structured interviews, fully structured interviews (MINI excluded) were non-significantly more likely to classify participants with low-level depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 scores ≤6) as having major depression (OR = 3.13; 95% CI = 0.98-10.00), similarly likely for moderate-level symptoms (PHQ-9 scores 7-15) (OR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.56-1.66) and significantly less likely for high-level symptoms (PHQ-9 scores ≥16) (OR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.26-0.97). CONCLUSIONS The MINI may identify more people as depressed than the CIDI, and semi-structured and fully structured interviews may not be interchangeable methods, but these results should be replicated.Declaration of interestDrs Jetté and Patten declare that they received a grant, outside the submitted work, from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, which was jointly funded by the Institute and Pfizer. Pfizer was the original sponsor of the development of the PHQ-9, which is now in the public domain. Dr Chan is a steering committee member or consultant of Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Lilly, MSD and Pfizer. She has received sponsorships and honorarium for giving lectures and providing consultancy and her affiliated institution has received research grants from these companies. Dr Hegerl declares that within the past 3 years, he was an advisory board member for Lundbeck, Servier and Otsuka Pharma; a consultant for Bayer Pharma; and a speaker for Medice Arzneimittel, Novartis, and Roche Pharma, all outside the submitted work. Dr Inagaki declares that he has received grants from Novartis Pharma, lecture fees from Pfizer, Mochida, Shionogi, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Daiichi-Sankyo, Meiji Seika and Takeda, and royalties from Nippon Hyoron Sha, Nanzando, Seiwa Shoten, Igaku-shoin and Technomics, all outside of the submitted work. Dr Yamada reports personal fees from Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, Seishin Shobo, Seiwa Shoten Co., Ltd., Igaku-shoin Ltd., Chugai Igakusha and Sentan Igakusha, all outside the submitted work. All other authors declare no competing interests. No funder had any role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis and interpretation of the data; preparation, review or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.