Campagnolo (2002). Appropriateness of the Ilfeld Psychiatric Symptom Index as a screening tool for depressive symptomatology in persons with spinal cord injury.

[Wise Young]

• Campagnolo DI, Filart RA, Millis SR and Lann DE (2002). Appropriateness of the Ilfeld Psychiatric Symptom Index as a screening tool for depressive symptomatology in persons with spinal cord injury. J Spinal Cord Med. 25 (2): 129-32. Summary: BACKGROUND: Depressive symptomatology is seen in some persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Identification of a depressed mood can assist clinicians in early treatment. The Ilfeld Psychiatric Symptom Index (Ilfeld PSI) is a screening tool that assesses a range of symptoms: depression, cognitive disturbance, anxiety, and anger. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of the Ilfeld PSI to the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (Zung SRS) in persons with chronic SCI. DESIGN: This was a case-control study. METHODS: A total of 59 subjects completed the study: 20 persons with tetraplegia, 19 with paraplegia, and 20 age-matched able-bodied controls. The total scores for both measures were analyzed using Pearson correlation, analysis of variance, and chi-square tests. RESULTS: The Zung SRS total scores correlated with the Ilfeld PSI subscales and index scores. When using the traditional cutoff scores, there was a low level of agreement between scales. The Ilfeld PSI classified 79% of the SCI group and 75% of controls as depressed. In contrast, 8% of the SCI group and none of the controls met criteria for depression using the Zung SRS. CONCLUSIONS: The Ilfeld PSI screens for a broad range of symptoms; however, it poorly discriminates somatic symptoms unrelated to depression. Therefore, the Ilfeld PSI may not be a useful instrument for persons with SCI. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark 07103, USA. campagno@umdnj.edu.