J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2007 Sep;46(5):447-452.

Characteristics of Diagnostic Criteria for Depression in Korea

• Chang SM
• Sohn JH
• Lee JY
• Choi JH
• Cho SJ
• Jeon HJ
• Hahm BJ
• Lee DH
• Cho MJ

Abstract

BACKGROUNDS: Many Korean epidemiologic studies reported lower prevalence rates of depression than those of Western countries. For the low prevalence, it is explained that there's something wrong in the direct application of diagnostic criteria of depression to Korean culture, i.e. categorical fallacy, or it may be truly low-prevalent. We will analyze diagnostic criteria for depression defined by Western.
METHODS
Six thousand and two hundred seventy-five community dwelling subjects, aged 18-64 years were interviewed by using Korean version of Composite International Diagnostic Interview (K-CIDI). Diagnostic criteria for depression defined by DSM-IV were analyzed using the item response theory.
RESULTS
We could not find any fallacies of diagnostic criteria for depression defined by DSM-IV when assessing depre-ssion among Koreans. Fatigue, concentration difficulties, and sleep disturbance appeared more frequently in mild depression, while psychomotor change, death/suicide, and worthlessness/guilt did not appear until severe depression.
CONCLUSION
The diagnostic criteria for depression defined by DSM-IV are appropriate for the Koreans. There are different responding levels, i.e. threshold, of depressive criteria according to severities of depression. Koreans with depression are more likely to complain of appetite change, but less of worthless or guilty feelings than Western people.

Keyword

Depression; Prevalence; Criteria

MeSH Terms

Appetite
Depression*
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Fatigue
Korea*
Prevalence