J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2024 Aug;63(3):177-183. 10.4306/jknpa.2024.63.3.177.

Development of a Short Form Depression Screening Questionnaire for Korean Career Soldiers

• Choi SY
• Byeon G
• Lim MN
• Park JI

• KMID: 2559179
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2024.63.3.177

Abstract

Objectives
This study uses the short-form Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) to screen for depression among Korean career soldiers, aiming to protect mental health and ensure military stability.
Methods
The study involves 2922 career soldiers who completed online self-report questionnaires assessing suicidality, depression, anxiety, and social support. Diagnosis of major depressive episodes (MDEs) using the Korean version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (K-MINI) was confirmed through Pearson correlation analysis of the 20 CES-D items. The top three correlated items form the Depression Screening Questionnaire for Korean Career soldiers (DSQ-KC). Receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curve (AUC) values were obtained, with the DSQ-KC total score as the explanatory variable and MDEs as the response variable. Independent t-tests were performed to determine whether suicidality, anxiety, and social support differed based on the cut-off scores of the DSQ-KC.
Results
In the analysis of each CES-D item with an MDE diagnosis, items 4, 6, and 3 were obtained. The AUC value was 0.958. At a cut-off score of 2, sensitivity and specificity were 93.9% and 89.9%, respectively, with positive and negative predictive values of 14.7% and 99.6%, respectively. Conversely, at a cut-off score of 3, sensitivity and specificity were 83.7% and 94.4%, respectively, with positive and negative predictive values of 27.7% and 98.9%, respectively. Associations with suicidality, anxiety, and use of social networks from cut-off scores of 2 or 3 were examined.
Conclusion
The DSQ-KC, developed with three reliable items, is user-friendly and can be utilized in suicide prevention projects for career soldiers.

Keyword

Suicide; Depression; Short form depression screening scale; Korean career soldiers