Properties of the Early Symptom Measurement of Post-Stroke Depression: Concurrent Criterion Validity and Cutoff Scores

ABSTRACT Background Early-stage post-stroke depression (PSD) increases the risk of stroke-related disability and mortality in the first year of recovery. Presently available screening measures were developed to assess major depression, and none used a PSD screening criterion that was systematically developed and tested in populations of patients with acute stroke. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concurrent criterion validity and cutoff scoring of the Early Symptom Measurement of Post-Stroke Depression (ESM-PSD) instrument in hospitalized patients with acute stroke. Methods Purposive recruitment of newly admitted patients yielded a qualified sample of 139 nonaphasic participants who were 7–30 days post mild-to-moderate stroke confirmed by computed tomography and magnetic resonance images. Participants responded to the ESM-PSD and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-24 (HAMD-24). Results The mean number of post-stroke days was 11.99 (SD = 7.68). Cronbach’s alpha estimates of internal consistency were ESM-PSD = .90 and HAMD-24 = .76. ESM-PSD measurement sensitivity and specificity were superior. The following three ESM-PSD cutoff scores, determined by the receiver operating characteristic curve, were used to assess clinically relevant early-symptom levels: no PSD < 14.5, low PSD = 14.5–25.5, moderate PSD = 25.5–45.5, high PSD ≥ 45.5. Conclusion/Implications for Practice ESM-PSD cutoff scores show the expected correspondence with mild–moderate–severe HAMD-24 symptoms, which was evidenced by the high area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Planned follow-up research will assess the efficacy of using ESM-PSD scores to detect increased risk of major depression onset in patients with acute stroke.