Factor Analysis of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale in a Large Ambulatory Oncology Sample

摘要: Screening cancer patients for depression with self-report inventories presents clinical and methodological challenges. Many investigators separate "somatic" from "cognitive" symptoms when adapting such measures to oncology settings. However, this practice has rarely been empirically validated through factor-analytic studies. The following study describes a factor analysis of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS) large ambulatory sample (N = 1,109). A four-factor solution emerged, consisting cognitive symptom factor, manifest depressed mood two somatic factors (eating non-eating related). These accounted 20% (cognitive), 13% (mood), 8% (non-eating), 7% (eating) variance on Zung, respectively. authors discuss implications these results as they pertain screening depression.