Screening for major depression in Asian-Americans: A comparison of the Beck and the Chinese Depression Inventory

Objective: This study compares the effectiveness of the Chinese version of the Beck Depression Inventory (CBDI) and the Chinese Depression Inventory (CDI) in screening for depression among Chinese Americans. Method: Five hundred and three Chinese-Americans in primary care were administered the CBDI and the CDI for depression screening. The results were compared with standard semistructured interview. Results: With empirically determined cutoff scores of the CBDI (≥13) and the CDI (≥16), both instruments have good sensitivity (0.78) and excellent specificity (0.91 and 0.93, respectively). The correlation between the total scores of the two instruments was high (0.785, P < 0.01). The areas under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve of the CBDI and the CDI were 0.94 and 0.95, respectively, and were not significantly different. Conclusion: When administered by interviewers, the CBDI and the CDI have comparable effectiveness. Low participation among Chinese-Americans with self-report measures limits both scales as efficient depression screening instruments.