Predictive validity of the Depression Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (DCSES)

The Depression Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (DCSES) was developed to measure depressed individuals' confidence in their ability to follow treatment recommendations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of the DCSES as a unidimensional measure of depression coping self-efficacy. Data were collected from depressed psychiatric inpatients at admission and discharge (n = 99), and 6-8 weeks post-discharge (n = 75). Exploratory factor analysis yielded a single factor solution accounting for 48.8% of the variance with an eigenvalue of 12.7. DCSES scores at discharge were related to self-reported levels of functional impairment (FI), depression symptom distress, and suicidal ideation (SI), and predicted rehospitalization 6-8 weeks later. Patients with lower DCSES scores at discharge showed less improvement in depression coping self-efficacy from admission to discharge.