Detecting depressive disorder with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 in Tanzania

Assessment of the growing prevalence of depression in developing countries is hampered by a lack of valid diagnostic instruments for the local settings.

This study attempted to examine the validity of the 25-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) in a special primary care population in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

787 antenatal participants were recruited, and their responses revealed good internal consistency, interrater reliability, and test-retest reliability, and the scale was validated using content, construct, and discriminant validation methods. Factor analysis of the depression subscale, however, confirmed the need for a locally developed scale.

Integrating universalist and relativist approaches, through the validation and modification of scales, may help in the detection of depression in cross-cultural settings.