Determining cut-off values and predictors for the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale: comparison between clinical and...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Clinical Psychology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Limited research exists on optimal Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) cut-off values for anhedonia screening.
• Previous studies have not adequately compared anhedonia predictors between clinical and nonclinical populations using established SHAPS thresholds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish optimal Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) cut-off values for clinical and nonclinical groups in Taiwan.
• To identify and compare predictors of anhedonia in these distinct populations using the determined SHAPS thresholds.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional, correlational study design.
• Convenience sampling recruited 160 patients from hospitals and 412 students from universities in northern Taiwan.
• Receiver operating characteristic curve, univariate, and multivariate analyses were employed.

Main Results:

• Optimal SHAPS cut-off values were identified as 29.5 for the clinical group and 23.5 for the nonclinical group.
• In the clinical group, perceiving oneself as nondepressed was associated with lower SHAPS scores.
• In the nonclinical group, factors like not skipping classes, paternal care, lower academic satisfaction, and reluctance to seek social support predicted SHAPS scores.

Conclusions:

• Optimal SHAPS cut-off values are crucial for effective depression risk screening in both clinical and nonclinical populations.
• Developing individualized programs to monitor SHAPS score variations and anhedonia predictors is essential for targeted interventions.