Objectives: The reliability and validity of the Korean version of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (K-HDRS) were examined in Korean patients depressive symptoms.
Methods: 33 inpatients and 70 outpatients diagnosed as major depressive disorder or depressive episode of bipolar I disorder according to the DSM-IV criteria were assessed with K-HDRS, Clinical Global Impression score(CGI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Montgomery-Aberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).
Results: Internal consistency (Cronhach’s alpha coefficeint=0.76) and interrater reliability (r=0.94, p<0.001) were statistically significant. Principal axis factoring analysis revealed 4 factors that accounted for 50.4% of the total variance. The correlations of K-HDRS with CGI, BDI and MADRS were 0.84, 0.54, 0.58 respectively.
Conclusion:These results showed that the K-HDRS could be a reliable and valid tool for the assessment of depressive Korean patients. The K-HDRS will be a useful tool for assessing depressive symptoms in Korea.