Measuring and Defining Depression in the Uzbek Population

Date
2008-04
Authors
Mustafaeva, Shahlo
Shercliffe, Regan
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Publisher
University of Regina, Graduate Students' Association
Abstract

The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that a culturally appropriate depression scale can be developed and used in an understudied, culturally distinct population, and that such a scale will be more sensitive in identifying depression. This study details the process of developing and evaluating a depression-screening tool for an Uzbek population. 190 Uzbek students participated in the assessment of the psychometric properties of the original version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and an experimental Uzbek version of the CES-D. The results of this study suggest that the Uzbek CES-D is more sensitive in screening for depression in Uzbek population than the original CES-D. Evidence that supports the content validity and reliability is presented. This study also included open-ended questions to identify the terms and phrases Uzbek people use for depression, and what symptoms they associate with it. We conclude that depressive symptoms can be reliably assessed by the Uzbek CED-D in Uzbek population. Moreover, this study may help suggest appropriate clinical and community health strategies in identifying and treating depression in Central Asian populations. This study outlines the development of the Uzbek Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and compares the effectiveness of the standard CES-D with an Uzbek version of the CES-D in screening for depression among the Uzbek population.

Description
Poster presented at the 3rd Graduate Students' Research Conference, April 2008.
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