A Psychometric Evaluation of the German Version of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR16) in Outpatients with Depression

Background: The self-rated, 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR16) is a well-established measure of depression severity. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the German translation of the QIDS-SR16. Methods: 332 depressed German adults awaiting psychotherapy were assessed with the German translations of the QIDS-SR16, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-24). Results: Internal consistency for the QIDS-SR16 was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha=.77). Corrected item-total correlations indicated adequate discriminatory power of all the items. The QIDS-SR16 highly correlated with the BDI-II (r=.810) but only moderately correlated with the HRSD-24 (r=.581). Regarding discriminant validity, the QIDS-SR16 discriminated between patients with and without a depressive episode but not between patients with and without panic disorder. Conclusion: The German translation of the QIDS-SR16 has adequate psychometric properties. Our results support the usefulness of the German version of the QIDS-SR16 as a brief depression rating scale in clinical and research settings.