Table of Contents

Locator Record

Title: Depression Screener (DPQ_F )
Contact Number: 1-866-441-NCHS
Years of Content: 2009 - 2010
First Published: September, 2011
Revised: NA
Access Constraints: None
Use Constraints: None
Geographic Coverage: National
Subject:Depression
Record Source: NHANES 2009 - 2010
Survey Methodology: NHANES 2009 - 2010 is a stratified multistage probability sample of the civilian non-institutionalized population of the U.S.
Medium: NHANES Web site; SAS transport files

Component Description

Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a nine-item screening instrument that asks questions about the frequency of symptoms of depression over the past 2 weeks. A final follow-up question assesses the overall impairment of the depressive symptoms. Response categories "not at all," "several days," "more than half the days" and "nearly every day" were given a score ranging from 0 to 3. A total score was calculated ranging from 0 to 27. A score of 10 or higher has been well validated and is commonly used in clinical studies to define depression. Other methods for defining depression based on this instrument are also used.

Eligible Sample

Mobile examination center participants 12 years and older were eligible. Only data from participants aged 18 years and older are included in this data file.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

The Depression screener was asked at the mobile examination center, by trained interviewers, using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) system as part of the Mobile Examination Center (MEC) interview in Spanish or English. No proxy or interpreters were permitted for these questions.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

The CAPI system is programmed with built-in consistency checks to reduce data entry errors. CAPI also uses online help screens to assist interviewers in defining key terms used in the questionnaire.

Approximately 5% of the interviews were recorded and reviewed for quality control purposes.

Data Processing and Editing

Edits were made to ensure the completeness, consistency and analytic usefulness of the data.

Analytic Notes

Depression and depression severity have been defined using various methods in the scientific literature. Researchers may want to pay special attention to records with item non-response (questions that have missing, “don’t know” or “refusal” responses) in deriving a score or severity measure.

MEC exam sample weights should be used for the analyses.

Please refer to the NHANES Analytic Guidelines and the on-line NHANES Tutorial for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues.

A special use DPQ data file, for participants 12-17 years, is available through the NCHS Research Data Center (RDC ).

References

Codebook and Frequencies

SEQN - Respondent sequence number

Variable Name:
SEQN
SAS Label:
Respondent sequence number
English Text:
Respondent sequence number.
Target Gender:
Both males and females
Target Age:
18 YEARS - 150 YEARS

DPQ010 - Have little interest in doing things

Variable Name:
DPQ010
SAS Label:
Have little interest in doing things
English Text:
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems: little interest or pleasure in doing things? Would you say...
English Instructions:
HANDCARD DPQ1
Target Gender:
Both males and females
Target Age:
18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 4099 4099
1 Several days 990 5089
2 More than half the days 257 5346
3 Nearly every day 221 5567
7 Refused 1 5568
9 Don't know 11 5579
. Missing 781 6360

DPQ020 - Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless

Variable Name:
DPQ020
SAS Label:
Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?
English Instructions:
HANDCARD DPQ1
Target Gender:
Both males and females
Target Age:
18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 4163 4163
1 Several days 957 5120
2 More than half the days 234 5354
3 Nearly every day 216 5570
7 Refused 1 5571
9 Don't know 8 5579
. Missing 781 6360

DPQ030 - Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much

Variable Name:
DPQ030
SAS Label:
Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much?
English Instructions:
HANDCARD DPQ1
Target Gender:
Both males and females
Target Age:
18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 3384 3384
1 Several days 1241 4625
2 More than half the days 404 5029
3 Nearly every day 543 5572
7 Refused 1 5573
9 Don't know 6 5579
. Missing 781 6360

DPQ040 - Feeling tired or having little energy

Variable Name:
DPQ040
SAS Label:
Feeling tired or having little energy
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] feeling tired or having little energy?
English Instructions:
HANDCARD DPQ1
Target Gender:
Both males and females
Target Age:
18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 2869 2869
1 Several days 1779 4648
2 More than half the days 426 5074
3 Nearly every day 495 5569
7 Refused 1 5570
9 Don't know 8 5578
. Missing 782 6360

DPQ050 - Poor appetite or overeating

Variable Name:
DPQ050
SAS Label:
Poor appetite or overeating
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] poor appetite or overeating?
English Instructions:
HANDCARD DPQ1
Target Gender:
Both males and females
Target Age:
18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 4125 4125
1 Several days 915 5040
2 More than half the days 274 5314
3 Nearly every day 257 5571
7 Refused 1 5572
9 Don't know 6 5578
. Missing 782 6360

DPQ060 - Feeling bad about yourself

Variable Name:
DPQ060
SAS Label:
Feeling bad about yourself
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] feeling bad about yourself - or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down?
English Instructions:
HANDCARD DPQ1
Target Gender:
Both males and females
Target Age:
18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 4568 4568
1 Several days 674 5242
2 More than half the days 159 5401
3 Nearly every day 163 5564
7 Refused 1 5565
9 Don't know 13 5578
. Missing 782 6360

DPQ070 - Trouble concentrating on things

Variable Name:
DPQ070
SAS Label:
Trouble concentrating on things
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching TV?
English Instructions:
HANDCARD DPQ1
Target Gender:
Both males and females
Target Age:
18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 4564 4564
1 Several days 663 5227
2 More than half the days 154 5381
3 Nearly every day 187 5568
7 Refused 1 5569
9 Don't know 8 5577
. Missing 783 6360

DPQ080 - Moving or speaking slowly or too fast

Variable Name:
DPQ080
SAS Label:
Moving or speaking slowly or too fast
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite - being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual?
English Instructions:
HANDCARD DPQ1
Target Gender:
Both males and females
Target Age:
18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 4880 4880
1 Several days 460 5340
2 More than half the days 125 5465
3 Nearly every day 100 5565
7 Refused 1 5566
9 Don't know 11 5577
. Missing 783 6360

DPQ090 - Thought you would be better off dead

Variable Name:
DPQ090
SAS Label:
Thought you would be better off dead
English Text:
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems: Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DPQ1
Target Gender:
Both males and females
Target Age:
18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 5360 5360
1 Several days 143 5503
2 More than half the days 26 5529
3 Nearly every day 33 5562
7 Refused 2 5564
9 Don't know 12 5576
. Missing 784 6360

DPQ100 - Difficulty these problems have caused

Variable Name:
DPQ100
SAS Label:
Difficulty these problems have caused
English Text:
How difficult have these problems made it for you to do your work, take care of things at home, or get along with people?
Target Gender:
Both males and females
Target Age:
18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all difficult, 2636 2636
1 Somewhat difficult, 915 3551
2 Very difficult, 140 3691
3 Extremely difficult 51 3742
7 Refused 0 3742
9 Don't know 5 3747
. Missing 2613 6360