Table 3 Comparison of two potential short forms selected through a combination of psychometric properties and content validity considerations
| DSM-V Criterion | Item | Short Form 1 | Short Form 1 Rank Order a-parameter (based on 51 items) | Short Form 2 | Short Form 2 Rank Order a-parameter (based on 51 items) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Depressed mood most of day | I felt unhappy | x | 4 | x | 4 |
| I felt depressed | x | 3 | |||
| 2. Little interest or pleasure in doing things | I had trouble enjoying the things I used to enjoy | x | 18 | ||
| I felt I had nothing to look forward to | x | 9 | |||
| 3. Symptoms: psychomotor retardation or agitation | I reacted slowly to things that were done or said | x | 46 | ||
| 4. Symptoms: insomnia/ hypersomnia | |||||
| 5. Symptoms: fatigue | I felt that everything I did was an effort | x | 39 | ||
| 6. Symptoms: worthlessness | I felt I was not as good as other people | x | 24 | ||
| I felt worthless | x | 2 | |||
| I felt like a failure | x | 6 | |||
| 7. Symptoms: excessive guilt | I felt guilty | x | 37 | ||
| 8. Symptoms: diminished ability to think/ concentrate or indecisiveness | I had trouble making decisions | x | 26 | ||
| 9. Symptoms: suicidal ideation | I felt I had no reason for living | x | 13 | ||
| I felt like I wanted to give up on everything | x | 8 | |||
| 10. Symptoms: significant weight gain or loss/appetite loss | • I had little desire to eat • I ate more than usual • I lost weight without trying | ||||
| 11. Significant distress or impairment | I felt that nothing could cheer me up | x | 5 | ||
| I felt emotionally exhausted | x | 11 | |||
| Symptoms: hopeless | I felt hopeless | x | 1 | x | 1 |
| Symptoms: helpless | I felt helpless | x | 7 | ||
| Symptoms: withdrew from others | I withdrew from others | x | 25 | ||