Norman Sartorius, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Published on Behalf of the World Health Organization

1 Standardized Instruments Used in the Assessment of Depression in German-Speaking Countries.- 2 Systems and Scales for the Assessment of Depression in French-Speaking Countries.- 3 Standardized Instruments for the Evaluation of Affective Disturbances in Spain and Spanish-Speaking Countries.- 4 The Area of the Bulgarian People's Republic, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Polish People's Republic, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia.- 5 Standardized Instruments Used in the Assessment of Depression in the Scandinavian Countries.- 6 Instruments Used in the Assessment of Depression in Japan.- 7 Rating Scales for Depression in Italy.- 8 Standard Instruments Used in the Assessment of Depression in Africa.- 9 The WHO Instruments for the Assessment of Depressive Disorders.- 10 AMDP-III in the Assessment of Depression.- 11 Rating of Depression with a Subscale of the CPRS.- 12 A Self-Report Inventory on Depressive Symptomatology (QD2) and Its Abridged Form (QD2A).- 13 Applications of the Beck Depression Inventory.- 14 The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression.- 15 The Development of Four Self-Assessment Depression Scales.- 16 Assessment of Depression Using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale.- 17 The Brief Depression Rating Scale.- 18 The Carroll Rating Scale for Depression.- 19 The Newcastle Scale.- 20 The Symptom-Rating Test.- 21 Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and Depression Status Inventory.- 22 Depression Scales Derived from the Hopkins Symptom Checklist.- 23 The Wittenborn Psychiatric Rating Scale.- 24 The Melancholia Scale: Development, Consistency, Validity, and Utility.- 25 Clinical Self-Rating Scales (CSRS) of the Munich Psychiatric Information System (PSYCHIS München).- 26 The Clinical Interview for Depression.- 27Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia: Regular and Change Versions.- 28 The Assessment of Depression in Children and Adolescents.- 29 Instruments Used in the Assessment of Depression in Psychogeriatric Patients.- 30 Self-Report and Clinical Interview in the Assessment of Depression.- 31 Sensitivity to Treatment Effects of Evaluation Instruments Completed by Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Nurses, and Patients.

Depressive illnesses, as epidemiological studies have consistently shown, are amongthe most frequent psychicdisorders encountered in hospital and everyday practice. Moreover, during the last few decades the prevalence of depression has definitely been increas ing. Its alarming frequency - especially among women - has re cently been confirmed once again by epidemiologicalfindings pub lished in the United States of America. The World Health Organi zation estimates the world-wide prevalence of depression at 3% to 5%. Amongthefactors contributingtothecurrentincreaseareexces sively abrupt changes in social structures and living conditions, as well as a departure from traditional values which is often accompa nied by disruptionofthe family unit and loss ofreligious faith. Fur ther factors include the unfettered materialism ofthe modern age, the hectic pace of technological progress, and the loneliness to which elderly people in particular are exposed. Finally, the increas ing life expectancy ofthe population in almost all countries ofthe world raises the incidence of cardiovascular disorders, brain dis ease, and malignanttumors,thusinevitably addingtothe riskofde pressive illness in old age. The prominent position occupied by the diagnosis and treat ment of depression in everyday medical practice is apparent from the results ofan enquiry conducted among some 15000 doctors in Austria,the Federal RepublicofGermany, France, Italy, Spain,and Switzerland. This enquiry disclosed that ofall patients consulting a doctor,upto 10% - and sometimesmore - couldbeclassifiedas de pressed, and that in more than one-halfofthe patients a so-called masked form ofdepression was found. Duringthe last 15years, biological psychiatricresearchfocusing on depression has made more significant progress than everbefore.