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Factor analysis of the Montgomery Aasberg depression rating scale in an elderly stroke population
- Authors:
- FARNER Lasse, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24(11), November 2009, pp.1209-1216.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The Montgomery Aasberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) is a widely used instrument for the measurement of change in depressive symptoms. This study aimed to explore the construct validity of the MADRS using factor analysis and to examine whether symptom clusters of depression after stroke are associated with any patient characteristics. A sample of 163 stroke patients was assessed, with information collected from patients’ records. Factor analysis identified three distinct factors: anhedonia, consisting of items associated with loss of interest, emotional withdrawal, suicidal thoughts and loss of appetite; sadness, consisting of items associated with observed and self-rated sadness and pessimism; agitation, consisting of inner tension, lack of concentration and loss of sleep. The study concluded that anhedonia is related to cognitive impairment, sadness to neurological impairment due to the stroke, and agitation is probably an indifferent factor that could be related to anxiety in combination with a variety of physical health problems.