Further Validation Study of the Gender-Specific Binary Depression Screening Version (GIDS-15) and Investigation of Intervention Effects

Abstract

Men and women differ in the manifestation of depression. At the same time, there is a lack of gender-sensitive depression questionnaires in Germany. This study investigated the Gender-specific binary depression screening version (GIDS-15) in a further validation step. In a two-armed, pragmatic single-blind randomised controlled clinical trial, we first investigated the psychometric properties and the sensitivity to change in the GIDS-15 in a sample with subclinical depression (N = 203). In addition, we then analysed sex differences between the intervention and waiting control group over time. We were able to demonstrate adequate to acceptable internal consistency as well as convergent construct validity of the GIDS-15. Additionally, we were able to demonstrate the sensitivity to change in the GIDS-15. Using a linear mixed model, we calculated a three-way interaction between intervention group, sex, and time (p = 0.017). We found an increase in the intervention effect for men over time. Conclusions: The GIDS-15 proves to be a solid and practical screening tool for the gender-sensitive assessment of depression in Germany. It can be used for progression and intervention diagnostics, although the intervention effect that was found can only be interpreted to a limited extent due to significant sample size differences between men and women. Limitations of our study and practical implications are discussed.