© 2023 Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
East Asian Arch Psychiatry 2023;33:65-70 | https://doi.org/10.12809/eaap2258 Original Article
65
Psychometric Properties of Vietnamese Versions
of the Clinician-Rated and Self-Reported Quick
Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology and
the Patient Health Questionnaire
Ho Nguyen Yen Phi, Bui Xuan Manh, Tran Anh Ngoc, Pham Thi Minh Chau, Truong Quoc Tho,
Nguyen Trung Nghia, Tran Trung Nghia, Huynh Ho Ngoc Quynh, Nguyen Tien Huy, Ngo Tich Linh,
Pham Le An
Abstract
Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the second-most prevalent mental health condition in
Vietnam. This study aims to validate the Vietnamese versions of the self-reported and clinician-rated
Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR and QIDS-C, respectively) and the Patient
Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and to assess the correlations between the QIDS-SR, QIDS-C, and
PHQ-9.
Methods: 506 participants with MDD (mean age, 46.3 years; 55.5% women) were assessed using
the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5. The internal consistency, diagnostic efficiency, and
concurrent validity of the Vietnamese versions of QIDS-SR, QIDS-C, and PHQ-9 were determined
using the Cronbach’s alpha, receiver operating characteristic curve, and Pearson correlation coefficient,
respectively.
Results: The Vietnamese versions of QIDS-SR, QIDS-C, and PHQ-9 demonstrated acceptable validity,
with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.901, 0.967, and 0.864, respectively.
Sensitivity and specificity, respectively, were 87.8% and 77.8% for QIDS-SR and 97.6% and 86.2%
for QIDS-C at the cut-off score of 6, and were 82.9% and 70.1% for PHQ-9 at the cut-off score of 4.
Cronbach’s alphas for QIDS-SR, QIDS-C, and PHQ-9 were 0.709, 0.813, and 0.745, respectively. The
PHQ-9 highly correlated with the QIDS-SR (r = 0.77, p < 0.001) and the QIDS-C (r = 0.75, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The Vietnamese versions of the QIDS-SR, QIDS-C, and PHQ-9 are valid and reliable tools
for screening of MDD in primary healthcare settings.
Key words: Depressive disorder, major; Patient Health Questionnaire; Primary health care; Vietnam
Ho Nguyen Yen Phi, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University
of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Bui Xuan Manh, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tran Anh Ngoc, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Pham Thi Minh Chau, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Truong Quoc Tho, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Nguyen Trung Nghia, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Mental
Health Unit, Hoan My Sai Gon Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tran Trung Nghia, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University
of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Huynh Ho Ngoc Quynh, Department of Health Education and Psychology in
Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Nguyen Tien Huy, School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki
University, Nagasaki, Japan
Ngo Tich Linh, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Pham Le An, The Center of Training Family Medicine, University of Medicine
and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Department of Psychiatry,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam; Mental Health Unit, Hoan My Sai Gon Hospital, Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam
Address for correspondence: Dr Ho Nguyen Yen Phi, Department of
Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam. Email: honguyenyenphi@ump.edu.vn
Submitted: 2 December 2022; Accepted: 5 May 2023
Introduction
Vietnam is a lower-middle-income country with a chronic
shortage in mental healthcare resources. Although major
depressive disorder (MDD) is the second-most common
mental health condition in Vietnam, with a prevalence of
2.8%,
1
the estimated number of psychiatrists per 100 000
Vietnamese people is 0.35.
2
Additionally, as a result of
internalised stigma,
3
associated somatic symptoms,
4,5
and
co-occurring chronic physical conditions,
6,7
patients with
mental health problems are more likely to seek care at primary
healthcare centres (PHCs) rather than specialist clinics.
However, PHCs lack human resources to recognise patients
with MDD,
8,9
who therefore have been underdiagnosed