Codes and Frequencies
Description
For sample adults age 18+ who felt sad, blue, or depressed for 2+ weeks during the past 12 months (DEP2WKEV), DEPDAYAMT reports responses to a question about the duration of respondents' symptoms related to major depression with dysphoric mood.
Before reading this question, interviewers instructed respondents, "For the next few questions, please think of the two-week period during the past 12 months when these feelings were the worst." Respondents were then asked, "During that time did the feelings of being sad, blue, or depressed usually last all day long, most of the day, about half of the day or less than half of the day?"
Related Variables on Screening for Major Depression
DEPDAYAMT was part of a series of mental health questions constituting the NHIS version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview - Short Form (CIDI-SF) screening scale for major depression. More specifically, DEPDAYAMT was part of a group of questions on major depression with dysphoric mood (feeling sad, blue, or depressed).
According to the Field Representative's Manual for 1999, this set of question was included "to determine if the Sample Adult has been or still is depressed in the past 12 months and, if so, how it affected them physically and emotionally, how long it has affected them, how they dealt with these problems, and how much these problems interfered with their life or activities."
DEPDAYAMT was the second of three screening questions used to determine whether individuals received a series of questions about the symptoms of dysphoric mood, along with supplemental questions about the duration and consequences of dysphoric mood.
In the NHIS instrument, respondents who answered "All day long," "Most of the day," or "About half of the day" to the question associated with DEPDAYAMT were asked a third screening question for dysphoric mood:
- During those two weeks, did you feel this way every day, almost every day, or less often? (DEPHOWOFT)
Respondents who passed the first two screening questions (DEP2WKEV, DEPDAYAMT) and who answered "Every day" or "Almost every day" in DEPHOWOFT received a series symptom questions on major depression with dysphoric mood. Respondents who did not pass all three of the dysphoric mood screening questions were skipped to screening questions about symptoms of depression related to anhedonia (loss of interest in pleasurable acts). For more information on the questions on major depression with anhedonia, see DEPLIFUN.
Respondents who reported experiencing at least one symptom of major depression with dysphoric mood were also asked supplemental questions about the length of time they felt sad, blue, or depressed and about the effects of these symptoms on their lives.
The dysphoric mood questions contained in the NHIS version of the CIDI-SF can be used to calculate the probability of psychiatric caseness for major depression with dysphoric mood.
For more information on all the variables associated with the NHIS CIDI-SF screening scale for major depression, and for instructions on how to calculate scores for major depression with dysphoric mood, see DEP2WKEV.
Comparability
This variable only occurs in 1999.
In 1999, a similar question, "During that two week period, did the loss of interest usually last all day long, most of the day, about half the day, or less than half the day?" (DEPLIDAYAMT), was asked of sample adults age 18+ who passed the first screening question for major depression with anhedonia (DEPLIFUN). Only persons who did not pass all three of the screening questions in the dysphoric mood section received the question associated with DEPLIDAYAMT.
Universe
- 1999: Sample adults age 18+ who felt sad/blue/depressed for 2+ weeks during the past 12 months.
Availability
- 1999
Weights
- 1999 : SAMPWEIGHT
