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DEPLICONCEN
Had trouble concentrating during 2+ weeks lost interest in activities, past 12 months
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Codes and Frequencies



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Description

For sample adults age 18+ who (1) lost interest in pleasurable activities (DEPLIFUN), (2) for all day long, most of the day, or about half the day (DEPLIDAYAMT), (3) for every day or almost every day (DEPLIHOWOFT), for 2+ weeks during the past 12 months, DEPLICONCEN reports responses to the question, "During those two weeks, did you have a lot more trouble concentrating than usual?" The reference period for DEPLICONCEN was the two-week period during the past 12 months when respondents experienced the most complete loss of interest in things.

Related Variables on Scoring Major Depression

Respondents only received the question associated with DEPLICONCEN if they failed to pass a series of screening questions on major depression with dysphoric mood (feeling sad, blue, or depressed) (DEP2WKEV, DEPDAYAMT, DEPHOWOFT).

 

Respondents did not pass these screening questions if they:

  • Did not feel sad, blue, or depressed for 2+ weeks in a row (a "No" in DEP2WKEV); or
  • Volunteered in DEP2WKEV that they were on medication/anti-depressants; or
  • Reported that their feeling sad, blue, or depressed lasted "Less than half of the day" in DEPDAYAMT; or
  • Reported that their feeling sad, blue, or depressed lasted "Less often" in DEPHOWOFT; or
  • Had an unknown response in DEP2WKEV, DEPDAYAMT, or DEPHOWOFT.

For more information on the dysphoric mood questions, see DEP2WKEV.

DEPLICONCEN 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, DEPLICONCEN was part of a group of questions on major depression with anhedonia (loss of interest in pleasurable activities).

 

According to the Field Representative's Manual for 1999, this set of questions was included "to determine if the Sample Adult has had or still has a loss of interest in things, indicating undiagnosed depression, 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."

After passing three screening questions (DEPLIFUN, DEPLIDAYAMT, DEPLIHOWOFT), respondents received an additional series of questions on symptoms of major depression with anhedonia. DEPCONCEN was part of this series of symptom questions.

 

The other questions dealing with symptoms of depression with anhedonia related to the following:

  • Felt more lethargic during 2+ weeks lost interest in activities, past 12 months (DEPLILETH)
  • Weight gained/lost/same during 2+ weeks lost interest in activities, past 12 months (DEPLIWT)
  • (For respondents whose weight changed) Amount of weight change during 2+ weeks lost interest in activities, past 12 months (DEPLIWTAMT)
  • (For respondents whose amount of weight change was unknown) Weight changed 10+ pounds during 2+ weeks lost interest in activities, past 12 months (DEPLIWT10)
  • Had trouble sleeping during 2+ weeks lost interest in activities, past 12 months (DEPLINSOM)
  • (For respondents who had trouble sleeping) How often had trouble sleeping during 2+ weeks lost interest in activities, past 12 months (DEPLINSOMOFT)
  • Felt worthless/no good during 2+ weeks lost interest in activities, past 12 months (DEPLINOGOOD)
  • Thought about death during 2+ weeks lost interest in activities, past 12 months (DEPLISUICID)

Respondents who answered "Yes" to the DEPLICONCEN question about whether they had trouble concentrating, or who gave affirmative answers to other symptom questions, were asked supplemental questions about the length of time they lost interest in pleasurable activities and about the effects of these symptoms on their lives (see DEPLIWKNO).

Respondents who answered "Yes" to the question associated with DEPLICONCEN received one point in the scoring system for major depression with anhedonia (a scale running from 0 to 7, with 3 or more classified as a probable case of major depression with anhedonia).

 

One point was given for passing the first screening question, DEPLIFUN (Ever lost interest in activities 2+ weeks in a row, past 12 months), and additional points were given for affirmative responses to other symptom questions; see DEPLIFUN for details on the other CIDI-SF variables and the calculation of scores for major depression with anhedonia.

Comparability

This variable only occurs in 1999.

In 1999, a similar question, "During those two weeks, did you have a lot more trouble concentrating than usual?" (DEPCONCEN), was asked of sample adults age 18+ who passed the screening questions for major depression with dysphoric mood (feeling sad, blue, or depressed) (DEP2WKEV, DEPDAYAMT, DEPHOWOFT). Respondents who received the question associated with DEPCONCEN were not asked about symptoms of depression related to anhedonia, and therefore did not answer the question for DEPLICONCEN.

Universe

  • 1999: Sample adults age 18+ who either did NOT feel sad/blue/depressed all day long, most of the day, or about half of the day, every day or almost every day, for 2+ weeks during past 12 months, OR were on medication/anti-depressants OR whose feelings of being sad/blue/depressed, or the duration of these feelings, or the frequency of these feelings is unknown AND lost interest in activities at least half of the day for at least almost every day for 2+ weeks during the past 12 months.

Availability

  • 1999

Weights