A Brief Depression and Anxiety Rating Scale for Sexual Violence Victims

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to develop a brief self-report measure of depressive and anxiety symptoms in victims of sexual violence. Methods: The sample, which consisted of 215 victims and 255 healthy controls, was recruited between December 2016 and November 2018 from eight Sunflower Centers. Eligible items were selected from existing scales of depression (CES-DC and CES-D) and anxiety (SAI-C and BAI) symptoms by item-total correlation coefficients and item response theory (IRT) analysis. Internal consistency coefficients were computed and the receiver operating characteristics curve was inspected to assess the validity of the brief scale and determine optimal cutoff scores. Results: The brief scales showed high internal consistency across all age groups. The optimal cutoff score of brief depression scale was 1.5 for children, 2.5 for adolescents, and 2.5 for the adults. That of brief anxiety scale was 8.5, 6.5, and 3.5, respectively. Conclusion: The results underscore the need for age-appropriate screening measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms in victims of sexual violence.