Vietnamese and Arabic Women's Responses to the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (Depression) and Self-Report Questionnaires: Cause for Concern

OBJECTIVE: The original study aimed to determine the best cut-off scores to screen for postnatal depression on translated versions of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for Vietnamese and Arabic women. This research was conducted using the depression module of the Diagnostic interview Schedule (DIS) to determine caseness. This paper reports on the suitability of this diagnostic interview as a criterion measure of depression in these women with a non-English speaking background. METHOD: Vietnamese and Arabic women in south-west Sydney completed the EPDS and a General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) antenatally. At 6-8 weeks postpartum they completed an EPDS, the GHQ-30 and a Faces Scale, and were interviewed using the depression module of the DIS. Members of a small convenience sample of women were asked about the cultural appropriateness of each of the instruments. RESULTS: Vietnamese women admitted to few depressive symptoms on the DIS, whereas they appeared more open to reporting these on the EPDS and the GHQ-30. Arabic women responded more openly to the questionnaires and the interview, although they too were reluctant to report specific symptoms on the DIS. CONCLUSION: The usefulness of the DIS in determining rates of major depression in the Vietnamese and Arabic community in Australia is questionable. Further studies designed specifically to investigate this are needed.