Expert Comments on Available Evidence
The DEPRESSD Project
A Unique and Rigorous Data Platform for Depression Screening Research
Published Peer-reviewed Manuscripts
Nassar EL, Levis B, Rice DB, Booij L, Benedetti A, Thombs BD. Inclusion of currently diagnosed or treated individuals in studies of depression screening tool accuracy: a meta-research review of studies published in 2018-2021. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2022;76:25-30
Nassar EL, Levis B, Neyer MA, Rice DB, Booij L, Benedetti A, Thombs BD. Transparency and completeness of reporting of depression screening tool accuracy studies: A meta-research review of adherence to the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies statement. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2023 Mar;32(1):e1939. doi: 10.1002/mpr.1939. Epub 2022 Sep 1. PMID: 36047034; PMCID: PMC9976600.
Wu Y, Levis B, Daray FM, Ioannidis JPA, Patten SB, Cuijpers P, et al. Comparison of the accuracy of the 7-item HADS Depression subscale and 14-item total HADS for screening for major depression: A systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis. Psychol Assess. 2023 Feb;35(2):95-114. doi: 10.1037/pas0001181.
Qiu X, Wu Y, Sun Y, Levis B, Tian J, Boruff JT, Cuijpers P, Ioannidis JPA, Markham S, Ziegelstein RC, Vigod SN, Benedetti A, Thombs BD; DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) EPDS Group. Individual participant data meta-analysis to compare EPDS accuracy to detect major depression with and without the self-harm item. Sci Rep. 2023 Mar 10;13(1):4026. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-29114-w.
López Malo Vázquez de Lara A, Bhandari PM, Wu Y, Levis B, Thombs B, Benedetti A; DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) PHQ-9 Collaboration. A case study of an individual participant data meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy showed that prediction regions represented heterogeneity well. Sci Rep. 2023 Jun 7;13(1):9275. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-36129-w.
Brehaut E, Neupane D, Levis B, Wu Y, Sun Y, Ioannidis JPA, Markham S, Cuijpers P, Patten SB, Benedetti A, Thombs BD. 'Optimal' cutoff selection in studies of depression screening tool accuracy using the PHQ-9, EPDS, or HADS-D: A meta-research study. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2023 Sep;32(3):e1956. doi: 10.1002/mpr.1956. Epub 2022 Dec 3. PMID: 36461893; PMCID: PMC10485315.
Negeri ZF, Levis B, Ioannidis JPA, Thombs BD, Benedetti A, the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) EPDS Group. An empirical comparison of statistical methods for multiple cut-off diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) depression screening tool using published results vs individual participant data. BMC Med Res Methodol 24, 28 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-023-02134-w
Parsons M, Qiu L, Levis B, Fan S, Sun Y, Amiri LSN, Harel D, Markham S, Vigod SN, Ziegelstein RC, Wu Y, Boruff JT, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Patten SB, Benedetti A, Thombs BD; DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) GDS Group. Depression prevalence of the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 was compared to Structured Clinical Interview for DSM using individual participant data meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2024 Jul 29;14(1):17430. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-68496-3
González-Domínguez NP, Wu Y, Fan S, Levis B, Sun Y, Gilbody S, Ioannidis JPA, Harel D, Vigod SN, Markham S, Ziegelstein RC, Cuijpers P, Patten SB, Boruff JT, Thombs BD, Benedetti A; DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) GDS Author Group. Individual patient data meta-analysis estimates the minimal detectable change of the Geriatric Depression Scale-15. J Clin Epidemiol. 2024 Sep;173:111443. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2024.111443.
Harel D, Wu Y, Levis B, Fan S, Sun Y, Xu M, Rice DB, Boruff J, Markham S, Ioannidis JPA, Takwoingi Y, Patten SB, Ziegelstein RC, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Vigod S, Akena D, Benedetti A, Thombs BD; DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) Collaboration. Comparison of Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression - Depression subscale scores by administration mode: An individual participant data differential item functioning meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2024 Sep 15;361:674-683. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.06.033
Harel D, Levis B, Sun Y, Fischer F, Ioannidis JPA, Cuijpers P, Patten SB, Ziegelstein RC, Markham S, Benedetti A, Thombs BD; DEPRESsion Screening Data DEPRESSD PHQ Collaboration. External validation of a shortened screening tool using individual participant data meta-analysis: A case study of the Patient Health Questionnaire-Dep-4. Methods. 2022;204:300-311
Negeri ZF, Levis B, Sun Y, He C, Krishnan A, Wu Y, Bhandari PM, Neupane D, Brehaut E, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, DEPRESSD PHQ Group. Accuracy of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for screening to detect major depression: updated systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis. BMJ. 2021;375:n2183
Bhandari PM, Levis B, Neupane D, Patten SB, Shrier I, Thombs BD, Benedetti A, DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) EPDS Collaboration. Data-driven methods distort optimal cutoffs and accuracy estimates of depression screening tools: a simulation study using individual participant data. J Clin Epidemiol. 2021;137:137-147
Wu Y, Levis B, Sun Y, Krishnan A, Neupane D, Bhandari PM, Negeri Z, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, DEPRESSD HADS Group. Accuracy of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Depression Subscale (HADS-D) to screen for major depression: systematic review and individual participant meta-analysis. BMJ. 2021;373:n972
Lyubenova A, Neupane D, Levis B, Wu Y, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, and the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) Collaboration. Depression prevalence based on the EPDS compared to Structured Clinical Interview for DSM classification: systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2020;e1860
Harel D, Levis B, Ishihara M, Levis AW, Thombs, BD, Benedetti A, and the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) EPDS Collaboration. Shortening the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) using optimal test assembly methods. Acta Psychiatr Scan. 2020; doi.org/10.1111/acps.13272
Fischer F, Levis B, Falk C, Sun Y, Ioannidis JPA, Cuijpers P, Shrier I, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, and the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) PHQ Collaboration. Comparison of different scoring methods based on latent variable models of the PHQ-9: an individual participant data meta-analysis. Psychol Med. 2021;1-12.
Levis B, Negeri Z, Sun Y, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, for the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) EPDS Collaboration. Accuracy of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for screening to detect major depression: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data. BMJ. 2020; 371.
Brehaut E, Neupane D, Levis B, Wu Y, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, and the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) HADS Collaboration. Depression prevalence based on the HADS depression subscale compared to Structured Clinical Interview for DSM classification: individual participant data meta-analysis. J Psychosom Res. 2020;139.
Benedetti A, Levis B, Rücker G, Jones HE, Ioannidis JPA, Thombs BD, and the DEPRESSD Collaboration. An empirical comparison of three methods for multiple cut-off diagnostic test meta-analysis of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) depression screening tool using published data versus individual level data. Research Synthesis Methods. 2020;11:833-48.
Thombs BD, Levis B, Lyubenova A, Neupane D, Negeri Z, Wu Y, Sun Y, He C, Krishnan A, Vigod SN, Bhandari PM, Imran M, Rice DB, Azar M, Chiovitti MJ, Saadat N, Riehm KE, Boruff JT, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Ionnidis JPA, Kloda LA, Patten SB, Shrier I, Ziegelstein RC, Comeau L, Mitchell ND, Tonelli M, Barnes J, Tatano Beck C, Bindt C, Figueiredo B, Helle N, Howard L, Kohlhoff J, Kozinszky Z, Nakic Ramos S, Quispel C, Rochat TJ, Stewart RC, Tadinac M, Tandon SD, Tendais I, Toreki A, Tran TD, Trevillion K, Turner K, Vega-dienstmaier JM, Benedetti A. Overestimation of postpartum depression prevalence based on a 5-item version of the EPDS: systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis. Can J Psychiatry. 2020;65:835-44
Wu Y, Levis B, Ioannidis J, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, on behalf of the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) Collaboration. Probability of major depression based on the SCID, CIDI, and MINI diagnostic interviews: a synthesis of three individual participant data meta-analyses. Psychother Psychosom. 2021;90:28-40.
Levis B, Sun Y, He C, Wu Y, Krishnan A, Bhandari PM, Neupane D, Imran M, Brehaut E, Negeri Z, Fischer FH, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, for the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) PHQ Collaboration. Accuracy of the PHQ-2 alone and in combination with the PHQ-9 for screening to detect major depression: an individual participant data meta-analysis. JAMA. 2020;323(22):2290-3000.
Levis B, Benedetti A, Ioannidis JPA, Sun Y, Negeri Z, He C, Wu Y, Krishnan A, Bhandari PM, Neupane D, Imran M, Rice DB, Riehm KE, Saadat N, Azar M, Boruff J, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Kloda LA, McMillan D, Patten SB, Shrier I, Ziegelstein RC, Alamri SH, Amtmann D, Ayalon L, Baradaran HR, Beraldi A, Bernstein CN, Bhana A, Bombardier CH, Carter G, Chagas MH, Chibanda D, Clover K, Conwell Y, Diez-Quevedo C, Fann JR, Fischer FH, Gholizadeh L, Gibson LJ, Green EP, Greeno CG, Hall BJ, Haroz EE, Ismail K, Jetté N, Khamseh ME, Kwan Y, Lara MA, Liu SI, Loureiro SR, Löwe B, Marrie RA, Marsh L, McGuire A, Muramatsu K, Navarrete L, Osório FL, Petersen I, Picardi A, Pugh SL, Quinn TJ, Rooney AG, Shinn EH, Sidebottom A, Spangenberg L, Tan PLL, Taylor-Rowan M, Turner A, van Weert HC, Vöhringer PA, Wagner LI, White J, Winkley K, Thombs BD. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores do not accurately estimate depression prevalence: individual participant data meta-analysis. J Clin Epidemiol. 2020 Jun;122:115-128.e1.
Wu Y, Levis B, Sun Y, Krishnan A, He C, Riehm KE, Rice DB, Azar M, Yan XW, Neupane D, Bhandari PM. Probability of major depression diagnostic classification based on the SCID, CIDI and MINI diagnostic interviews controlling for Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale–Depression subscale scores: An individual participant data meta-analysis of 73 primary studies. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2020 Feb 1;129:109892.
Wu Y, Levis B, Riehm KE, Saadat N, Levis AW, Azar M, Rice DB, Boruff J, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Ioannidis JPA, Kloda LA, McMillan D, Patten SB, Shrier I, Ziegelstein RC, Akena DH, Arroll B, Ayalon L, Baradaran HR, Baron M, Bombardier CH, Butterworth P, Carter G, Chagas MH, Chan JCN, Cholera R, Conwell Y, de Man-van Ginkel JM, Fann JR, Fischer FH, Fung D, Gelaye B, Goodyear-Smith F, Greeno CG, Hall BJ, Harrison PA, Härter M, Hegerl U, Hides L, Hobfoll SE, Hudson M, Hyphantis T, Inagaki M, Jetté N, Khamseh ME, Kiely KM, Kwan Y, Lamers F, Liu S-I, Lotrakul M, Loureiro SR, Löwe B, McGuire A, Mohd-Sidik S, Munhoz TN, Muramatsu K, Osório FL, Patel V, Pence BW, Persoons P, Picardi A, Reuter K, Rooney AG, Santos IS, Shaaban J, Sidebottom A, Simning A, Stafford L, Sung S, Tan PLL, Turner A, van Weert HC, White J, Whooley MA, Winkley K, Yamada M, Benedetti A, Thombs BD. Equivalency of the diagnostic accuracy of the PHQ-8 and PHQ-9: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis. Psychol Med. 2019 Jul 12:1-13.
Levis B, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, and the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) Collaboration (Riehm KE, Saadat N, Levis AW, Azar M, Rice DB, Chiovitti MJ, Sanchez TA, Boruff J, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Ioannidis JPA, Kloda LA, McMillan D, Patten SB, Shrier I, Ziegelstein RC, Akena DH, Arroll B, Ayalon L, Baradaran HR, Baron M, Bombardier CH, Butterworth P, Carter G, Chagas MH, Chan JCN, Clover K, Conwell Y, de Man-van Ginkel JM, Delgadillo J, Fann JR, Fischer FH, Fung D, Gelaye B, Goodyear-Smith F, Greeno CG, Hall BJ, Hambridge J, Harrison PA, Härter M, Hegerl U, Hides L, Hobfoll SE, Hudson M, Inagaki M, Ismail K, Jetté N, Khamseh ME, Kiely KM, Kwan Y, Liu SI, Lotrakul M, Loureiro SR, Löwe B, Marsh L, McGuire A, Mohd Sidik S, Munhoz TN, Muramatsu K, Osório FL, Patel V, Pence BW, Persoons P, Picardi A, Reuter K, Rooney AG, Santos IS, Shaaban J, Sidebottom A, Simning A, Stafford L, Sung SC, Tan PLL, Turner A, van der Feltz-Cornelis CM, van Weert HC, Vöhringer PA, White J, Whooley MA, Winkley K, Yamada M, and Zhang Y). Accuracy of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for screening to detect major depression: individual participant data meta-analysis. BMJ. 2019;365:I1476.
Benedetti A, Wu Y, Levis B, Wilchesky M, Boruff J, Ioannidis JPA, Patten SB, Cuijpers P, Shrier I, Gilbody S, Ismail Z, McMillan D, Mitchell N, Ziegelstein RC, Thombs BD. Diagnostic accuracy of the Geriatric Depression Scale-30, Geriatric Depression Scale-15, Geriatric Depression Scale-5, and Geriatric Depression Scale-4 for detecting major depression: Protocol for a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2018;8(12):e026598.
Ishihara M, Harel D, Levis B, Levis AW, Riehm KE, Saadat N, Azar M, Rice DB, Sanchez TA, Chiovitti MJ, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Ioannidis JPA, Kloda LA, McMillan D, Patten SB, Shrier I, Arroll B, Bombardier CH, Butterworth P, Carter G, Clover K, Conwell Y, Goodyear-Smith F, Greeno CG, Hambridge J, Harrison PA, Hudson M, Jetté N, Kiely KM, McGuire A, Pence BW, Rooney AG, Sidebottom A, Simning A, Turner A, White J, Whooley MA, Winkley K, Benedetti A, Thombs BD. Shortening self-report mental health symptom measures through optimal test assembly Methods: Development and validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-Depression-4. Depression and Anxiety. 2019;36(1):82-92.
Levis B, Benedetti A, Riehm KE, Saadat N, Levis AW, Azar M, Rice DB, Chiovitti MJ, Sanchez TA, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Ioannidis JPA, Kloda LA, McMillan D, Patten SB, Shrier I, Steele RJ, Ziegelstein RC, Akena DH, Arroll B, Ayalon L, Baradaran HR, Baron M, Beraldi A, Bombardier CH, Butterworth P, Carter G, Chagas MH, Chan JCN, Cholera R, Chowdhary N, Clover K, Conwell Y, de Man-van Ginkel JM, Delgadillo J, Fann JR, Fischer FH, Fischler B, Fung D, Gelaye B, Goodyear-Smith F, Greeno CG, Hall BJ, Hambridge J, Harrison PA, Hegerl U, Hides L, Hobfoll SE, Hudson M, Hyphantis T, Inagaki M, Ismail K, Jetté N, Khamseh ME, Kiely KM, Lamers F, Liu SI, Lotrakul M, Loureiro SR, Löwe B, Marsh L, McGuire A, Mohd Sidik S, Munhoz TN, Muramatsu K, Osório FL, Patel V, Pence BW, Persoons P, Picardi A, Rooney AG, Santos IS, Shaaban J, Sidebottom A, Simning A, Stafford L, Sung S, Tan PLL, Turner A, van der Feltz-Cornelis CM, van Weert HC, Vöhringer PA, White J, Whooley MA, Winkley K, Yamada M, Zhang Y, Thombs BD. Probability of major depression diagnostic classification using semi-structured versus fully structured diagnostic interviews. British Journal of Psychiatry. 2018;212:377-385.
Simoneau G, Levis B, Cuijpers P, Ioannidis JPA, Patten SB, Shrier I, Bombardier CH, de Lima Osório F, Fann JR, Gjerdingen D, Lamers F, Lotrakul M, Löwe B, Shaaban J, Stafford L, van Weert HCPM, Whooley MA, Wittkampf KA, Yeung AS, Thombs BD, Benedetti A. A comparison of bivariate, multivariate random-effects, and Poisson correlated gamma-frailty models to meta-analyze individual patient data of ordinal scale diagnostic tests. Biometrical Journal. 2017;59:1317-1338.
Levis B, Benedetti A, Levis AW, Ioannidis JPA, Shrier I, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Kloda LA, McMillan D, Patten SB, Steele RJ, Ziegelstein RC, Bombardier CH, de Lima Osório F, Fann JR, Gjerdingen D, Lamers F, Lotrakul M, Loureiro SR, Löwe B, Shaaban J, Stafford L, van Weert HCPM, Whooley MA, Williams LS, Wittkampf KA, Yeung AS, Thombs BD. Selective cutoff reporting in studies of diagnostic test accuracy: A comparison of traditional and individual patient data meta-analyses of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression screening tool. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2017;185(10):954-964
Thombs BD, Benedetti A, Kloda LA, Levis B, Azar M, Riehm KE, Saadat N, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Ioannidis JP, McMillan D, Patten SB, Shrier I, Steele RJ, Ziegelstein RC, Loiselle CG, Henry M, Ismail Z, Mitchell N, Tonelli M. Diagnostic accuracy of the Depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) for detecting major depression: protocol for a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analyses. BMJ Open. 2016 Apr 13;6:e011913.
Thombs BD, Benedetti A, Kloda LA, Levis B, Riehm KE, Azar M, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Ioannidis JP, McMillan D, Patten SB, Shrier I, Steele RJ, Ziegelstein RC, Tonelli M, Mitchell N, Comeau L, Schinazi J, Vigod S. Diagnostic accuracy of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for detecting major depression in pregnant and postnatal women: protocol for a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analyses. BMJ Open. 2015 Oct;5:e009742.
Thombs BD, Benedetti A, Kloda LA, Levis B, Nicolau I, Cuijpers P, Gilbody S, Ioannidis JP, McMillan D, Patten SB, Shrier I, Steele RJ, Ziegelstein RC. The diagnostic accuracy of the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for detecting major depression: protocol for a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analyses. Systematic Reviews. 2014 Oct;3:124.