Table of Contents

Component Description

A nine-item depression screening instrument (variable name prefix DPQ), also called the Patient Health Questionnaire (Kroenke and Spitzer, 2002; Kroenke et al., 2001) was administered to determine the frequency of depression symptoms over the past 2 weeks. A follow-up question assessed the overall impairment of the symptoms. Response categories for the nine-item instrument "not at all," "several days," "more than half the days," and "nearly every day" were given a point ranging from 0 to 3. The instrument incorporates DSM-IV depression diagnostic criteria (Spitzer et al.1999).

Eligible Sample

Mobile Examination Center (MEC) participants 12 years and older were eligible. Only data from participants aged 18 and older are included in this data file. Participants requiring a proxy were not eligible because of the sensitive nature of the questions. Data for youth aged 12-17 years are available through the NCHS Research Data Center only.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

The questions were asked at the MEC, by trained interviewers, using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) system as part of the MEC interview.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

The CAPI system is programmed with built-in consistency checks to reduce data entry errors.

Data Processing and Editing

Edits were made to ensure completeness, consistency and analytic usefulness of the data.

Analytic Notes

A total score is based on the sum of the points in each item ranging from 0 to 27. Major depression and depression severity can be assessed using pre-defined cut-points, described in the references that follow.

The NHANES full sample 2-Year MEC Exam Weights (WTMEC2YR) should be used to analyze the 2015-2016.

Please refer to the NHANES Analytic Guidelines and the on-line NHANES Tutorial for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues.

References

Codebook and Frequencies

SEQN - Respondent sequence number

Variable Name:
SEQN
SAS Label:
Respondent sequence number
English Text:
Respondent sequence number.
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS

DPQ010 - Have little interest in doing things

Variable Name:
DPQ010
SAS Label:
Have little interest in doing things
English Text:
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems: little interest or pleasure in doing things? Would you say...
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DPQ1
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 3805 3805
1 Several days 852 4657
2 More than half the days 255 4912
3 Nearly every day 239 5151
7 Refused 7 5158
9 Don't know 6 5164
. Missing 571 5735

DPQ020 - Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless

Variable Name:
DPQ020
SAS Label:
Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DPQ1
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 3920 3920
1 Several days 872 4792
2 More than half the days 210 5002
3 Nearly every day 159 5161
7 Refused 3 5164
9 Don't know 0 5164
. Missing 571 5735

DPQ030 - Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much

Variable Name:
DPQ030
SAS Label:
Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DPQ1
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 3192 3192
1 Several days 1195 4387
2 More than half the days 355 4742
3 Nearly every day 419 5161
7 Refused 1 5162
9 Don't know 2 5164
. Missing 571 5735

DPQ040 - Feeling tired or having little energy

Variable Name:
DPQ040
SAS Label:
Feeling tired or having little energy
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] feeling tired or having little energy?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DPQ1
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 2464 2464
1 Several days 1794 4258
2 More than half the days 465 4723
3 Nearly every day 438 5161
7 Refused 1 5162
9 Don't know 0 5162
. Missing 573 5735

DPQ050 - Poor appetite or overeating

Variable Name:
DPQ050
SAS Label:
Poor appetite or overeating
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] poor appetite or overeating?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DPQ1
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 3810 3810
1 Several days 867 4677
2 More than half the days 243 4920
3 Nearly every day 238 5158
7 Refused 0 5158
9 Don't know 4 5162
. Missing 573 5735

DPQ060 - Feeling bad about yourself

Variable Name:
DPQ060
SAS Label:
Feeling bad about yourself
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] feeling bad about yourself - or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DPQ1
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 4319 4319
1 Several days 557 4876
2 More than half the days 147 5023
3 Nearly every day 136 5159
7 Refused 1 5160
9 Don't know 2 5162
. Missing 573 5735

DPQ070 - Trouble concentrating on things

Variable Name:
DPQ070
SAS Label:
Trouble concentrating on things
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching TV?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DPQ1
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 4322 4322
1 Several days 523 4845
2 More than half the days 147 4992
3 Nearly every day 167 5159
7 Refused 0 5159
9 Don't know 2 5161
. Missing 574 5735

DPQ080 - Moving or speaking slowly or too fast

Variable Name:
DPQ080
SAS Label:
Moving or speaking slowly or too fast
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite - being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DPQ1
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 4612 4612
1 Several days 348 4960
2 More than half the days 100 5060
3 Nearly every day 98 5158
7 Refused 0 5158
9 Don't know 3 5161
. Missing 574 5735

DPQ090 - Thought you would be better off dead

Variable Name:
DPQ090
SAS Label:
Thought you would be better off dead
English Text:
[Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems:] Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DPQ1
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all 4964 4964
1 Several days 126 5090
2 More than half the days 37 5127
3 Nearly every day 30 5157
7 Refused 1 5158
9 Don't know 3 5161
. Missing 574 5735

DPQ100 - Difficulty these problems have caused

Variable Name:
DPQ100
SAS Label:
Difficulty these problems have caused
English Text:
How difficult have these problems made it for you to do your work, take care of things at home, or get along with people?
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Not at all difficult, 2751 2751
1 Somewhat difficult, 676 3427
2 Very difficult, 105 3532
3 Extremely difficult 45 3577
7 Refused 0 3577
9 Don't know 2 3579
. Missing 2156 5735