Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale

The aim of the study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Ninety-four patients with major depression/depressive mood disorders and 40 healthy controls participated in the study. The severity of depression was assessed with the HDRS, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Clinical Global Impression score (CGI). The test-retest reliability coefficient of the HDRS was based on a 5-day interval was .85, with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of .75 and a split-half reliability coefficient of .76. Interrater reliability coefficients based on the independent ratings of four assessors were between .87 and .98. The correlation between the HDRS and BDI scores was .48, and between the HDRS and CGI it was .56. Principal Components Analysis yielded six factors. The correlation (−.13) between the control and patient groups indicates that the HDRS assesses depression very well.