Table 2

Stratified specificity of screening questions for major depression

Characteristic

Prevalence of

depression,

% (95% CI)

Specificity, % (95% CI)

Two screening

questions

Three screening

questions

Overall

9.5% (7.6 to 12.0)

65.0% (61.2 to 68.6)

88.2% (85.4 to 90.5)

Gender

Male

9.4% (6.3 to 13.7)

69.2% (63.0 to 75.0)

90.0% (85.4 to 93.4)

Female

9.6% (7.1 to 12.8)

62.5% (57.7 to 67.2)

87.2% (83.5 to 90.2)

Age

< 65 years

10.9% (8.4 to 14.1)

66.1% (61.4 to 70.5)

87.4% (83.8 to 90.3)

≥ 65 years

6.4% (3.8 to 10.6)

62.8% (56.0 to 69.2)

89.9% (84.9 to 93.4)

Nationality

Swiss

8.0% (6.0 to 10.6)

67.6% (63.3 to 71.5)

89.1% (86.0 to 91.5)

Not Swiss

14.8% (9.4 to 22.5)

53.2% (43.4 to 62.7)

84.4% (75.9 to 90.4)

Education level

Professional training

9.4% (71.5 to 12.3)

66.8% (62.4 to 70.9)

88.3% (85.1 to 91.0)

No professional training

9.0% (5.0 to 15.1)

60.6% (51.7 to 68.8)

88.6% (81.7 to 93.3)

Psychosocial stressors

≥ 1 major stressor

21.5% (16.9 to 26.9)

44.3% (37.6 to 51.1)

77.6% (71.4 to 82.8)

No major stressor

2.0% (1.0 to 4.0)

76.0% (71.7 to 79.9)

93.7% (90.9 to 95.7)

Mood disorders 1 year previously

Major depression

39.0% (28.6 to 50.4)

34.0% (21.6 to 48.8)

62.0% (47.1 to 75.0)

Minor depression

15.0% (7.5 to 27.1)

43.1% (29.6 to 57.7)

84.3% (70.8 to 92.5)

No depression

39.1% (25.2 to 59.5)

70.1% (66.0 to 73.9)

91.1% (88.3 to 93.3)

Anxiety

Anxiety syndrome

60.0% (45.2 to 73.2)

5% (0.2 to 26.9)

40.0% (20.0 to 63.6)

No anxiety

57.1% (41.2 to 78.3)

67.1% (63.3 to 70.8)

89.8% (87.1 to 92.0)

Somatoform disorder

≥ 3 symptoms

31.7% (22.1 to 43.0)

46.4% (33.2 to 60.1)

67.9% (53.9 to 79.4)

< 3 symptoms

6.7% (5.0 to 9.0)

67.7% (62.7 to 70.4)

90.1% (87.4 to 92.3)

Lombardo et al. BMC Medicine 2011 9:114   doi:10.1186/1741-7015-9-114