TY - JOUR T1 - Development of an item bank for the assessment of depression in persons with mental illnesses and physical diseases using Rasch analysis JF - Rehabilitation Psychology Y1 - 2009 A1 - Forkmann, T. A1 - Boecker, M. A1 - Norra, C. A1 - Eberle, N. A1 - Kircher, T. A1 - Schauerte, P. A1 - Mischke, K. A1 - Westhofen, M. A1 - Gauggel, S. A1 - Wirtz, M. KW - Adaptation, Psychological KW - Adult KW - Aged KW - Depressive Disorder/*diagnosis/psychology KW - Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted KW - Female KW - Heart Diseases/*psychology KW - Humans KW - Male KW - Mental Disorders/*psychology KW - Middle Aged KW - Models, Statistical KW - Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases/*psychology KW - Personality Assessment/statistics & numerical data KW - Personality Inventory/*statistics & numerical data KW - Psychometrics/statistics & numerical data KW - Questionnaires KW - Reproducibility of Results KW - Sick Role AB - OBJECTIVE: The calibration of item banks provides the basis for computerized adaptive testing that ensures high diagnostic precision and minimizes participants' test burden. The present study aimed at developing a new item bank that allows for assessing depression in persons with mental and persons with somatic diseases. METHOD: The sample consisted of 161 participants treated for a depressive syndrome, and 206 participants with somatic illnesses (103 cardiologic, 103 otorhinolaryngologic; overall mean age = 44.1 years, SD =14.0; 44.7% women) to allow for validation of the item bank in both groups. Persons answered a pool of 182 depression items on a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Evaluation of Rasch model fit (infit < 1.3), differential item functioning, dimensionality, local independence, item spread, item and person separation (>2.0), and reliability (>.80) resulted in a bank of 79 items with good psychometric properties. CONCLUSIONS: The bank provides items with a wide range of content coverage and may serve as a sound basis for computerized adaptive testing applications. It might also be useful for researchers who wish to develop new fixed-length scales for the assessment of depression in specific rehabilitation settings. VL - 54 SN - 0090-5550 (Print)0090-5550 (Linking) N1 - Forkmann, ThomasBoecker, MarenNorra, ChristineEberle, NicoleKircher, TiloSchauerte, PatrickMischke, KarlWesthofen, MartinGauggel, SiegfriedWirtz, MarkusResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tUnited StatesRehabilitation psychologyRehabil Psychol. 2009 May;54(2):186-97. ER -