Development of the Japanese version of the Depression Literacy Scale

Background: Depression is a major social concern in Japan. It is therefore necessary to develop a scale in Japanese that can assess depression literacy. Aims: The present study aimed to develop the Japanese version of the Depression Literacy Scale (D-Lit-J), and examined its validity and reliability. Methods: Three groups were administered the D-Lit-J, including 117 first-year university English literature students, 112 first-year medical school students, and 53 psychiatrists. Among these, 112 (95.7%), 112 (100%), and 29 subjects (54.7%) returned completed questionnaires, respectively. The total D-Lit-J scores were compared between the three groups to assess known-group validity, and internal reliability was examined by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Medical students were asked to complete the questionnaire a second time, 3 weeks later (11 students did not respond), to assess the test-retest reliability using the intra-class correlation coefficient. Results: The total D-Lit-J scores (mean +/- SD) were 7.61 +/- 4.18, 9.51 +/- 4.37, and 17.7 +/- 3.15, for English literature students, medical students, and psychiatrists, respectively, and there were significant differences between the three groups (p < .05). The Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from .800 to .834 in all students, and was .764 in psychiatrists, revealing a good internal consistency. The intra-class correlation coefficient of the scale was .769. Conclusions: The D-Lit-J showed a credible known-group validity, with good internal and test-retest reliabilities. Additional studies with a greater variety of subjects and that examine concurrent or discriminant validity will be necessary in the future.

Automated summary

This study developed the Japanese version of the Depression Literacy Scale (D-Lit-J) and examined its validity and reliability. The results showed that the D-Lit-J demonstrated credible known-group validity, with good internal consistency and test-retest reliability.