Validation of the short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire in young adulthood

Background: Depression often onsets in adolescence and is associated with recurrence in adulthood. There is a need to identify and monitor depression symptoms across adolescence and into young adulthood. The short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (sMFQ) is commonly used to measure depression symptoms in adolescence but has not been validated in young adulthood. This study aimed to (1) examine whether the sMFQ is valid in young adulthood, and (2) identify cut-points best capturing DSM-5 depression diagnosis at age 25 Methods: The sample included participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) at age 25 (n = 4098). Receiver Operating Characteristic analyses examined how well the self-rated sMFQ discriminates between cases and non-cases of DSM-5 Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) classified using the selfrated Development and Well Being Assessment. Sensitivity and specificity values were used to identify cutpoints on the sMFQ Results: The sMFQ had high accuracy for discriminating MDD cases from non-cases at age 25. The commonly used cut-point in adolescence (>12) performed well at this age, best balancing sensitivity and specificity. However, a lower cut-point (>10) may be appropriate when favouring sensitivity over specificity e.g., in context of screening. Sensitivity analyses suggested similar results for males and females Limitations: ALSPAC is a longitudinal population cohort that suffers from non-random attrition Conclusions: The sMFQ is a valid measure of depression in young adults in the general population. It can be used to screen for and monitor depression across adolescence and early adulthood.

Automated summary

The short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (sMFQ) is a valid tool for measuring depression in young adults, with high accuracy in discriminating between cases and non-cases of depression at age 25. The commonly used cut-point in adolescence (>12) performed well at this age, but a lower cut-point (>10) may be more suitable when favoring sensitivity over specificity. Sensitivity analyses showed similar results for males and females.