MADRS Scale — MRCPsych Paper B MCQ

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EasyMood DisordersMADRS ScaleMRCPsych Paper B

Which rating scale is a 10-item clinician-rated measure of depressive symptom severity that assesses apparent sadness, reported sadness, inner tension, reduced sleep, reduced appetite, concentration difficulties, lassitude, inability to feel, pessimistic thoughts and suicidal thoughts?

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Correct answer: B — MADRS

The correct answer is B, the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). It is a clinician-rated measure of depressive symptom severity comprising the 10 items listed in the stem. Each item is scored from 0 to 6, giving a total score from 0 to 60, and the scale was designed to be sensitive to change during treatment. The PHQ-9 is a nine-item self-report depression questionnaire, while the GAD-7 assesses anxiety. The PANSS evaluates positive, negative and general psychopathology symptoms in psychotic disorders. The Y-BOCS measures the severity of obsessive and compulsive symptoms. The item combination, particularly separate ratings of apparent and reported sadness together with inability to feel, is characteristic of the MADRS.

Reference: Armour C et al. Symptom structure of PTSD and co-morbid depressive symptoms—a network analysis of combat veteran patients, 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31451119/