The review demonstrated that the WHO-5 has high clinimetric validity , can be used as an outcome measure balancing the wanted and unwanted effects of treatments , is a sensitive and specific screening tool for depression and its applicability across study fields is very high .
Conclusions : The WHO-5 is a short question naire consisting of 5 simple and non-invasive questions , which tap into the subjective well-being of the respondents .
The scale has adequate validity both as a screening tool for depression and as an outcome measure in clinical trials and has been applied successfully across a wide range of study fields
Background : The 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index ( WHO-5 ) is among the most widely used question naires assessing subjective psychological well-being .
Since its first publication in 1998 , the WHO-5 has been translated into more than 30 language s and has been used in research studies all over the world .
We now provide a systematic review of the literature on the WHO-5 .
A 9-week randomized trial comparing a chronotherapeutic intervention (wake and light therapy) to exercise in major depressive disorder patients treated with duloxetine.
OBJECTIVE The onset of action of antidepressants often takes 4 to 6 weeks . The antidepressant effect of wake therapy ( sleep deprivation ) comes within hours but carries a risk of relapse . The objective of this study was to investigate whether a new chronotherapeutic intervention combining wake therapy with bright light therapy and sleep time stabilization could induce a rapid and sustained augmentation of response and remission in major depressive disorder . METHOD 75 adult patients with DSM-IV major depressive disorder , recruited from psychiatric wards , psychiatric specialist practice s , or general medical practice s between September 2005 and August 2008 , were r and omly assigned to a 9-week chronotherapeutic intervention using wake therapy , bright light therapy , and sleep time stabilization ( n = 37 ) or a 9-week intervention using daily exercise ( n = 38 ) . Patients were evaluated at a psychiatric research unit . The study period had a 1-week run-in phase in which all patients began treatment with duloxetine . This phase was followed by a 1-week intervention phase in which patients in the wake therapy group did 3 wake therapies in combination with daily morning light therapy and sleep time stabilization and patients in the exercise group began daily exercise . This phase was followed by a 7-week continuation phase with daily light therapy and sleep time stabilization or daily exercise . The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was the primary outcome measure , and the assessors were blinded to patients ' treatment allocation . RESULTS Both groups responded well to treatment . Patients in the wake therapy group did , however , have immediate and clinical ly significantly better response and remission compared to the exercise group . Thus , immediately after the intervention phase ( week 2 ) , response was obtained in 41.4 % of wake therapy patients versus 12.8 % of exercise patients ( odds ratio [ OR ] = 4.8 ; 95 % CI , 1.7 - 13.4 ; P = .003 ) , and remission was obtained in 23.9 % of wake therapy patients versus 5.4 % of exercise patients ( OR = 5.5 ; 95 % CI , 1.7 - 17.8 ; P = .004 ) . These superior response and remission rates obtained by the wake therapy patients were sustained for the whole study period . At week 9 , response was obtained in 71.4 % of wake therapy patients versus 47.3 % of exercise patients ( OR = 2.8 ; 95 % CI , 1.1 - 7.3 ; P = .04 ) , and remission was obtained in 45.6 % of wake therapy patients and 23.1 % of exercise patients ( OR = 2.8 ; 95 % CI , 1.1 - 7.3 , P = .04 ) . All treatment elements were well tolerated . CONCLUSIONS Patients treated with wake therapy in combination with bright light therapy and sleep time stabilization had an augmented and sustained antidepressant response and remission compared to patients treated with exercise , who also had a clinical ly relevant antidepressant response . TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trials.gov identifier : NCT00149110
The review demonstrated that the WHO-5 has high clinimetric validity , can be used as an outcome measure balancing the wanted and unwanted effects of treatments , is a sensitive and specific screening tool for depression and its applicability across study fields is very high .
Conclusions : The WHO-5 is a short question naire consisting of 5 simple and non-invasive questions , which tap into the subjective well-being of the respondents .
The scale has adequate validity both as a screening tool for depression and as an outcome measure in clinical trials and has been applied successfully across a wide range of study fields
Background : The 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index ( WHO-5 ) is among the most widely used question naires assessing subjective psychological well-being .
Since its first publication in 1998 , the WHO-5 has been translated into more than 30 language s and has been used in research studies all over the world .
We now provide a systematic review of the literature on the WHO-5 .