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 .
Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor in the Treatment of Nondepressed Tinnitus Subjects
Objective : To assess the efficacy of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor ( paroxetine ) for relief of tinnitus . Design : One hundred twenty tinnitus sufferers participated in a r and omized double-blind placebo-controlled trial . Paroxetine or placebo was increased to a maximally tolerated dose ( up to 50 mg/day ) , and patients were treated for a total of 31 days at the maximal dose . Methods : Patients with chronic tinnitus were recruited from our university-based specialty clinic by referral from otolaryngologists and audiologists in the local community and by advertisement . Patients with psychotic or substance use disorders or suicidal ideation were excluded , as were those using psychoactive medications  ( this result ed in only 1 subject with major depression in the study ) or any other medications that interact with paroxetine and those with inability to hear at one ’s tinnitus sensation level . Fifty-eight percent of patients were male , 92 % were Caucasian , and the average age was 57 . Outcomes Measures : Tinnitus matching , the Tinnitus H and icap Question naire , the question : How severe ( bothered , aggravating ) is your tinnitus ? Quality of Well-Being and other psychological question naires . Results : Paroxetine was not statistically superior to placebo on the following tinnitus measures ( tinnitus matching , 5- or 10-db drop , Tinnitus H and icap Question naire , quality of well-being measures , how severe , how bothered , positive change ) . There was a significant improvement in the single item question , How aggravating is your tinnitus ? for those in the paroxetine group compared with the placebo group . Conclusions : These results suggest that the majority of individuals in this study did not benefit from paroxetine in a consistent fashion . Further work remains to be done to determine if subgroups of patients ( e.g. , those who tolerate higher doses , those who are depressed ) may benefit . UCSD = University of California , San Diego
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 .