Development and Application of the KDS™-1 in Inpatient and Outpatient Settings

Abstract

The Kupfer-Detre Self-rating Scale (KDS™-1) was designed as a short, comprehensive instrument which could be utilized in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Four different psychiatric services participated in administering the questionnaire to over 500 patients in its first large-scale trial. The KDS-1 distinguished 17 differences in symptoms among the 4 patient groups and discriminated 13 differences in symptoms between inpatients and outpatients. The relationships among symptoms and sex, age, and levels of education are also presented. The implications for these findings are discussed as is the feasibility of using symptom clusters derived from the KDS-1.