ERIC Number: EJ1481501
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jul
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-2322
EISSN: EISSN-1468-3148
Available Date: 2025-07-23
The Use of the Anxiety, Depression and Mood Scale (ADAMS) as a Screening Instrument for Depression and Mental Health Diagnoses in a Down Syndrome Specialty Clinic
Mary Witt1; Anna J. Esbensen2,3; Ayesha Harisinghani1; Nicolas M. Oreskovic1,4; Michelle Palumbo1,4; Stephanie L. Santoro1,4
Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, v38 n4 e70097 2025
Introduction: The Anxiety, Depression and Mood Scale (ADAMS), a mental health screening tool developed for individuals with intellectual disabilities, has yet to be evaluated in adults with Down syndrome. We included the ADAMS in a Dementia Protocol. Method: We reviewed the charts of 71 adults with Down syndrome seen in a specialty clinic and collected ADAMS data from our quality improvement project. We evaluated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the ADAMS at five cutoff points to identify optimal screening thresholds for adults with Down syndrome. Results: Cutoff points set at two points below the 75th percentile scores of the original ADAMS publication presented optimal sensitivity of 81.82%, specificity of 82.93%, PPV of 72.00% and NPV of 89.47%. Conclusion: For adults with Down syndrome, we suggest alternate thresholds, generally two points below the original ADAMS thresholds, to adequately capture mental health concerns.
Descriptors: Anxiety, Depression (Psychology), Screening Tests, Down Syndrome, Adults, Dementia, Mental Health, Cutting Scores, Test Validity
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: K23HD100568
Author Affiliations: 1Division of Medical Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; 2Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; 3Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; 4Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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