The aim of this study is to validate the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology in Arabic after being translated and back-translated from English. Three hundred adults will be enrolled from the American University of Beirut Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry clinics. Participants will be a minimum of 18 years old, and may receive any diagnosis from their primary psychiatrist, with the exception of psychosis or mental retardation. Patients who manifest psychotic symptoms and/or those who for any reason are unable to complete the assessment battery (because of language barriers or mental retardation) will be excluded from the study. The assessment battery includes two questionnaires and a clinician rating for convergent validity; the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology – Self Report and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 (HSCL-25).  Since the HSCL-25 has been translated and validated, it along with the clinician diagnosis and symptom severity rating, should provide a triangulated approach to convergent validity.

Participants will be a minimum of 18 years old. Patients who manifest psychotic symptoms and/or those who for any reason are unable to complete the assessment battery (because of language barriers or mental retardation) will be excluded from the study.

Adults will be enrolled from the American University of Beirut Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry clinics. A member of the research team will be notified by clinic assistants or out-patient nurses when a patient has enough time to fill out the questionnaire. The patient will then be approached and provided with an explanation of the study and its aims. If the patient agrees, s/he will sign the consent form.