Purpose

The purpose of this scale is to assess psychiatric morbidity in the general population. It was designed to measure the current level of depressive symptomatology, with an emphasis on the emotional component, namely depressive mood. The symptoms included are among those used in the diagnosis of clinical depression, but they may also accompany other diagnoses (including “normal” conditions) to some degree.

Scale Analysis

The [T-22IS] scale was developed in Manhattan by Rennie and his colleagues in 1956. The scale consists of 22 items, each corresponding to a psychopathological symptom that is considered to cause dysfunction in the individual experiencing it.

Scoring and Statistical Analysis

Scoring of the items is conducted through 22 questions, with total scores ranging from 27, when the individual reports the presence of all 22 symptoms, to 50, when the individual responds negatively to all 22 items. Each question is rated on a four-point scale from 0 to 3, where 0 corresponds to “Rarely or never,” 1 to “Sometimes or a few times,” 2 to “Moderately or often,” and 3 to “Most or almost all the time.” Based on the number of symptoms reported, the individual is categorized according to their mental health status. A good mental condition is considered to exist when the individual reports 0 to 1 symptoms, moderate disorder corresponds to 2 to 5 symptoms, and severe disorder is defined by the presence of more than 6 symptoms. Higher total scores indicate greater psychological distress, while lower scores reflect better mental health.

Validity

It has been demonstrated that the [T-22SI] is a valid instrument and can be successfully used across a wide range of ages, based on comparison with the standardized [CES-D] scale. Factor analysis revealed two main factors: (a) the general neuroticism factor, consisting of 14 items, and (b) the psychophysiological symptoms factor, consisting of 8 items.

Reliability

The [T-22SI] shows good reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient greater than 0.80.

References

Greek References
Madianos, M. (1980). Acculturation and Mental Health of Greek Immigrants in the USA (Doctoral dissertation, Columbia University).

International References
Evans, E. C. (1977). Some Correlates of Langner “22 Item” Scale Scores with Psychiatric Out-Patient Particulars.
Kato, T. A., Katsuki, R., Kubo, H., Shimokawa, N., Sato‐Kasai, M., Hayakawa, K., … & Kanba, S. (2019). Development and validation of the 22-item Tarumi’s modern-type depression trait scale: Avoidance of social roles, complaint, and low self-esteem (TACS-22). Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 73(8), 448–457.
Langner, T. S. (1962). A twenty-two item screening score of psychiatric symptoms indicating impairment. Journal of Health and Human Behavior, 3(4), 269–276.
Mouzas, O. D., Angelopoulos, N. V., & Liakos, A. (2008). Public opinions about mental illness in a Greek area: The influence of socio-demographic factors. Psychiatriki.

For the development and analysis of research data based on the above scale, as well as for further information, please contact the DatAnalysis team.