WHO collaborative study: assessment of depressive disorders.

In the context of an ongoing WHO research programme in depression, a total of 573 patients consulting psychiatrists in Canada, Iran, Japan and Switzerland were assessed with the WHO/SADD schedule which proved to be a simple and reliable instrument for standardized recording of clinical data. The results indicated that the "average" depressive patients seeking care in culturally different settings have many clinical features in common. A screening instrument, developed in the same study, has been shown to be effective in selecting depressive patients among in- and out-patient populations.