The Validation Study of the Korean Version of the Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale

Abstract

Objectives：Because bipolar spectrum disorders frequently go unrecognized in clinical practice, sensitive screening tools for bipolar spectrum disorders are much needed. This study was conducted to confirm the validity of the Korean version of the Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (BSDS), which was originally designed by Ronald Pies. Methods：The BSDS, which was translated into Korean by the authors, was administered to patients with known bipolar disorders (N=60) and unipolar depressive disorders (N=27). Using various cut-off scores, we calculated the sensitivities and specificities of the Korean version of the BSDS in order to determine the optimal cut-off score. Results：In this study, a cut-off score of 10 was shown to be optimal, with a sensitivity of 0.73 and a specificity of 0.85, although a cut-off score of 13 was proposed to be optimal by the original authors of the BSDS. Conclusion：These results indicate that the Korean version of the BSDS is a valid screening tool for bipolar spectrum disorder.