WLS Codebooks

Note: Codebooks contain frequency data from the private data release. For some variables, these differ from the frequencies in the public release. Variables that differ between the public and private versions include "(not available on public release)" as part of the variable description, or a note indicating the difference between the public and private versions.

In Person: Depression

JDEPR Graduate Depression Module

OVERVIEW:

The Depression Module was introduced in the 1993 collection wave as a part of
the primary telephone interview, including questions regarding alcohol
consumption as well. These variables were replicated in the 2004 collection
wave, with Depression having a separate module, no longer including questions
regarding alcohol. Both the 1993 and 2004 waves only asked questions regarding
depression to a random 80% sub sample. The 2011 Depression Module generally
replicates the variables from the 2004 wave. Information about depression was
collected in the following ways:
	
	Participants in the 80% sub sample chosen to be asked questions about
depression were asked to recall a time since their last interview where they
experienced depression or symptoms of depression for two weeks or more.  They
were then asked questions regarding possible sources of their depression,
including use of alcohol and drugs or physical illness.
	
	Participants were then asked to recall a specific period of depression they
experienced since their last interview.  If there was a period that stood out
as being the worst period of depression they had experienced, they were asked
to answer questions about that. Otherwise they answered regarding a
particularly bad period and if they couldn't think of that, the most recent
period of depression. Participants were then asked questions regarding symptoms
of depression they experienced during the previously specified period of
depression. Symptoms that were asked about include gaining or losing weight,
trouble falling asleep, feeling tired, feeling bad upon waking, losing interest
in hobbies, trouble concentrating, and thinking about death.
	
While the variables for the 2011 Depression Module replicate those from the
2004 collection wave, the information differs slightly. In 2004, participants
were asked to talk about the worst, particularly bad, or most recent period of
depression they had ever had, whereas in 2011, participants were asked to only
talk about the worst, particularly bad, or most recent period of depression
SINCE THE LAST INTERVIEW. Therefore, the 2011 Depression data is not fully
comparable to the 1993 and/or 2004 Depression codebook because the 2011
instrument asks only about depressive episodes occuring in the time period
between the last interview and the current survey.


BRIEF VARIABLE DESCRIPTIONS

    Variable ranges reference dataset/codebook order and are not necessarily 
    alphabetical.
    _____________________________________________________________________

    HDEPSTAT-HDEPREL:   Module-Level Status Variables

    HU001RE:            Random sample selection

    HU002RE:		Depression since last interviewed
    			
    HU003RE,		
    HU003REA-HU003RED:  Questions regarding possible cause of depression

    HU004RE-HU012RE:	Depression age, depression symptoms	
    
    HU024RE: 		Count of depression symptoms

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