About the SDS
Versions of the SDS
License Agreement for Use of the SDS
Training for the SDS
Translations and Linguistic Validation of the SDS
How to Cite the SDS
About the SDS
The Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) is a short, simple, and cost-effective measure of disability and functional impairment that can be quickly administered and scored without disrupting the flow of routine care. The SDS is a composite of three self-rated items designed to measure the extent to which three major domains in the patient’s life are functionally impaired by psychiatric or medical symptoms. The SDS assesses functional impairment in three major life domains: work, social life/leisure activities, and family life/home responsibilities. To improve sensitivity the SDS uses a discretized analog (Discan) scaling metric to simultaneously anchor the impairment spatio-visually, numerically and verbally-descriptively. The Sheehan Disability Scale was developed as a treatment outcome measure that would be sensitive to change and to drug placebo differences over time. Its validity and reliability has been investigated in several studies (references 1, 3, 4, and 5 in How to Cite the SDS below).
For any scientific questions relating to the SDS, contact David V Sheehan MD MBA directly by email at: davidVsheehan@gmail.com
Versions of the SDS
Standard Adult SDS
Adult Version of the SDS
The standard SDS assesses functional impairment in three major life domains: work, social life/leisure activities, and family life/home responsibilities.
To view a watermarked, preview copy of the standard SDS (click here)
To purchase and download a watermarked, preview copy of the SDS (click here)
Standard Children / Adolescent version of SDS
Pediatric / Adolescent Versions of the SDS (SDS-P) and (SDS-A)
The SDS for Children and Adolescents assesses functional impairment in three major life domains: School/work, social life/leisure activities, and family life/home responsibilities. The (SDS-P) is a parent or clinician rated version, while the SDS-A is a patient rated version by the adolescent.
To view a watermarked, preview copy of the SDS-P or / and the SDS-A (click here)
To purchase and download a watermarked, preview copy of the SDS-P or / and the SDS-A (click here)
Customizable
Dr. Sheehan can design customized versions of the SDS to meet the needs of a specific study or clinical setting. Contact Dr. Sheehan at davidVsheehan@gmail.com to discuss a customized version designed for your needs.
License Agreement for Use of the SDS
Dr. Sheehan licenses the SDS in paper format for distribution as follows : 1) in paper format for any uses; or 2) in fixed pdf form, paper form, or both for use in clinical or academic research trials or studies.
To license the SDS for use there is a charge of $4 per single administration (not per patient enrolled) for non-customized versions. The amount must be paid in full before study initiation. (click here to download a copy of this license agreement)
Training for the SDS
For information about virtual web-based training on the SDS – which includes a video, a quiz, and a certificate of completion of training – email training@harmresearch.org:
Adult Standard SDS Training
For certain sites, Dr. Sheehan can do an additional live Zoom question and answer session to address issues encountered after the raters at the site have done a dozen or so with real patients. Please contact: davidVsheehan@gmail.com
Training video subtitles are available in multiple languages on request. Contact training@harmresearch.org for more information.
Translations and Linguistic Validation of the SDS
The non-profit Mapi Research Trust (MAPI) / ICON Language Services, in Lyon, France, is the sole translation service for existing non-English translations for all rating scales and diagnostic interviews that Dr. Sheehan licenses and distributes directly under a license from him.
Dr. Sheehan has collaborated closely with MAPI on these translations for over 15 years and continues to do so. This is to ensure the production of consistent and conceptually equivalent translations of the MINI and its variants and of Dr. Sheehan’s scales, and to be able to provide linguistic validation and certification of these translations. MAPI / Icon Language Services does not distribute the English source language version of the SDS, which is available from Dr. Sheehan directly.
When Dr. Sheehan fully executes your license agreement request, he will provide you with the information to contact MAPI / Icon Language Services to obtain consistent and conceptually equivalent, and linguistically validated translations and the related certificates.
MAPI / Icon Language Services may charge its own usual fees for this work.
How to Cite the SDS
Use the following citations in referencing the SDS:
1. Sheehan KH; Sheehan DV. Assessing treatment effects in clinical trials with the discan metric of the Sheehan Disability Scale. International Clinical Psychopharmacology 2008;23(2):70-83. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/YIC.0b013e3282f2b4d6
2. Sheehan DV, Harnett-Sheehan K, Raj BA (1996). The measurement of disability. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 11 (Suppl 3):89–95. PDF: http://journals.lww.com/intclinpsychopharm/Abstract/1996/06003/The_measurement_of_disability.15.aspx
3. Leon AC, Shear MK, Portera L, et al: Assessing impairment in patients with panic disorder: the Sheehan Disability Scale. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 27:78–82, 1992. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00788510
4. Leon AC, Olfson M, Portera L, et al: Assessing impairment in primary care: a psychometric analysis of the Sheehan Disability Scale. Int J Psychiatry Med 27:93–105, 1997. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2190/T8EM-C8YH-373N-1UWD
5. Olfson M, Kathol RG, Weissman MM, Sheehan DV, Leon AC, Hoven C. Mental Disorders and Disability in a Primary Care Group Practice. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1997; 154: 1734-1740. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/ajp.154.12.1734
6. Sheehan DV, Harnett-Sheehan K. Psychometric Assessment of Anxiety Disorders. Chapter 8 in Anxiety: Psychobiological and Clinical Perspectives (Sartorius N, Andreoli V, Cassano G, Eisenberg L, Kielholz P, Pancheri P, & Racagni G, eds. Hemisphere Publishing Corporation, Washington, DC. 1990; 85-100. ISBN: 1560320648, 9781560320647.
7. Sheehan, D. V. (2000). Sheehan disability scale. Handbook of psychiatric measures, 113-115. ISBN: 0890424152, 9780890424155.
8. Sheehan DV, Meyers AL, Prakash A, Robinson MJ, Swindle RW, Russell JM, et al. The relationship between functional outcomes and the treatment of anxious and painful somatic symptoms in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Current Medical Research and Opinion. 2008; 24(9):2457-66. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1185/03007990802293643
9. Sheehan, DV, Harnett-Sheehan, K, Spann, M, Thompson, H, Prakash, A. Assessing remission in major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder clinical trials with the discan metric of the Sheehan disability scale. International clinical psychopharmacology. 2011;2: 75-83. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/YIC.0b013e328341bb5f
10. Sheehan DV, Chokka PR, Granger RE, Walton RJ, Raskin J, Sagman D. Clinical and functional outcomes in patients with major depressive disorder and painful physical symptoms switched to treatment with duloxetine. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental. 2011;26(3):242-51. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/
11. Mancini, M, Sheehan DV, Demyttenaere, K, Amore, M, Deberdt, W, Quail, D, Sagman, D. Evaluation of the effect of duloxetine treatment on functioning as measured by the Sheehan disability scale: pooled analysis of data from six randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies. International Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2012; 27(6): 298-309. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/YIC.0b013e3283589a3f
12. Sheehan DV, Locklear J, Svedsäter H, Datto C. Long-term functioning and sleep quality in patients with major depressive disorder treated with extended-release quetiapine fumarate. International Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2012;27(5):239-48. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/YIC.0b013e328356ac78
13. Sheehan, DV, Svedsäter, H, Locklear, JC, Eriksson. Effects of extended-release quetiapine fumarate on long-term functioning and sleep quality in patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Data from a randomized-withdrawal, placebo-controlled maintenance study. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2013; 151(3): 906-913. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2013.07.037
The SDS has been cited over 3,000 times in publications.