Factor Structure and Symptom Profiles of the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS): A Meta-Analytic Mean and Covariance Structure Analysis

The Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) is one of the most widely used clinician-rated instruments for assessing depressive symptom severity, particularly in pharmacological intervention studies. Despite its widespread use, evidence on the dimensional structure of the MADRS remains inconsistent. In this Registered Report, we propose a meta-analytic mean and covariance structure analysis of the MADRS to examine (a) which latent structure best represents MADRS responses and how reliably its factors are measured, (b) whether items or symptom dimensions function differently across clinical (diagnostic group, pharmacological treatment, assessment time point within treatment) and measurement-related (language version) moderators, and (c) whether diagnostic groups, pharmacological treatment regimens, and treatment stages are associated with distinct latent symptom profiles.