Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale
The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) is a brief self-report questionnaire that is designed to measure depressive symptoms in the general population. The CES-D consists of 20 questions that asks about various symptoms of depression as they have occurred in the past week.[1] The majority of the items focus on the affective component of depression. The CES-D was initially designed for use in general population surveys, but now serves as a screening instrument in primary care clinics and in research.[1]
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children
The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) is a modified version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. This measure assesses both depressive symptoms as well as symptom improvement in a wide range of children and adolescents, ages 6–17.[2] The CES-DC was first developed to measure the incidence and prevalence of depression among children and adolescents in large-scale epidemiological research.[2] Several research studies have found the CES-DC to be a reliable and valid measure of depressive symptoms in children.[3]
Question breakdown, scoring and interpretation
The CES-DC is an inventory of 20 self-report items regarding depressive symptoms, taking about 5 minutes to complete. Each item asks how often a symptom has occurred within the last week. Response choices are assigned point values, which are summed together to determine a total measure score. Response choices for each item and their corresponding point values are as follows:
- 0 points: "Not at all"
- 1 point: "A little"
- 2 points: "Some"
- 3 points: "A lot"
Items 4, 8, 12 and 16 are phrased to reflect positive affect and behavior, and therefore are scored in opposite order as follows:
- 0 points: "A lot"
- 1 point: "Some"
- 2 points: "A little"
- 3 points: "Not at all "
Interpretation of scores
Scores on the CES-DC range from 0 to 60, in which higher scores suggest a greater presence of depressive symptoms. A score of 15 or higher is interpreted to indicate a risk for depression. However, screening for depression is a complex process and scoring a 15 or higher on the CES-DC should be followed by further evaluation.
Limitations
A study evaluating the CES-DC found that the scores do not necessarily match up to a DSM diagnosis, and while it is a good psychometric tool for adolescents, reliability and validity is poor when applied to children.[2]
References
- 1 2 Radloff, Lenore Sawyer (June 1977). "The CES-D Scale: A Self-Report Depression Scale for Research in the General Population" (PDF). Applied Psychological Measurement. 1 (3): 385–401. doi:10.1177/014662167700100306.
- 1 2 3 Faulstich, ME; Carey, MP; Ruggiero, L; Enyart, P; Gresham, F (August 1986). "Assessment of depression in childhood and adolescence: an evaluation of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC)". The American Journal of Psychiatry. 143 (8): 1024–7. doi:10.1176/ajp.143.8.1024. PMID 3728717.
- ↑ Weissman, MM; Orvaschel, H; Padian, N (December 1980). "Children's symptom and social functioning self-report scales: Comparison of mothers' and children's reports". The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 168 (12): 736–40. doi:10.1097/00005053-198012000-00005. PMID 7452212.
Further reading
- Birmaher, Boris; Brent, David; AACAP Work Group on Quality Issues (November 2007). "Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Depressive Disorders" (PDF). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 46 (11): 1503–1526. doi:10.1097/chi.0b013e318145ae1c. PMID 18049300.
External links
- "Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children" (PDF). Bright Futures. National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health & Georgetown University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-12.