The Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) (1992) is self-report instrument aimed at measuring depression in children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 17 (Mental Measurements Yearbook, 1992). The items on the CDI were based on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Items cover almost all nine of the DSM-III-R symptom categories for diagnosing depression in children and adolescents, but it should be advised that the CDI is screening tool rather than a diagnostic tool.
Qualification Level: C. Professional school counselors cannot administer the CDI to students but should understand its results and implications.
Format and Administration
The CDI was created to be administered individually in a clinical setting, but can also be administered in a group setting to non-clinical groups. The assessment takes 10-15 minutes to complete. The CDI is written at a 1st grade reading level, but if examinees are unable to read the assessment then accommodations may be made for the examiner to read the items aloud. The CDI is a paper-and-pencil instrument. There are a total of 27 items on the CDI, each item contains three-choice response format (0, 1, or 2) reflecting increasing severity of disturbance (Mental Measurements Yearbook, 1992). Examinees are asked to select responses based on their mood and feelings over the past two weeks.
Sample/Norms
The CDI is a norm-referenced instrument but was not standardized on a nationally representative sample, nor were racial or socioeconomic demographics data collected (Erford & Muller, 2012). Norms were established based on clinical samples, which serves as a limitation when administering to non-clinical samples within schools.
Qualification Level: C. Professional school counselors cannot administer the CDI to students but should understand its results and implications.
Format and Administration
The CDI was created to be administered individually in a clinical setting, but can also be administered in a group setting to non-clinical groups. The assessment takes 10-15 minutes to complete. The CDI is written at a 1st grade reading level, but if examinees are unable to read the assessment then accommodations may be made for the examiner to read the items aloud. The CDI is a paper-and-pencil instrument. There are a total of 27 items on the CDI, each item contains three-choice response format (0, 1, or 2) reflecting increasing severity of disturbance (Mental Measurements Yearbook, 1992). Examinees are asked to select responses based on their mood and feelings over the past two weeks.
Sample/Norms
The CDI is a norm-referenced instrument but was not standardized on a nationally representative sample, nor were racial or socioeconomic demographics data collected (Erford & Muller, 2012). Norms were established based on clinical samples, which serves as a limitation when administering to non-clinical samples within schools.
Scoring and Interpretation
Total scores range from 0 to 54. Scores are reported on five subscales (Anhedonia, Ineffectiveness, Interpersonal Problems, Negative Mood, and Negative Self-Esteem) and are summed to interpret a Total Depression score (Erford & Muller, 2012). Scores one to two standards above the mean are considered to be a positive screening for depression. There are some limitations to the cut-off scores of 11 and 13, as they have been found to show false positives, therefore, interpretation of results should be cautiously considered.
Psychometric Properties
Internal consistency has been found to be .86 with a small psychiatric sample, and .87 with a large Toronto public school sample, indicating strong internal consistency, though further studies should be conducted with various clinical and non-clinical groups. Test-retest reliability coefficients in various studies have ranged from .38-.84 depending on the sample and time lapse between the initial assessment and retest. A 2-week test-retest interval is recommended. Concerning concurrent validity, the CDI was found to correlate positively with scales such as the Revised Children Manifest Anxiety Scale, and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, but construct, discriminate, and predictive validity has not shown such promise. Therefore, the CDI is not thoroughly validated and research in this area is critical (Mental Measurements Yearbook, 1992).
Total scores range from 0 to 54. Scores are reported on five subscales (Anhedonia, Ineffectiveness, Interpersonal Problems, Negative Mood, and Negative Self-Esteem) and are summed to interpret a Total Depression score (Erford & Muller, 2012). Scores one to two standards above the mean are considered to be a positive screening for depression. There are some limitations to the cut-off scores of 11 and 13, as they have been found to show false positives, therefore, interpretation of results should be cautiously considered.
Psychometric Properties
Internal consistency has been found to be .86 with a small psychiatric sample, and .87 with a large Toronto public school sample, indicating strong internal consistency, though further studies should be conducted with various clinical and non-clinical groups. Test-retest reliability coefficients in various studies have ranged from .38-.84 depending on the sample and time lapse between the initial assessment and retest. A 2-week test-retest interval is recommended. Concerning concurrent validity, the CDI was found to correlate positively with scales such as the Revised Children Manifest Anxiety Scale, and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, but construct, discriminate, and predictive validity has not shown such promise. Therefore, the CDI is not thoroughly validated and research in this area is critical (Mental Measurements Yearbook, 1992).
Developmental Considerations
As discussed earlier, the CDI items were based on the BDI, which related more to adult depression. The author of the CDI insists that essential features of depression do not differ substantially between adults and children. Items that include irritability and anger seem to be missing from the CDI, which may serve as a useful addition since irritability and anger has been shown to be associated in child and adolescent depression (Mental Measurements Yearbook, 1992).
Cultural Considerations
The sample norms are not generalizable across different races/ethnicities, social economic statuses, and geographical locations. Therefore, caution should be warranted when interpreting results of minorities or those from lower SES; information about youth’s background, family history, school adjustment, in conjunction with other assessment tools should be incorporated.
The CDI is available in 23 languages, though few studies have been published validating the translated versions (Erford & Muller, 2012).
*The CDI is also available in Short form, and Parent and Teacher rating forms are also available in order to gather a more comprehensive assessment.
As discussed earlier, the CDI items were based on the BDI, which related more to adult depression. The author of the CDI insists that essential features of depression do not differ substantially between adults and children. Items that include irritability and anger seem to be missing from the CDI, which may serve as a useful addition since irritability and anger has been shown to be associated in child and adolescent depression (Mental Measurements Yearbook, 1992).
Cultural Considerations
The sample norms are not generalizable across different races/ethnicities, social economic statuses, and geographical locations. Therefore, caution should be warranted when interpreting results of minorities or those from lower SES; information about youth’s background, family history, school adjustment, in conjunction with other assessment tools should be incorporated.
The CDI is available in 23 languages, though few studies have been published validating the translated versions (Erford & Muller, 2012).
*The CDI is also available in Short form, and Parent and Teacher rating forms are also available in order to gather a more comprehensive assessment.