In this section, you will find pertinent instruments used in assessing depression
in children and adolescents. A summary of each instrument, along with the
purpose, psychometrics, developmental considerations, and
cultural considerations are discussed.
Assessment administration, scoring, interpretation, and evaluation is part of the Professional School Counselor's role. Assessment plays a vital part in treatment
planning and evaluation. Standardized psychological assessments should always
be used in combination with other measures such as behavioral observations, child/adolescent/parent/guardian/teacher interviews, along with family, medical,
and academic history.
Parents/guardians, teachers, and school personnel may also find this
section useful, in order to gain a better understanding of the popular instruments
used to assess depression in children and adolescents.
*It should be noted that many of the instruments discussed in this section are self-report measures in which children/adolescents rate their internal feelings in regards to the various statements provided on assessments. It has been shown that children and adolescents may modify their answers to reflect what they think are desired answers, rather than what they are actually feeling, known as "faking good"; they may also "fake bad" and negatively exaggerate ratings (Erford & Muller, 2012). Developmentally, children and adolescents do not have the same ability as adults to understand and report strong internal emotions. Therefore, the limitations of self-report measures should be considered during the interpretation of results (Erford & Muller, 2012).
To learn more about the competencies in assessment and evaluation for school counselors, please click here,
as well as here.
in children and adolescents. A summary of each instrument, along with the
purpose, psychometrics, developmental considerations, and
cultural considerations are discussed.
Assessment administration, scoring, interpretation, and evaluation is part of the Professional School Counselor's role. Assessment plays a vital part in treatment
planning and evaluation. Standardized psychological assessments should always
be used in combination with other measures such as behavioral observations, child/adolescent/parent/guardian/teacher interviews, along with family, medical,
and academic history.
Parents/guardians, teachers, and school personnel may also find this
section useful, in order to gain a better understanding of the popular instruments
used to assess depression in children and adolescents.
*It should be noted that many of the instruments discussed in this section are self-report measures in which children/adolescents rate their internal feelings in regards to the various statements provided on assessments. It has been shown that children and adolescents may modify their answers to reflect what they think are desired answers, rather than what they are actually feeling, known as "faking good"; they may also "fake bad" and negatively exaggerate ratings (Erford & Muller, 2012). Developmentally, children and adolescents do not have the same ability as adults to understand and report strong internal emotions. Therefore, the limitations of self-report measures should be considered during the interpretation of results (Erford & Muller, 2012).
To learn more about the competencies in assessment and evaluation for school counselors, please click here,
as well as here.