Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (Self-Report) – QIDS-SR16
A 16-item self-report instrument designed to assess the severity of depressive symptoms over the past 7 days.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (Self-Report) – QIDS-SR16 was developed by A. John Rush (2003). It is designed to measure Depression Severity. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 16 items organized into 9 factors/subscales: Sleep, Dysphoric Mood, Appetite/Weight, Cognitive Impairment, Self-Evaluation, Suicidal Ideation, Anhedonia, Energy/Fatigue, Psychomotor Changes.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep | 1,2,3,4 | 4 |
| Dysphoric Mood | 5 | 1 |
| Appetite/Weight | 6,7,8,9 | 4 |
| Cognitive Impairment | 10 | 1 |
| Self-Evaluation | 11 | 1 |
| Suicidal Ideation | 12 | 1 |
| Anhedonia | 13 | 1 |
| Energy/Fatigue | 14 | 1 |
| Psychomotor Changes | 15,16 | 2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = No symptom / Normal, 1 = Mild symptom, 2 = Moderate symptom, 3 = Severe symptom.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 27. Interpretation guidelines:
- Normal / No Depression: 0 – 5
- Mild Depression: 6 – 10
- Moderate Depression: 11 – 15
- Severe Depression: 16 – 20
- Very Severe Depression: 21 – 27
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ~ 0.86.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.