COVID-19 Depression Scale – COVID-19DS
A 16-item self-report screener developed to measure depression specifically caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The COVID-19 Depression Scale – COVID-19DS was developed by Mahboubeh Dadfar, David Lester, & Yahya Turan (2023). It is designed to measure COVID-19 related depression. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 16 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Affective, Cognitive, and Somatic/Vegetative, COVID-19 Depression.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Affective, Cognitive, and Somatic/Vegetative | 1,2,4,5,8,9,10 | 7 |
| COVID-19 Depression | 3,6,7,11,12,13,14,15,16 | 9 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not at all, 1 = Several days, 2 = More than half the days, 3 = Nearly every day, 4 = Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 64. Interpretation guidelines:
- Minimal COVID-19 related depression: 0 – 16
- Mild COVID-19 related depression: 17 – 32
- Moderate COVID-19 related depression: 33 – 48
- Severe COVID-19 related depression: 49 – 64
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha of .92.
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.