Scale Overview
The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children – CES-DC was developed by Weissman, M. M., Orvaschel, H., & Padian, N. (1980). It is designed to measure Depression. The scale is intended for use with Children and adolescents (ages 6-17).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Somatic and Activity Symptoms, Depressed Affect, Positive Affect, Interpersonal.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Somatic and Activity Symptoms |
1,2,5,7,11,13,20 |
7 |
| Depressed Affect |
3,6,9,10,14,17,18 |
7 |
| Positive Affect |
4,8,12,16 |
4 |
| Interpersonal |
15,19 |
2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not At All, 1 = A Little, 2 = Some, 3 = A Lot.
The scale includes 4 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 60. Interpretation guidelines:
- Not indicative of clinical depression: 0 – 14
- Indicative of clinically significant depressive symptoms: 15 – 60
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.89.
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.