Mood and Feelings Questionnaire – Short Version – Self Report (MFQ-Self)
A 13-item self-report measure assessing recent depressive symptomatology in children and adolescents.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire – Short Version – Self Report (MFQ-Self) was developed by Adrian Angold, Elizabeth J. Costello, Stephen C. Messer, Andrew Pickles, F. Winder, & D. Silver (1995). It is designed to measure Depressive symptomatology. The scale is intended for use with Children and adolescents aged 6-17 years.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 13 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not True, 1 = Sometimes, 2 = True.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 26. Interpretation guidelines:
- Normal / Low Depressive Symptoms: 0 – 7
- Elevated Depressive Symptoms (Clinical Cut-off): 8 – 26
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency.
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.