COVID-19 Depression Scale

Abstract

The COVID-19 Depression Scale (COVID-19DS; Dadfar, Lester, & Turan, 2023) is an original screener instrument developed to measure depression specifically caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially conceived in Farsi (Persian) by two of its creators, the scale consists of 16 items. Data for its validation were collected from a sample of Turkish students. Factor analysis of the scale revealed two distinct factors: “Affective, Cognitive, and Somatic/Vegetative” and “COVID-19 Depression.” The instrument’s reliability and validity have been thoroughly reported. The COVID-19DS is recommended for assessing depression specifically linked to coronavirus, facilitating comparisons between post-COVID depression and major depressive disorder. It serves as a valuable screening tool for identifying individuals with exceptionally high scores who may benefit from psycho-educational interventions.

Keywords

Affective, Cognitive, and Somatic/Vegetative; COVID-19 Pandemic; COVID-19-related Depression; Depression (Emotion); Major Depression; Mental Health and Illness Assessment; COVID-19; Depression Screening

Authors

Dadfar, Mahboubeh; Lester, David; Turan, Yahya

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Purpose

The COVID-19DS is recommended for use in assessing depression resulting from the coronavirus and for comparing post-COVID depression and major depressive disorder. It is recommended for use as a screening tool to identify those with extremely high scores who may be in need of psycho-educational interventions.

Validity

The COVID-19DS demonstrates good validity, as evidenced by a negative correlation between its scores and perceived health-related components (r = −.414). Specifically, scores for Factor 1 (Affective, Cognitive, and Somatic/Vegetative) and Factor 2 (COVID-19 Depression) of the COVID-19DS were negatively correlated with the perceived health-related components total score (r = −.376 and −.369, respectively). Additionally, women consistently reported higher scores for COVID-19 depression while simultaneously reporting lower scores for perceived health status, further supporting the scale’s validity.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the COVID-19DS is strong, with a Cronbach’s alpha of .92.

Factor Analysis

Both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. The EFA extracted two salient factors, which collectively explained 57.22% of the total variance. For the CFA, a two-factor model of the COVID-19DS, based on the maximum likelihood estimation method, indicated an excellent fit to the data. Key fit indices were: Chisquare = 244.146, CMIN/DF = 2.181, GFI = .916, NFI = .908, RFI = .889, IFI = .943, TLI = .932, CFI = .943, SRMR = .04, and RMSEA = .068. These values indicate a well-fitting model.

Instrument

Test Type

Original Screener

Format

Items are rated using a 5-point Likert scale.

Language Available

English, Persian (Farsi)

Population Group

Human; Male; Female

Age Group

No data is Available

Population Details

Location: Turkey
Respondents: University Students

Test Methodology

Test Validity; Test Reliability; Internal Consistency; Factor Analysis; Confirmatory Factor Analysis; Exploratory Factor Analysis

Keywords

Affective, Cognitive, and Somatic/Vegetative; COVID-19 Pandemic; COVID-19-related Depression; Depression (Emotion); Major Depression; Mental Health and Illness Assessment; COVID-19; Depression Screening

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier

Dadfar, Mahboubeh: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0620-2570
Lester, David: No data is Available
Turan, Yahya: No data is Available

Affiliation

Dadfar, Mahboubeh: Iran University of Medical Sciences School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry)
Lester, David: Stockton University Psychology Program
Turan, Yahya: Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University, Faculty of Islamic Sciences Department of Philosophy and Religious Sciences, Psychology of Religion

Email Addresses

Dadfar, Mahboubeh: [email protected]

Correspondence Address

Dadfar, Mahboubeh: [email protected]

Permissions & Fee

To obtain permissions for using the COVID-19 Depression Scale (COVID-19DS), please contact the publisher. The instrument is not commercial and there is no fee associated with its use.

Test Year

2023

References

Dadfar, M., Lester, D., & Turan, Y. (2023). The development and validation of the COVID-19 Depression Scale (COVID-19DS): Association with the Perceived Health-Related Components Scale. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 26(6), 550–567. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2021.1978958

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Items of the COVID-19 Depression Scale (COVID-19DS)

The COVID-19 Depression Scale is a 16-item measure. The specific items are available in the source reference: Dadfar, M., Lester, D., & Turan, Y. (2023). The development and validation of the COVID-19 Depression Scale (COVID-19DS): Association with the Perceived Health-Related Components Scale. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 26(6), 550–567, specifically found in Table 3 on Page 557.

Factors and Subscales

The scale comprises two main factors:

• Affective, Cognitive, and Somatic/Vegetative

• COVID-19 Depression

COVID-19 Depression Scale (COVID-19DS) Items

The COVID-19 makes me:

1. Have a depressed mood.

2. Lose pleasure in activities I once enjoyed.

3. My appetite changed (appetite increase or decrease).

4. Lose energy.

5. Have increased fatigue.

6. Feel worthless.

7. Feel guilty.

8. Have difficulty making decisions.

9. Have thoughts of death.

10. Feel emptiness.

11. Get depressed when thinking about COVID-19.

12. Become sad when thinking about friend or relatives who may have COVID-19.

13. Feel sad about being in quarantine with COVID-19.

14. Feel depressed when watching COVID-19 news.

15. Feel sad about social/physical distancing.

16. Feel sad over the changes in the holding of religious ceremonies and activities due to the COVID-19.

Note. Participants indicate their level of agreement with the statements using a five-point Likert scale ranging from Not at all (0) to Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks (4). The total score ranges from 0 to 64, with a higher score indicating more depression from COVID-19. Factor 1 (items 1, 2, 4, 5) labelled: Affective, Cognitive, and Somatic/Vegetative. Factor 2 (items 3, 6, 7) labelled: COVID-19 Depression.