• Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC)

  • The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) is a 20-item self-report depression inventory with possible scores ranging from 0 to 60. Each response to an item is scored as follows:

    0 = “Not At All” 1 = “A Little” 2 = “Some” 3 = “A Lot”

    However, items 4, 8, 12, and 16 are phrased positively, and thus are scored in the opposite order:

  • Higher CES-DC scores indicate increasing levels of depression. Weissman et al. (1980), the developers of the CES-DC, have used the cutoff score of 15 as being suggestive of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents.

    Weissman MM, Orvaschel H, Padian N: Children’s symptom and social functioning self-report scales: Comparison of mothers’ and children’s reports. Journal of Nervous Mental Disorders 168(12):736–740; 1980.

    Faulstich ME, Carey MP, Ruggiero L, et al.: Assessment of depression in childhood and adolescence: An evaluation of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DCAmerican Journal of Psychiatry143(8):1024–1027; 1986.

  • Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC)

  • INSTRUCTIONS

  • Below is a list of the ways you might have felt or acted. Please check how much you have felt this way during the past week.

  • DURING THE PAST WEEK

  • 1. I was bothered by things that usually don’t bother me.
  • 2. I did not feel like eating, I wasn’t very hungry.
  • 3. I wasn’t able to feel happy, even when my family or friends tried to help me feel better.
  • 4. I felt like I was just as good as other kids.
  • 5. I felt like I couldn’t pay attention to what I was doing.
  • 6. I felt down and unhappy.
  • 7. I felt like I was too tired to do things.
  • 8. I felt like something good was going to happen.
  • 9. I felt like things I did before didn’t work out right.
  • 10. I felt scared.
  • 11. I didn’t sleep as well as I usually sleep.
  • 12. I was happy.
  • 13. I was more quiet than usual.
  • 14. I felt lonely, like I didn’t have any friends.
  • 15. I felt like kids I know were not friendly or that they didn’t want to be with me.
  • 16. I had a good time.
  • 17. I felt like crying.
  • 18. I felt sad.
  • 19. I felt people didn’t like me.
  • 20. It was hard to get started doing things.
  • Date:
     / /
  •  
  • Should be Empty: