Instructions: Module 26 CES-D FORM SCORING

PNS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT EVALUATION

MODULE 26: CES-D FORM SCORING INSTRUCTIONS

Citation: Huba, G. J., Melchior, L. A., Staff of The Measurement Group, and HRSA/HAB's SPNS Cooperative Agreement Steering Committee (1995). Module 26A: CES-D Form (Interview). Available: www.TheMeasurementGroup.com. Culver City, California: The Measurement Group.

Source Citations: ORIGINAL 20-ITEM VERSION. Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385-401; SPANISH VERSION (20 ITEMS). Roberts, R. E. (1980). Reliability of the CES-D scale in different ethnic contexts. Psychiatry Research, 2, 125-134. Developed in a sample of Mexican Americans; 8- and 4-ITEM VERSIONS. Melchior, L. A., Huba, G. J., Brown, V. B., and Reback, C. J. (1993). A short depression index for women. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 53(4), 1117-1125.

CES-D Scoring Instructions

20-item version

There are three steps to scoring the 20-item version of the CES-D:

Each of the 20 items in this instrument is assigned one value of 0, 1, 2 or 3. For all but four items (see below), the values are assigned as follows:

            Rarely or none of the time (less than 1 day) = 0

            Some or a little of the time (1-2 days) = 1

            Occasionally or a more moderate amount of the time (3-4 days) = 2

            More or all of the time (5-7 days) = 3

The four items with reversed scoring are the following:

4. I felt that I was just as good as other people.

8. I felt hopeful about the future.

12. I was happy.

16. I enjoyed life.

For the four items with reversed scoring, the values should be assigned as follows:

Rarely or none of the time (less than 1 day) = 3

            Some or a little of the time (1-2 days) = 2

            Occasionally or a more moderate amount of the time (3-4 days) = 1

            More or all of the time (5-7 days) = 0
Once you have assigned a value for each item, compute a total, adding the values for each of the 20 items. The resulting score should range between 0 and 60. Do not compute a total if there is more than one answer missing.
High scores on the CES-D indicate high levels of distress. A score ≥ 16 suggests a clinically significant level of psychological distress. It does not necessarily mean that the participant has a clinical diagnosis of depression. In a general population, about 20% would be expected to score in this range.

8-item version

There are three steps to scoring the 8-item version of the CES-D:

Each of the 8 items in this instrument is assigned one value of 0, 1, 2 or 3. The values are assigned as follows:

            Rarely or none of the time (less than 1 day) = 0

            Some or a little of the time (1-2 days) = 1

            Occasionally or a more moderate amount of the time (3-4 days) = 2

            More or all of the time (5-7 days) = 3
Once you have assigned a value for each item, compute a total, adding the values for each of the 8 items. The resulting score should range between 0 and 24. Do not compute a total if there is more than one answer missing.
High scores on the CES-D indicate high levels of distress. A score ≥ 7 suggests a clinically significant level of psychological distress. It does not necessarily mean that the participant has a clinical diagnosis of depression. In a general population, about 20% would be expected to score in this range.

4-item version

There are three steps to scoring the 4-item version of the CES-D:

Each of the 4 items in this instrument is assigned one value of 0, 1, 2 or 3. The values are assigned as follows:

            Rarely or none of the time (less than 1 day) = 0

            Some or a little of the time (1-2 days) = 1

            Occasionally or a more moderate amount of the time (3-4 days) = 2

            More or all of the time (5-7 days) = 3
Once you have assigned a value for each item, compute a total, adding the values for each of the 20 items. The resulting score should range between 0 and 60. Do not compute a total if there is more than one answer missing.
High scores on the CES-D indicate high levels of distress. A score ≥ 4 suggests a clinically significant level of psychological distress. It does not necessarily mean that the participant has a clinical diagnosis of depression. In a general population, about 20% would be expected to score in this range.

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