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Research Instrument Mental Health & Mood // CESD

Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale

20-item self-report depression scale measuring depressive symptoms over the past week. Scores range from 0 to 60, with a threshold of 16 indicating clinically significant depression.

Purpose Details Scientific Documentation Limitations Related

Purpose

Self-report research instrument, reproduced here under an open license for non-diagnostic educational, research, and self-reflection use.

Details

Administration
Self-Administered
Intended Use
Research

Scientific Documentation

Developer / Author
Radloff, L. S.
Development Year
1977

Theoretical framework: Screens for depressive symptomatology in general (non-clinical) population samples, not a diagnostic tool.

Reliability: Published general-population studies consistently report high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha typically above .85).

Validity: Extensively validated against clinical depression ratings across many population studies since 1977.

References: Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3), 385-401.

Limitations: Imported from the OpenScales open item-bank project. This specific digital implementation has not been independently clinically validated by PsiQ — scores are for self-reflection, research, and educational purposes only, and are not a diagnosis.

License: Public Domain (https://cesd-r.com/). Citation: Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3), 385-401. This is not a diagnostic tool. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, please contact a licensed mental health professional or a crisis helpline in your country immediately.

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