| Abstract: | Operating characteristics of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were examined by using data from 4 samples of students in Grades 9–12. The CES-D was found to have good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Dimensionality was comparable to that found for adults. Structure varied little by order of assessment (Trial 1 of Trial 2), age, or gender. Salience of items, in terms of rank order of mean item scores, was remarkably similar to that reported for college and general adult samples. With the standard cutoff score of 16 or more, half of the high school students were classified as depressed. There was a pronounced gender effect, with proportionately more women reporting depressive symptoms across the 4 samples. Although it appears that the CES-D scale may be appropriate for use with adolescents, the issues of stability of scores over time, appropriate cutoff scores, and usefulness in detecting cases of clinical depression remain unresolved. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
