The CDI is a widely used and accepted assessment for the severity of depressive symptoms in children and youth, with high reliability.
[1] Though the BDI was already being used in assessing adults with depression, there was a need for the development of a similar test for children and youth.
[1] Kovacs reported that she and Aaron T. Beck worked together in using his adult scale of the BDI as a model for developing the CDI.
[1] Skills needed for taking the test are the lowest levels of reading and vocabulary comprehension, so it is suitable for children aged six years old or older.
[1] Descriptions of CDI's scales are also provided, including examples of sample tests, along with associated tables of data and information.
[1] The 27 items include statements related to the following areas: sadness, pessimism, self-deprecation, anhedonia, misbehavior, pessimistic worrying, self-hate, self-blame, suicidal ideation, crying spells, irritability, reduced social interest, indecisiveness, negative body image, school-work difficulty, sleep disturbance, fatigue, reduced appetite, somatic concerns, loneliness, school dislike, lack of friends, school performance decrement, self-depreciation (via peer comparison), feeling unloved, disobedience, and fighting.
[1] A score of 36 or higher on the CDI is generally accepted to reflect a person who has relatively severe depression.
[9][10][11][12][13][14] One study used the Kuder-Richardson test of internal consistency and obtained results reflecting high reliability.
[1] Most research on the CDI has been conducted with Caucasian participants of middle to lower class socioeconomic status throughout the world.
[1] The CDI can be given to children and youth across cultures, though its "internal consistency and factorial structure vary somewhat in different juvenile cohorts.
[24] In an analysis of interview data of children who are diabetic, CDI score results may mimic those of having depressive symptoms.
[1] However, important to keep in mind is that diabetes "elicits noticeable emotional upheaval (mostly in the depressive symptoms domain) that nonetheless resolves in about six months.
[31][32][33][34][35] Yet other studies have reflected higher CDI scores for boys[36] than girls, including those in single-parent families.
[38] Additional studies have found significant differences in CDI scores of children who have experienced sexual abuse;[39] and those who have attention deficit disorder;[40][41] or learning disabilities, in comparison with controls.
[52] A significant positive correlation was found between IBD and somatic complaints that reflect depressive symptoms.
[1] It is important to account for and consider additional information about the individual rather than solely-using CDI test scores on which to base decisions.
[1] A variety of individuals may administer the CDI, however, as a caution and for ethical purposes, only those professionals who are trained to interpret assessments should do so.