Mood and Feelings Questionnaire – Self Report [MFQ-Self]

Description

The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire – Self Report (MFQ-Self) is a psychometric self-report instrument designed to assess depressive symptoms in children and adolescents from their own perspective. It was developed by Adrian Angold and Elizabeth J. Costello and forms part of the broader Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) family of measures.

The self-report format allows children and adolescents to describe their own emotional and behavioral experiences, providing information about the presence and frequency of symptoms associated with depression.

By focusing directly on the young person’s perspective, the MFQ-Self provides a structured method for documenting subjective emotional experiences and contributes to a broader understanding of their current psychological state.

Objective

The primary objective of the MFQ-Self is to provide a systematic method for the detection and assessment of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents through self-report.

The questionnaire is intended to facilitate the identification of young people experiencing elevated depressive symptoms who may benefit from further assessment.

The information obtained may also help clinical professionals better understand the emotional and psychological state of children and adolescents and, when appropriate, support decisions concerning further evaluation or intervention.

Analysis

The MFQ-Self consists of a series of statements describing different emotional and behavioral symptoms associated with depression. Participants respond according to how frequently they have experienced each symptom during the previous two weeks.

The statements address areas including:

• feelings of sadness or unhappiness;
• loss of interest in everyday activities;
• difficulty concentrating;
• sleep disturbances;
• feelings of worthlessness or guilt.

Considering several emotional, cognitive, and behavioral manifestations provides a broader representation of depressive symptomatology as experienced by the child or adolescent.

Scoring

Responses to individual MFQ-Self statements are coded using a three-point scale ranging from 0 to 2:

0 = Not true
1 = Sometimes true
2 = True

The total score is calculated by summing the scores assigned to the individual statements. Higher total scores indicate a greater presence of depressive symptoms.

According to the available material, predefined score thresholds may assist in identifying children and adolescents who could require further assessment or intervention. The resulting score should therefore be considered as part of a broader assessment process rather than being interpreted independently as a clinical diagnosis.

Applications

The MFQ-Self can be used in clinical and research settings concerned with the mental health of children and adolescents.

Its self-report format provides information directly from the young person’s perspective and can assist in systematically documenting depressive symptoms and identifying individuals who may be experiencing increased emotional difficulties.

The resulting scores may also be used in research investigating depressive symptomatology among children and adolescents and examining differences across populations or groups.

Conclusions

The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire – Self Report (MFQ-Self) is a self-report psychometric instrument for the systematic assessment of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents.

Its focus on experiences during the previous two weeks and its assessment of different emotional and behavioral symptoms provide useful information regarding young people’s psychological state.

The MFQ-Self can contribute to identifying elevated depressive symptomatology and individuals who may require further assessment, while its scores should be interpreted within a broader clinical or research assessment rather than as a stand-alone diagnosis.

References

Angold, A., Costello, E. J., Messer, S. C., & Pickles, A. (1995). Development of a short questionnaire for use in epidemiological studies of depression in children and adolescents. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 5, 237–249.

Daviss, W. B., Birmaher, B., Melhem, N. A., Axelson, D. A., Michaels, S. M., & Brent, D. A. (2006). Criterion validity of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire for depressive episodes in clinic and non-clinic subjects. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(9), 927–934.

Wood, A., Kroll, L., Moore, A., & Harrington, R. (1995). Properties of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire in adolescent psychiatric outpatients: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 36(2), 327–334.

Kent, L., Vostanis, P., & Feehan, C. (1997). Detection of major and minor depression in children and adolescents: Evaluation of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38(5), 565–573.