Description of the Scale

The Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI-27) is a psychometric tool designed to assess the severity of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. The CDI-27 includes 27 items that cover various aspects of depression, including emotional, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. Participants respond to each item by selecting one of three options, corresponding to different levels of frequency or intensity of the symptom.

Data Analysis and Usage

The analysis of data from the CDI-27 involves several quantitative techniques to assess depression:
Descriptive Statistics:
Means and Standard Deviations: Calculation of the means and standard deviations for responses to each item or for total scores.
Reliability: Estimation of the internal consistency of the scale using Cronbach’s alpha to ensure the reliability of the results.
Correlations:
Examination of Correlations: Analysis of the correlations between item scores to understand the relationships between different depressive symptoms.
Factor Analysis:
Identification of Factors: Use of factor analyses to identify underlying factors contributing to overall depression, if deemed necessary.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the CDI-27 is to provide a reliable and valid tool for measuring depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. It is used for:
Research Purposes: Studying the impact of depressive symptoms on the psychological development and social relationships of children and adolescents.
Clinical Assessment: Evaluating the severity of depression and designing appropriate interventions or treatments.
Monitoring: Tracking progress during therapy or interventions.

Calibration

The calibration of the CDI-27 involves:
Internal Consistency Estimation: Calculation of the reliability of the tool using Cronbach’s alpha to ensure the consistency of responses.
Comparative Analysis: Comparison of results with data from other relevant studies to confirm the validity and reliability of the scale.

References

Kovacs, M. (1985). The Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 21(4), 995-998.
Kovacs, M. (1992). Children’s Depression Inventory. In J. C. Conoley & J. J. Kramer (Eds.), Diagnostic and treatment tools for children and adolescents (pp. 125-146). Wiley.
Kovacs, M., & Devlin, B. (1998). The Children’s Depression Inventory: An examination of the reliability and validity of the self-report version. In M. E. S. (Ed.), Clinical assessment of child and adolescent personality and behavior (pp. 157-167). Springer.
Cohen, P., & Cohen, J. (2001). The development of depression and anxiety during childhood and adolescence. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 551-576.