Questionnaire Analysis

The MFQ-33 questionnaire was developed by Costello and Angold in 1988. It consists of 33 statements that refer to causal attributions and cognitive schemas, as well as behavioral indicators associated with dysthymia and depression. It is completed by both parents and the children themselves.

Purpose of the Questionnaire

The questionnaire investigates depressive symptoms in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years, both in community and clinical populations, based on the criteria of the DSM-III-R.

Scoring Method and Statistical Analysis

The scoring of the questionnaire is based on the sum of the scores assigned to each item. The responses and their corresponding scores are as follows: “not true” = 0 points, “somewhat true” = 1 point, “true” = 2 points. There is a threshold value that distinguishes children and adolescents in terms of low, moderate, and high presence of depressive symptomatology. The threshold values differ depending on the informant (parents and children). Scores higher than 12 indicate possible depression and justify further clinical evaluation.

Validity and Reliability

The correlation with the total index of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire is significant (r = 0.70). The reliability index of the questionnaire (children/adolescents) is high (α = 0.92). The questionnaire has also been adapted into Greek by Bimbou and Kiosseoglou in 2001.

References

Angold, A., Costello, E. J., Pickles, A., & Winder, F. (1987). The development of a questionnaire for use in epidemiological studies of depression in children and adolescents. London: Medical Research Council Child Psychiatry Unit.
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.
Bimbou, I., & Kiosseoglou, G. (2001). Identification of depressive symptoms in school-aged children and adolescents. Child and Adolescent. Mental Health and Psychopathology, 3 (IKEEART-2020-3573), 71–95.