Interpreting the Child Depression Inventory (CDI)

Interpretation of Test Score Patterns: One common clinical practice is to interpret the overall profile of test results according to the most elevated test scores. In such a case, a clinically elevated test score (T-score) is defined as one that is above 65. If no T-scores are above 65, the profile is usually considered to be indicative of a normal pattern. When elevated scores exist, they may appear in just one area indicating a focal point of concern, or several scales may be elevated indicating more pervasive problems.
Note: The school counselors use of the CDI is to be used as a tool to start a dialogue with the student and for parents to use as they wish. Under ideal circumstances, parents would opt to follow up with a professional who can pursue further evaluation if warranted. The Utah Model for Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance states that it is inappropriate for School Counselors to work with one student at a time in a therapeutic, clinical mode. Further direction in emergency situations can be found under two of Weber School Districts Policies: 4195 Emergency Medical Situations; and 4430 Student Testing Prohibition Without Prior Written Notice.

T-Scores: It is important to recognize that the raw test scores are converted to T-scores on the Profile Forms, and to know how T-scores are interpreted. Each scale has a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. As a general rule of thumb, T-scores can be interpreted using the table below. These guidelines describe how an individual childs scores compare to those of children in the same age range and gender from the normative sample. Note that these suggested adjectives are merely approximate guidelines, and there is no reason to believe that there is a perceptible difference, for instance, between a T-score of 55 and a T-score of 56. Do not use these guidelines as absolute rules. Interpretive Guidelines for CDI T-scores T-score Above 70 66 to 70 61 to 65 56 to 60 45 to 55 40 to 44 35 to 39 30 to 34 Below 30
Interpretation of Overall Symptoms/Complaints

Very much above average Much above average Above average Slightly above average Average Slightly below average Below average Much below average Very much below average

It is important to place the Total CDI Score in the correct column on the Profile Form. Example: A male student, age 13-17, with a Total CDI score of 24 would equal a T-Score of 65, thus slightly above average. A female student, age 13-17, with a Total CDI score of 24 would equal a T-score of 73, thus very much above average.

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Interpretation of the Five Factor Scores: One useful way of interpreting the CDI is through the interpretation of the Total and individual Five Factor scores. The Total and Five Factor scores are compared to norms for appropriate groups of children; that is, the transformed scores provide information about how the child compares to children not specifically identified as having a diagnosable depression disorder. High scores suggest a problem while low scores indicate the absence of a problem. Definitions of the Subscales of the CDI Self-Report Five Factors Scale Negative Mood ______Definition_________________________________ This subscale reflects feeling sad, feeling like crying, worrying about bad things, being bothered or upset by things, and being unable to make up ones mind. This subscale reflects problems and difficulties in interactions with people, including trouble getting along with people, social avoidance, and social isolation. This subscale reflects negative evaluation of ones ability and school performance. This subscale reflects endogenous depression, including impaired ability to experience pleasure, loss of energy, problems with sleep and appetite, and a sense of isolation. This subscale reflects low self-esteem, self-dislike, feelings of being unloved, and a tendency to have thoughts of suicide.

Interpersonal Problems

Ineffectiveness Anhedonia

Negative Self-Esteem

CDI Short (CDI:S) Version: The 10-item CDI Short version was developed to provide a more rapid assessment of depressive symptoms. It is appropriate for K-12.

Sources: Childrens Depression Inventory Manual, 2003 Utah Model for Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Utah Code 53A-13-302 Weber School District Policies 4195 and 4430 SAllen 2009; Updated 5/13

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