Instrument | Items, n2 | Time Frame of Questions | Score Range | Usual Cut-Point 3 | Literacy Level 4 | Administration Time, min |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beck Depression Inventory | 21 | Today | 0-63 | Mild, 10; moderate, 20; severe, 30 | Easy | 2-5 |
Center for Epidemiologic Study Depression Screen | 20 | Past week | 0-60 | 16 | Easy | 2-5 |
General Health Questionnaire | 28 | Past few weeks | 0-28 | 4 | Easy | 5-10 |
Medical Outcomes Study Depression Screen | 8 | Past week | 0-1 | 0.06 | Average | < 2 |
Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders | 2 | Past month | 0-2 | 1 | Average | < 2 |
Symptom Driven Diagnostic System-Primary Care | 5 | Past month | 0-4 | 2 | Easy | < 2 |
Zung Self-Assessment Depression Scale | 20 | Recently | 25-100 | Mild, 50; moderate, 60; severe, 70 | Easy | 2-5 |
1 Adapted from reference 10.
2 Item numbers for the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders and the Symptom Driven Diagnostic System-Primary Care refer to depression questions only. Several instruments now have shortened versions as well.
3 The cut-point is the number at or above which the test is considered positive.
4 "Easy" is a third- to fifth-grade reading level, and "average" is a sixth- to ninth-grade reading level, according to the fog formula.