Which instrument is designed to measure depression in children and adolescents?

• A. Children's Depression Inventory
• B. Beck Depression Inventory
• C. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale
• D. Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale

Answer: (A)

Measuring depression in young people requires an instrument that is validated for children and adolescents. The Children's Depression Inventory is a self-report questionnaire created specifically for youths around ages 7 to 17 to screen for depressive symptoms and to gauge severity. Its items focus on mood-related symptoms, enjoyment, school functioning, and somatic complaints, with responses that reflect how often each symptom has been experienced. Because it was developed for younger populations and tested in pediatric samples, it provides a reliable and valid way to identify depression in children and track changes over time or in response to treatment. The other scales were designed for adults or require clinician administration, so they aren’t optimized for the developmental and clinical needs of children and adolescents.