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The German version of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children: psychometric evaluation in a population-based survey of 7 to 17 years old children and adolescents – results of the BELLA study

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Abstract

Objectives

To examine the psychometric properties and test the theoretical quality of the German version of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies depression scale for children (CES-DC), a 20-item screening instrument measuring the frequency of parent- and self-reported depressive symptoms in children and adolescents.

Methods

Using a population-based, representative sample of n = 2,863 7 to 17-year-old German children and adolescents, factorial validity were determined by means of linear structural equation modelling. Cross-sectional coefficients of reliability, inter-rater agreement as well as descriptive statistics of the scales were calculated.

Results

In a population-based German sample, the four-factor version of the CES-DC following Radloff (Appl Psychol Meas 1:385–401, 1977) is considered to have good factorial validity and stability across age and informant versions. The main problems of the questionnaire are the high item difficulties, strong floor effects of the scales and low cross-sectional reliability, which are acceptable only for screening purposes. The low inter-rater agreement indicates that parental assessment can replace self-assessment only to a limited degree.

Conclusion

The strengths and weaknesses of the CES-DC are discussed taking previous data and comparable tests into consideration. Particular advantages are the existence of the parent-report form and the adult version, as well as its multifactorial structure. Parental assessment should be supplemented by self-report data whenever possible.

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Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Obstetrics and Paediatrics, Dept. of Psychosomatics in Children and Adolescents, University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, W29, 20246, Hamburg, Germany

    Claus Barkmann,  Michael Erhart &  Michael Schulte-Markwort

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  1. Claus Barkmann
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  2. Michael Erhart
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  3. Michael Schulte-Markwort
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The BELLA Study Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Claus Barkmann.

Additional information

Members of the BELLA Study Group: Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer (Principal Investigator), Claus Barkmann, Susanne Bettge, Monika Bullinger, Manfred Döpfner, Michael Erhart, Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann, Heike Hölling, Franz Resch, Aribert Rothenberger, Michael Schulte-Markwort, Nora Wille, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen.

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Barkmann, C., Erhart, M., Schulte-Markwort, M. et al. The German version of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children: psychometric evaluation in a population-based survey of 7 to 17 years old children and adolescents – results of the BELLA study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 17 (Suppl 1), 116–124 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-008-1013-0

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