Psychology RootsTable of Contents
DSM Screener for Depression
Here in this post, we are sharing the “DSM Screener for Depression”. You can read psychometric and Author information. We have thousands of Scales and questionnaires in our collection (See Scales and Questionnaires). You can demand us any scale and questionnaires related to psychology through our community, and we will provide you with a short time. Keep visiting Psychology Roots.
About DSM Screener for Depression
Scale Name
DSM Screener for Depression
Author Details
Robert E. Roberts
Translation Availability
English
Background/Description
The DSM Screener for Depression, developed by Robert E. Roberts in 1993, is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure depression in middle school students (grades 6-8, ages 11-14), incorporating diagnostic criteria for depressive disorders as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R). Published in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the screener was created to identify depressive symptoms and potential “caseness” (meeting DSM-III-R criteria for a depressive disorder) in community and clinical settings. It can be analyzed dichotomously to determine caseness or as a continuous scale to assess symptom severity, making it versatile for both screening and research purposes. The tool was pretested in a primary care clinic to ensure applicability across diverse adolescent populations.
The screener comprises 26 items covering DSM-III-R symptoms of depression, such as sadness, anhedonia, sleep disturbances, and suicidal ideation (e.g., “I feel sad most of the time”). Items are rated on a frequency scale (e.g., 0 = “never” to 3 = “most of the time”), with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptomology. For caseness, responses are scored against DSM-III-R criteria for Major Depressive Disorder or Dysthymia, requiring specific symptom counts and duration. Total scale scores range from 0 to 78, with cutoffs established for clinical significance. Validated in a multiethnic sample, including Hispanic, African-American, and Anglo adolescents, the screener is particularly suited for urban school settings.
Psychologists, clinicians, and school counselors use the DSM Screener to identify at-risk students, guide referrals for mental health services, and evaluate intervention outcomes in depression prevention programs. Its high internal consistency and alignment with DSM criteria enhance its utility, though its English-only availability, focus on middle schoolers, and reliance on self-reports may limit broader application.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Obtain a copy of the DSM Screener for Depression from primary sources, such as Roberts (1993) in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry or authorized research archives, ensuring ethical use permissions.
- Explain the purpose to respondents, noting that it assesses feelings and behaviors related to depression to support mental health, emphasizing confidentiality and using age-appropriate language.
- Provide instructions, asking students to rate each of the 26 items based on how often they experienced symptoms over a specified period (e.g., past two weeks), using the frequency scale.
- Approximate time for completion is 10-15 minutes, depending on reading ability and emotional processing.
- Administer in a classroom, clinical, or counseling setting, using paper or digital formats, ensuring a private, supportive environment to promote honest responses.
Reliability and Validity
The DSM Screener for Depression exhibits strong psychometric properties, as reported by Roberts, Roberts, and Chen (1995). Internal consistency is excellent, with Cronbach’s alpha above 0.90 for most subgroups (e.g., by ethnicity and gender), indicating high item cohesion across diverse samples. Test-retest reliability is not explicitly reported but is inferred to be moderate to high based on its use in structured studies and clinic pretesting.
Convergent validity is supported by correlations with established depression measures, such as the Children’s Depression Inventory (r ≈ 0.70-0.85), and clinical diagnoses of depression (r ≈ 0.60-0.75). Discriminant validity is evidenced by weaker correlations with unrelated constructs, such as externalizing behaviors (r < 0.30). Criterion validity is demonstrated by its ability to accurately identify DSM-III-R caseness, with sensitivity and specificity above 80% in clinic samples, and its sensitivity to intervention outcomes in prevention programs. Factor analyses confirm a unidimensional structure aligned with DSM-III-R depressive symptoms, supporting construct validity. These properties affirm the screener’s reliability and utility in both clinical and research settings, particularly for identifying depression in adolescents.
Available Versions
26-Items
Reference
Lewinsohn, P. M., Hops, H., Roberts, R. E., Seeley, J. R., & Andrews, J. A. (1993). Adolescent psychopathology: I. Prevalence and incidence of depression and other DSM-III—R disorders in high school students. Journal of abnormal psychology, 102(1), 133.
Roberts, R. E., Roberts, C. R., & Chen, Y. R. (1997). Ethnocultural differences in prevalence of adolescent depression. American journal of community psychology, 25, 95-110.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the DSM Screener for Depression measure?
It measures depressive symptoms and DSM-III-R caseness in middle school students.
Who can use the screener?
Psychologists, clinicians, and school counselors screening for adolescent depression.
How long does the screener take to complete?
It takes about 10-15 minutes.
Is the screener specific to middle schoolers?
Yes, it targets grades 6-8 in diverse urban settings.
Can the screener inform mental health interventions?
Yes, it identifies at-risk students and evaluates intervention outcomes effectively.
Disclaimer
Please note that Psychology Roots does not have the right to grant permission for the use of any psychological scales or assessments listed on its website. To use any scale or assessment, you must obtain permission directly from the author or translator of the tool. Psychology Roots provides information about various tools and their administration procedures, but it is your responsibility to obtain proper permissions before using any scale or assessment. If you need further information about an author’s contact details, please submit a query to the Psychology Roots team.
Help Us Improve This Article
Have you discovered an inaccuracy? We put out great effort to give accurate and scientifically trustworthy information to our readers. Please notify us if you discover any typographical or grammatical errors.
Make a comment. We acknowledge and appreciate your efforts.
Share With Us
If you have any scale or any material related to psychology kindly share it with us at psychologyroots@gmail.com. We help others on behalf of you.
