Brief Description
The CESD-R is the revised version of the CESD, which was revised to align with the DSM-5. The CESD-R is a measure of depressive symptoms and aligns with the DSM-5 criteria for Depression.
Assessment Administration Type
Adult Self-Report
Number of questions
20
Age Range for Administration
18+
Recommended Frequency of Administration
Weekly
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
The total CESD-R score is calculated as a sum of responses to all 20 questions, which includes a range from 0 to 80, with higher scores indicating the presence of more depressive symptoms.
The 20 items in CESDR scale measure symptoms of depression in nine different groups as defined by the DSM-5. These symptom groups are shown below, with their associated scale question numbers to the right.
Sadness (Dysphoria): Questions 2, 4, and 6
Loss of Interest (Anhedonia): Questions 8 and 10
Appetite: Questions 1 and 18
Sleep: Questions 5, 11, and 19
Thinking/concentration: Questions 3 and 20
Guilt (Worthlessness): Questions 9 and 17
Tired (Fatigue): Questions 7 and 16
Movement (Agitation): Questions 12 and 13
Suicidal ideation: Questions 14 and 15
These categories are included as sub-scale scores on Blueprint to help with symptom tracking.
Blueprint Adjustments
N/A
Clinical Considerations
Administration time: 5-10 minutes
We are using the CESD-R scoring, but if you are interested in making the revised CESD-R have the same score range as the original version (i.e., the ‘CESD style score’), the values for the top two responses are given the same value as follows:
Not at all or less than one day = 0
1-2 days = 1
3-4 days = 2
5-7 days = 3
Nearly every day for 2 weeks = 3
As in the original CESD the range of possible scores is between 0 (for those who say ‘not at all or less than one day to all 20 questions’ and 60 (for those who say ‘5-7 days’ or ‘nearly every day for 2 weeks’ for all 20 questions). This might be a useful modification if you want to compare scores from using the original CESD with the scores generated using the CESD-R.
The determination of possible depressive symptom category is based upon an algorithm with the following logic, combined with clinical assessment and judgment:
Meets criteria for major depressive episode: Anhedonia or dysphoria nearly every day for the past two weeks, plus symptoms in an additional 4 DSM symptom groups noted as occurring nearly every day for the past two weeks
Probable major depressive episode: Anhedonia or dysphoria nearly every day for the past two weeks, plus symptoms in an additional 3 DSM symptom groups reported as occurring either nearly every day for the past two weeks, or 5-7 days in the past week
Possible major depressive episode: Anhedonia or dysphoria nearly every day for the past two weeks, plus symptoms in an additional 2 other DSM symptom groups reported as occurring either nearly every day for the past two weeks, or 5-7 days in the past week
Sub-threshold depression symptoms: People who have a CESD-style score of at least 16 but do not meet above criteria
No clinical significance: People who have a total CESD-style score less than 16 across all 20 questions
Citation
Eaton, W. W., Smith, C., Ybarra, M., Muntaner, C., & Tien, A. (2004). Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale: Review and Revision (CESD and CESD-R). In M. E. Maruish (Ed.), The use of psychological testing for treatment planning and outcomes assessment: Instruments for adults (3rd Ed., pp. 363–377). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Relevant Articles + Further Resources
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