Many of the pages in this site use clinical cases to show how the principles and tools work. Information may be approached by phase of treatment, by disorder or clinical issue, via case examples and vignettes, or through lists.
This page lists options for assessment, with an emphasis on the best performing free measures, with evidence of reliability and validity across a range of samples.
PHQ-2 includes the first two questions of the PHQ-9. Screening with the PHQ-2 is only a first step. Patients who screen positive should be further evaluated with the PHQ-9.
PHQ-9 is a brief self-report nine-question instrument for screening, diagnosing, monitoring and measuring the severity of depression.
This is part of the American Association of Pediatrics Mental Health Toolkit. It requires a purchased license.
The instruments described on this page include both interview and self-report measures and may be used to screen, diagnose and/or track treatment outcomes.
These measures should be used to enhance clinical decision-making and not as the sole basis for making a clinical diagnosis. Further information on these measures can be found in DSM–5.
BDI is a 21-item, self-report rating inventory that measures characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression.
CES-DS is a 20-item self-report depression inventory with possible scores ranging from 0 to 60.
CDI is a brief self-report test that helps assess cognitive, affective and behavioral signs of depression in children and adolescents 7 to 17 years of age.
