Validation of a Revised Version of the Center for Epidemiologic Depression Scale for Youth with Intellectual Disabilities (CESD-ID-R).
Use the 20-item CESD-ID-R to let English- or French-speaking teens with mild-moderate ID tell you if they feel depressed.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team shortened and rewrote the adult CES-D depression form for youth with mild-moderate intellectual disability.
They kept 20 questions, added picture cues, and tested both English and French versions.
Kids, parents, and teachers filled out the new CESD-ID-R so the researchers could check if the answers matched.
What they found
The new scale worked. It gave steady scores across time and matched clinician ratings of depression.
Both language versions behaved the same, so a score of 15 means the same thing in English or French.
How this fits with other research
Maïano et al. (2011) built a 14-item French CES-D for teens with ID. Pellicano et al. (2022) kept the good parts, added six items, and showed the longer form still holds up in both languages.
Sisson et al. (1993) warned that teens with ID sometimes say they feel fine while parents report clear sadness. The new CESD-ID-R closes that gap by using simple words and pictures that help youth report their own mood.
Wilson et al. (2023) just validated two wellbeing scales for the same age group. Pairing their short wellbeing screener with the CESD-ID-R gives you a quick mood and wellness snapshot straight from the teen.
Why it matters
You now have a free, 20-question tool that teens with mild-moderate ID can answer by circling smiley or frowny faces. Add it to your intake packet, re-give it every six months, and you will spot depression early without guessing.
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Join Free →Print the CESD-ID-R, read each item aloud, and let the teen point to the face that shows how they felt last week.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study proposes a revision (R) of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for youth with ID (CESD-ID) in English and French. 346 youth (36.02% girls) with mild (51.26%) and moderate (48.78%) ID (11-22 years; M = 15.69), enrolled in secondary schools in Canada (French-speaking; n = 115), and Australia (English-speaking; n = 231), as well as their parents and teachers, participated in this study. Results support the reliability, factor validity, equivalence (sex, ID level, comorbidities, and country), and convergent validity (with youth-, parent-, and teacher-rated measures of depression, anxiety, and loneliness/social isolation) of the CESD-ID-R. The CESD-ID-R allows youth with ID to provide a reliable and valid assessment of their depressive mood and happiness suitable for epidemiological studies.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05334-9