Improved Scoring of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale – Revised: An Item Response Theory Analysis

The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale – Revised (CESD-R) is a popular self-report screening measure for depression. A 20-item questionnaire with scores ranging from 0 to 4 for each item, the CESD-R can produce total scores ranging from 0 to 80. However, the typical scoring protocol for the CESD-R restricts the range of possible scores to between 0 and 60 to retain the same range and clinical cutoff scores as the original CES-D. Despite the widespread adoption of this scoring approach, the psychometric impact has never been systematically examined. In an undergraduate and community adult sample (n = 869), item response theory analyses indicated that scoring the CESD-R with all 5 response options (CESD-R_5opt) provided nearly twice as much information about a person’s latent depression for individuals with high levels of depression than did scoring the CESD-R with 4 response options per item (CESD-R_4opt). The CESD-R_5opt retained the strong reliability and factor structure of the CESD-R_4opt and was more sensitive to individual differences for participants at high levels of depression compared to the CESD-R_4opt. Results provide preliminary evidence that researchers and clinicians should score the CESD-R using the full 0-to-80 scale and a clinical cutoff score of 29.