Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-2lccl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T13:55:35.331Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Children's depression, gender and age norms for an Irish national (primary) school population

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Fiona Meehan ,
Frank Houghton ,
Hilary Cowley ,
Sharon Houghton  and
Kevin Kelleher
Fiona Meehan*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, HSE Mid-West Area, Limerick (while on placement from the Psychology Department, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick)
Frank Houghton
Affiliation:
Limerick Institute of Technology
Hilary Cowley
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, HSE Mid-West Area, Limerick
Sharon Houghton
Affiliation:
CAMHS, HSE Mid-West Area, Limerick
Kevin Kelleher
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, HSE Mid-West Area, Limerick, Ireland
*
Correspondence E-mail: fi_meehan@hotmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: To provide normative data for older national (primary) school children, broken down by age and gender, for the Children's Depression Inventory-Short version (CDI-S) and revised norms for the Children's Depression Inventory-Parent version (CDI-P) and its subscales.

Method: Forty-three randomly selected national schools took part in this study. Participants were 1,255, fifth and sixth class, Irish national school children who completed the Children's Depression Inventory Short Form (CDI-S). In total 1,018 parents completed the corresponding parent form, the Children's Depression Inventory-Parent version (CDI-P).

Results: Norms for the CDI-S and the CDI-P subscales were produced. Revised norms for the CDI-P are proposed. Results revealed no significant age or gender difference in depressive symptomatology as measured by respondent's CDI-S and total CDI-P scores. Parent's ratings of their children's depression levels (CDI-P) and children's self-reported depression levels (CDI-S) were significantly correlated. The CDI-S and CDI-P displayed good internal reliability.

Conclusion: Results indicate the utility of both the CDI-S and the CDI-P for assessing depressive symptoms in national school children in Ireland. This study confirms that national school children do display symptoms of depression. School based policies, materials and services supporting and promoting positive mental health should be developed, implemented and resourced.

Keywords

Children's Depression Inventory Short Form (CDI-S)Children's Depression Inventory Parent form (CDI-P); GenderAge normsPrimary school populationSelf-report
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 25 , Issue 3 , September 2008 , pp. 88 - 94
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Kovacs, M. Rating Scales to assess depression in school aged children. Acta Paedopsychiatrica 1981; 46: 305–315.Google ScholarPubMed
2.Beck, A. Depression: Clinical, experimental, and theoretical aspects. New York: Harper & Row, 1967.Google Scholar
3.Kovacs, M. Children's Depression Inventory: Technical Manual Update. Toronto, ON: Multi Health Systems, 2003.Google Scholar
4.Houghton, F, Cowley, H, Houghton, S, Kelleher, K. The Children's Depression Inventory short form (CDI-S) in an Irish context. Ir J Psychology 2003; 24: 193–198.Google Scholar
5.Houghton, S. Depressive symptomatology in schoolchildren and the mediating role of maternal support: a comparative investigation with children who have been sexually abused. Unpublished D. Clin. Psych. Thesis, University of Dublin, Trinity College, 1998.Google Scholar
6.Kazdin, AE, French, NH, Unis, AS. Child, mother, and father evaluations of depression in psychiatric inpatient children. J Ab Child Psychology 1983; 11: 167–180CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Kazdin, AE, Esveldt-Dawson, K, Unis, AS, Rancurello, MD. Child and parent evaluations of depression and aggression in psychiatric inpatient children. J Ab Child Psychology 1983;11:401–413.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Wierzbicki, M. A parent form of the Children's Depression Inventory: Reliability and validity in nonclinical populations. J Clin Psychology 1987; 43: 390–397.3.0.CO;2-S>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Kazdin, AE, French, NH, Unis, AS, Esveldt-Dawson, K. (1983). Assessment of childhood depression: Correspondence of child and parent rating. J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 1983; 22: 157–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Barrett, ML, Berney, TP, Bhate, Set al.Diagnosing childhood depression: who should be interviewed - parent or child? The Newcastle Child Depression Project. Br J Psychiatry 1991; 159(suppl. 11): 22–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Nguyen, N, Whittlesey, AC, Scimeca, Ket al.Parent-child agreement in prepubetal depression: Findings with a modified assessment method. J Am Acad Child Adol Psychiatry 1994; 33: 1275–1283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Houghton, F, Cowley, H, Houghton, S, Kelleher, K. The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) in Ireland: revision & subscale analysis. Ir J Psychology 2004; 25(1-4): 1–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Rutter, ML. Child psychiatry: The interface between clinical and developmental research. Psychol Med 1986; 16: 151–169.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Fristad, MA, Emery, BL, Beck, SJ. Use and abuse of the Children's Depression Inventory. J Con Clin Psychology 1997; 65: 699–702.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed