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Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC)

Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) Test

Understand current depression risk and symptom level in about 4 minutes. Built for teens and adults, it supports quick screening and easy progress tracking over time.

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Questions: 204 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

21,964 views

4,504 completions

1,836 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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How the Scales are Structured

example score

25/60

Depression (D)

Measures the severity of depressive symptoms experienced over the past week in children and adolescents.

Low symptoms

Elevated symptoms

0 – 15: Low symptoms | 16 – 60: Elevated symptoms

A score of 25 falls in the Elevated symptoms range, indicating a higher level of depressive symptoms on this screening scale.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Teens feeling low

44%OF USERS

Teenagers who have felt sad, tired, or unmotivated lately use it to quickly check whether their recent symptoms may point to depression.

Parents and caregivers

33%OF USERS

Adults worried about a child’s mood or behavior take it to get a clearer picture of how the last week has been for them and whether follow-up support is needed.

School and clinic screening

23%OF USERS

School counselors, psychologists, and clinicians use it for fast screening and to track changes in symptoms over time when time is limited.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

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Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
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See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

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Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

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Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Depression Scale (DS)

Average

36.5

Normal range

28.6 — 44.5

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It screens for depressive symptoms and estimates current risk level. It focuses on mood, sadness, energy, sleep, appetite, and related signs.

Who is this questionnaire intended for?

It is designed for adolescents starting around ages 10–11 and can also be used with adults. It is suitable for school, community, and clinical screening.

What time period do the questions cover?

Responses refer to how often each symptom occurred during the past week. This time frame supports repeat use to monitor change.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

It contains 20 items and typically takes about 4 minutes to complete. Items use a frequency-based response format.

How should results be interpreted?

Scores indicate symptom level and whether further evaluation may be needed; they do not provide a diagnosis. Elevated scores should prompt follow-up assessment or referral when clinically appropriate.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) Test - Symptoms and Signs

depression

This measure is a brief self-report screening tool for depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) is intended to support early identification of individuals who may benefit from further clinical evaluation.

The questionnaire asks respondents to rate how often symptoms were experienced over the past week, yielding a summary of current symptom burden. It contains 20 items and typically takes about 4 minutes to complete. Weissman, M. is cited as the author.

The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) is commonly used in school, primary care, and outpatient settings to inform triage, monitoring over time, and referral decisions; it is not a standalone diagnostic instrument.

Author: Weissman, M.

Literature: Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Psychological Corporation. 1996.; Cicchetti, D., & Toth, S. L. Child maltreatment. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. 2005.; Radloff, L. S. The CES-D scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement. 1977.; Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families. 2001.

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