Selecting a depression measure for research: A critical examination of five common self-report scales.

ABSTRACT: Depression is frequently assessed in science, as it is known to contribute to, exacerbate, and result from other health declines, but selecting among numerous depression instruments can be challenging for researchers. Here, we critically examine and compare self-report depression measures, describing theoretical foundations, psychometric features, and performance across diverse populations of adults-salient considerations for selection in research. Five commonly used depression measures were evaluated: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and The Patient Reported Outcome Measures Information System Depression (PROMIS-D). Each measure was cri

SUBMITTER: Perez NB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12696966 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature