The Development of Computerized Screening Tool for Depressed Mood in Thai Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Objective

: To develop computerized screening tool for depressed mood in Thai children and adolescents or cCDI and test its validity and reliability

Method

: This research was a psychometric study of the computerized Children’s Depression Inventory (cCDI). A group of fifty-four depressed patients and another group of fifty non depressed patients, who were diagnosed by clinicians according to DSM IV TR criteria as a gold standard, have self-test the computerized Thai Children’s Depression Inventory (cCDI). The comparison of means between two independent groups, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value for Criterion Validity at a cut- off point of 15 and content validity indexes were performed to determine the validity. Cronbach’s alpha for Internal Consistency were calculated for the result of reliability.

Result

: For criterion validity using a cut-off point of 15, this had sensitivity of 77.8% specificity of 74.0% and positive predictive value of 76.4%. The content validity index of context is 1.0 and content validity index of pictures is 0.839. The internal consistency was demonstrated by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.864

Conclusion

: The computerized Children’s Depression Inventory (cCDI) has a good internal consistency. The criterion validity showed high sensitivity and content validity indexes and medium specificity that somehow this tool is fit to be a screening one.