Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C)

Abstract

The Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C) is an 18-item instrument designed by Peter Birleson in 1978. Developed initially from a longer 37-item inventory, the DSRS-C functions as a self-rating scale intended to screen for and measure the severity of moderate to severe depression in childhood and adolescence (ages 8 to 14). The scale is grounded in an operational definition of depressive disorder, focusing on affective behavioral patterns that result in functional impairment. While not intended as a definitive diagnostic tool, the DSRS-C is widely used by health professionals as a quick and cost-effective screening measure due to its satisfactory psychometric properties, including strong reliability and validity across both clinical and community samples.

Keywords

Birleson Scale, DSRS-C, Depression, Child, Adolescent, Self-rating, Screening tool, Affective disorder, Psychometrics, Functional impairment.

Authors

Peter Birleson

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C) is to measure the severity and direction of depressive disturbances experienced by children and adolescents, specifically focusing on the previous week. It was developed to provide a standardized, quantifiable measure of depressive symptomatology in young populations.

It is crucial to note that the DSRS-C was explicitly designed to measure moderate to severe depression and was never intended to serve as a comprehensive diagnostic tool for major depressive disorder. Because the instrument lacks assessment of other symptoms, developmental status, or contextual history of disturbances, health professionals primarily utilize the DSRS-C as an efficient, initial screener before proceeding to more costly and time-intensive diagnostic evaluations. The scale is freely available and accessible to the public, facilitating widespread use in clinical and research settings.

Construct

The DSRS-C is designed to measure the psychological construct of depressive disorder in children and adolescents, based on an operational definition established during its development. This definition implies a specific affective behavior pattern characterized by sufficient duration and severity to cause significant impairment in the child’s or adolescent’s ability to effectively function within their environment.

The 18 items assess various manifestations of this disturbance, including mood states, somatic complaints, and behavioral changes associated with depression. Responses are structured to capture the frequency of these disturbances over the past week, allowing for a quantitative assessment of the intensity of depressive tendencies.

Validity

The development process of the DSRS-C demonstrated sound evidence for its validity. The final 18-item scale was derived empirically from an initial 37-item inventory. The retained 18 items were those found to significantly and statistically separate depressed groups from non-depressed control groups (Birleson, 1981; Birleson, et al. 1987). This empirical selection process supports the scale’s ability to measure the intended construct of depressive symptomatology.

The DSRS-C has demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties regarding validity when administered in diverse settings, including clinical samples and community samples (Kaplan, Hong, & Weingold, 1984). However, limitations inherent to self-rating scales must be considered. Since the DSRS-C relies on self-report, the validity of responses can be influenced by the child’s current mood state, external situational factors, or the tendency of younger children to under- or overestimate their feelings. Establishing strong rapport during administration is therefore recommended to potentially increase response validity (Birleson, et al. 1987).

Reliability

The DSRS-C has exhibited satisfactory reliability across multiple studies. Individual item correlations within the scale were reported to range substantially, between .65 and .95, indicating that the items generally measure a consistent underlying construct.

Specific reliability coefficients reported by Birleson (1981) include:

• Test-Retest Reliability: For the maladjustment group, the test-retest reliability coefficient was found to be .80, demonstrating a highly satisfactory degree of stability over time.
• Internal Consistency: Estimated using the split-half reliability coefficient, the internal consistency was found to be .86, suggesting strong homogeneity among the items.

Factor Analysis

While the source documentation does not detail a formal factor analysis (such as Principal Component Analysis or Confirmatory Factor Analysis), the scale’s structure was determined by a rigorous empirical process. The 18 items comprising the final DSRS-C were selected based on their statistical ability to discriminate significantly between clinically depressed children and control groups, confirming their relevance to the depressive construct being measured. This methodology ensured that the retained items contributed meaningfully to the overall score and the scale’s clinical utility as a measure of depressive severity.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-rating scale / Screening instrument

Format: 18-item inventory requiring subjects to select one of three frequency options.

Language Available: English (original), Arabic, Arabic (Syria), Chinese, Dari, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Khmer, Norwegian, Pashto, and Russian. (Note: Not all translated versions have been fully psychometrically evaluated.)

Population Group: Children and Adolescents

Age Group: 8 to 14 years of age

Population Details: Used effectively in both clinical and community samples.

Test Methodology: Subjects rate the frequency of disturbance felt in the past week using the options: “Most of the time,” “Sometimes,” or “Never.” Scores are assigned 2, 1, or 0, with scoring directionally weighted toward disturbance. The maximum score is 36.

Keywords

DSRS-C, Child depression, Adolescent depression, Self-report, Psychological assessment, Clinical screening, Psychometric reliability, Pediatric mental health.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Peter Birleson, formerly associated with the University of Edinburgh (M. Phil. Thesis, 1978).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The DSRS-C is reported to be a freely available tool accessible to the public, requiring no fee for administration or access. The scale was originally developed and published based on research conducted in 1978 and 1981.

Test Year: 1978 (Initial Development) and 1981 (18-item version validation).

Reference’s

• Denda, K., Kako, Y., Kitagawa, N., & Koyama, T. (2006). Assessment of Depressive Symptoms in Japanese School Children and Adolescents using the Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale. Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 36, (2), 231-24. doi: 10.2190/3YCX-H0MT-49DK-C61Q
• Birleson, P. (1978). A Self-Rating Scale for Depressive Disorder in Childhood. M. Phil. Thesis, University of Edinburgh.
• Birleson, P. (1980). Teenage Suicide. Journal of Maternal and Child Health, 5, 238-245.
• Birleson, P. (1981). The Validity OF Depressive Disorder in Childhood and the Development of a Self-Rating Scale: A Research Report. Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry, 22, 73-88.
• Birmaher, B. R., Williamson, D. E., et al. (1996). Childhood and Adolescent Depression: A Review of the Past Ten Years, Part I. Journal of Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 35, 1427-1439.
• Kaplan, S. L., Hong, G. K., & Weinhold, C. (1984). Epidemiology of Depressive Symptomatology in Adolescents. Journal of American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 140, 620-622.

Items of the Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C)

The DSRS-C is comprised of 18 items. Subjects respond using a three-point frequency scale: “Most of the time,” “Sometimes,” or “Never.” The scoring is directional, yielding a maximum total score of 36.

The specific wording for all 18 items is not provided in the source material; however, the scoring methodology and examples are detailed below:

General Scoring Rules (0, 1, or 2):

• Responses are scored in the direction of disturbance (higher score = more depression).
• Depressive items (e.g., “I feel so sad I can hardly stand it”) score 2 for high frequency.
• Neutral or somatic items (e.g., “I get tummy aches”) score 1 for moderate frequency.
• Non-depressive or positive items (e.g., “I look forward to things as much as I used to”) score 0 for high frequency.

Specific Item Scoring Directions:

• Reverse Scored Items (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 16): These items reflect positive or non-depressive states.
  • ‘Mostly’ scores 0
  • ‘Sometimes’ scores 1
  • ‘Never’ scores 2
• Direct Scored Items (3, 5, 6, 10, 14, 15, 17, and 18): These items reflect depressive states.
  • ‘Mostly’ scores 2
  • ‘Sometimes’ scores 1
  • ‘Never’ scores 0