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Test description · Social-emotional and behavior

CDI 2 in plain English.

Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition. Depression ratings from the student, parent and teacher, read from the text summary.

CategorySocial-emotional and behavior
Ages7 to 17 (self-report, parent and teacher forms)

What it measures

The CDI 2 looks at signs of low mood in school-age students: feeling down, physical symptoms, negative views of self, trouble with daily functioning, feeling ineffective, and difficulty with peers. The student, a parent and a teacher can each complete a form.

Who it is for

Evaluators who want a structured look at depressive symptoms as part of a social-emotional evaluation. It is a rating tool, not a diagnosis.

Scores it reports

  • T-scores (average 50)
  • Total Score, Emotional Problems, Functional Problems
  • Self-report subscales: Negative Mood/Physical Symptoms, Negative Self-Esteem, Ineffectiveness, Interpersonal Problems
  • Percentiles and the printed score range

What the score card looks like

The AUTOMATA score entry card for the CDI 2, filled in with made-up scores for a fictional student, showing each score with its percentile and descriptor.
The CDI 2 score card in AUTOMATA. Fictional student, made-up scores.

How AUTOMATA reads it

  • Reads the sentences in the report's Text Summary of Scores, which come through intact in either text layout.
  • Self-report, Parent and Teacher each stay their own set.
  • Parent and Teacher forms report the Total plus Emotional Problems and Functional Problems.
  • Dates are filled in per rater.
  • Reads the printed score report (PDF text layer, or a photo or scan of that printout).
  • Checks the student name and birth date on the page against the case before anything is filled in.
  • Leaves a box blank when a number cannot be read cleanly. It never guesses.
  • Marks every number it read in green so you can check it against the page; a number you type over turns back into a typed score.

What stays with the psychologist

The psychologist reviews and approves every score. Nothing is written into a report until you approve it.

In plain English for families

This is a set of questions about mood and daily life. A raised score is a reason to look more closely. It does not diagnose depression by itself.

Questions

Does it read all three raters?

Yes: student, parent and teacher.

Does it decide a diagnosis?

No. The psychologist interprets the scores.

What if a score is missing from the report?

The box stays blank.

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This page is a general summary for families and practitioners, not a substitute for the publisher's manual. Test names are trademarks of their publishers. AUTOMATA is not affiliated with or endorsed by any test publisher. No test items, stimuli or scoring keys appear on this page.