The Major Depression Inventory (MDI) is a self-report mood questionnaire developed by the
World Health Organization. The instrument was constructed by a team led by Professor Per Bech, a psychiatrist based at
Frederiksborg General Hospital in
Denmark. The MDI differs from many other
self-report inventories
A self-report inventory is a type of psychological test in which a person fills out a survey or questionnaire with or without the help of an investigator. Self-report inventories often ask direct questions about personal interests, values, symp ...
, such as the
Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), because it is able to generate an
ICD-10
ICD-10 is the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD), a medical classification list by the World Health Organization (WHO). It contains codes for diseases, signs and symptoms, ...
or
DSM-IV diagnosis of
clinical depression in addition to an estimate of symptom severity.
[Olsen LR, Jensen DV, Noerholm V, Martiny K, Bech P. The internal and external validity of the Major Depression Inventory in measuring severity of depressive states. Psychol Med 2003; 33, 351-356 ]
Unlike many other similar instruments, the MDI is available free of charge and can be downloaded from the internet with a full manual and scoring instructions. This makes it an attractive option in
epidemiological population surveys. It has also been translated into seven languages.
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Scoring
To measure treatment outcome the sum of the ten items is used. A higher score signifies deeper depression.
When using the scale to diagnose depression according to ICD-10, there are the following possibilities:
* Mild depression: A score of 4 or 5 in two of the first three items. Plus a score of at least 3 on two or three of the last seven items.
* Moderate depression: A score of 4 or 5 in two or three of the first three items. Plus a score of at least 3 on four of the last seven items.
* Severe depression: A score of 4 or 5 in all of the first three items. Plus a score of at least 3 on five or more of the last seven items.
* Major depression: The number of items is reduced to nine, as Item 4 is part of Item 5. Include whichever of the two items has the highest score (item 4 or 5). A score on at least five items is required, to be scored as follows: the score on the first three items must be at least 4, and on the other items at least 3. Either Item 1 or 2 must have a score of 4 or 5.
See also
*
Diagnostic classification and rating scales used in psychiatry
References
:*Fawzi, M.H., Fawzi, M.M., Abu-Hindi, W., (2012). Arabic version of the Major Depression Inventory as a diagnostic tool: reliability and concurrent and discriminant validity. East. Mediterr. Health J.;18(4):304-10.
External links
Online version of the Major Depression InventoryWorld Health Organization's Collaborating Centre in Mental Health
{{Depression rating scales
Depression screening and assessment tools