CDI Scores in Pediatric Psychiatric Inpatients: A Brief Retrospective Static Group Comparison

The Children's Depression Inventory is a widely researched and clinically useful measurement tool. However, research on the CDI is limited by an overreliance on outpatient samples. This is unfortunate because the CDI holds potential for use in inpatient settings. Method. This retrospective static group comparison examined the CDI total scores contained in 69 pediatric psychiatric inpatients treated at a large academic medical center. Patients were sorted into static groups (depressive spectrum, nondepressive spectrum) based on their diagnoses at admission. Results. Independent t-tests revealed that the CDI total scores discriminated between patients presenting with depressive spectrum disorders and youngsters admitted with non-depressive disorders. Conclusion. The results suggested that the CDI is a rather dimensional measure, which reflects broad negative affectivity as well as particular depressive symptoms in pediatric psychiatric inpatients.