Major Depression Inventory (MDI): Assessing Severity

The Major Depression Inventory is a self-report tool that measures depression severity. It helps doctors diagnose conditions and allows patients to track their mood changes over time.

Major Depression Inventory (MDI) PDF assessment form for depression screening
MDI

Major Depression Inventory (MDI)

The Major Depression Inventory (MDI) is a self-report questionnaire that screens for depression and measures severity. Aligned with ICD-10 criteria, it functions as both a diagnostic tool and a rating scale. It helps clinicians monitor symptom changes, making it a practical choice for daily mental health assessment.

Category

Mental health
Diagnostic
Monitoring

Disease

Mental Health
Diagnostics
Assessment

Source

(Bech et al., 2001)

Author Name

Bech, P. et al. (2001)

What is Major Depression Inventory (MDI)

The Major Depression Inventory (MDI) is a trusted self rating tool designed to assess mood disorders. It helps clinicians identify depression severity with accuracy. This questionnaire features ten specific items covering the diagnostic criteria for depression found in both ICD-10 and DSM-IV manuals, serving as a versatile instrument for mental health checks. Patients rate how they have felt over the past two weeks using a scale of six points ranging from 0 to 5, or "at no time" to "all the time." The smart scoring system allows professionals to either calculate a total sum or use an algorithm for a formal diagnosis. It is simple to administer in primary care settings and takes only a few minutes to complete. Since it is free to use, it is a popular choice for tracking treatment progress over time. Clinicians value its ability to distinguish between mild, moderate, and severe depressive states effectively.

MDI Scoring

The Major Depression Inventory can be scored using two main approaches: as a diagnostic tool or a severity measure. 1. Diagnostic Tool: This method uses ICD 10 rules to spot depression types. It checks if core symptoms like low mood exist with other signs. For items with two parts, you stick with the highest rating. 2. Severity Measure: Here, you simply add up the scores from the 10 items to get a total between 0 and 50. Remember to use the higher value for the paired questions. A score over 20 usually suggests mild depression, while anything above 30 indicates a severe state.

View scoring form

Advantages

Diagnostic accuracy

Enables precise identification of patient health status.

Outcome tracking

Measures healthcare intervention results systematically.

Time-saving

Quick completion with minimal burden.

Research validity

Strengthens evidence through systematic measurement approaches.

5
Minutes
20
Questions

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Streamline depression screening with digital MDI collection. Automate scoring and track symptom changes over time.

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