BACKGROUND: The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression-Revised (CESD-R) is a widely used tool to screen for depression in the general population. An Arabic version of the CESD-R has not yet been translated and validated. Thus, this article reports the findings of two studies that were conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the CESD-R. METHODS: Both studies were conducted using cross-sectional designs among college students from two large universities in Jordan. A total of 988 students were recruited from University A and 251 from University B. Data were collected using self-report measures of depression, perceived stress, and quality of life. Exploratory factor analysis was performed followed by a series of confirmatory factor analyses to compare different versions of the Arabic CESD-R. Measurement invariance was performed across both samples and gender of participants. RESULTS: The analyses revealed that the goodness-of-fit indices for the 20-item version of the Arabic CESD-R are not supported. Alternatively, a shorter version (CESDR-12) was created and the results supported its reliability, validity, and measurement invariance. This version, compared to a 10-item version, is supported theoretically as the items are more reflective of the DSM-V criteria for diagnosing depression. LIMITATIONS: The specificity and sensitivity of the CESDR-12 were not evaluated in this article. CONCLUSION: The Arabic CESDR-12 is a reliable, valid tool to screen for depression. Considering the prevalence and potential consequences of depression among college students, this tool could be used to identify those at risk and provide timely counseling and interventions.

Rababah, J., Al-Hammouri, M. M., Drew, B. L., Ta’an, W., Alawawdeh, A., Dawood, Z., & Jawhar, W. (2020). Validation of the Arabic version of the center for epidemiologic studies depression-revised: A comparison of the CESD-R and CESDR-12. Journal of Affective Disorders, 274, 450–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.124

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32663975/