psychiatry

Major Depression Inventory (MDI)

Self-report depression scale covering the ICD-10 and DSM-IV depressive symptoms over the past 2 weeks: 12 questions, of which items 8 and 10 each have two parts and only the higher counts, so 10 item scores of 0–5 (total 0–50).

Have you felt low in spirits or sad?*

Have you lost interest in your daily activities?*

Have you felt lacking in energy and strength?*

Have you felt less self-confident?*

Have you had a bad conscience or feelings of guilt?*

Have you felt that life wasn't worth living?*

Have you had difficulties in concentrating, e.g. when reading the newspaper or watching television?*

Have you felt very restless OR subdued / slowed down? (score whichever is higher)*

Have you slept badly?*

Have you had reduced appetite OR increased appetite? (score whichever is higher)*

Score interpretation

Not Depressed 0–20

MDI 0–20 — below threshold for depression diagnosis

→ Psychoeducation; monitor; lifestyle interventions; reassess if symptoms persist or worsen

Mild Depression 21–25

MDI 21–25 — mild depression

→ Low-intensity interventions (guided self-help, CBT); consider antidepressant if persistent; active monitoring every 2 weeks

Moderate Depression 26–30

MDI 26–30 — moderate depression

→ Antidepressant therapy (Adults: SSRI first-line, sertraline 50 mg OD. Children: use a children's formulary.); psychological therapy (CBT); consider psychiatry input; safety assessment

Severe Depression 31–50

MDI ≥31 — severe depression

→ Urgent psychiatry referral; pharmacotherapy with close monitoring; assess suicide risk (C-SSRS); consider hospitalisation if high risk; combination pharmacotherapy + psychotherapy

Interpretation bands for the MDI. Apply clinical judgement and local guidance.

References

Bech P, Rasmussen NA, Olsen LR, Noerholm V, Abildgaard W. The sensitivity and specificity of the Major Depression Inventory, using the Present State Examination as the index of diagnostic validity. J Affect Disord. 2001;66(2-3):159–164.
Bech P, Timmerby N, Martiny K, Lunde M, Soendergaard S. Psychometric evaluation of the Major Depression Inventory (MDI) as depression severity scale using the LEAD (Longitudinal Expert Assessment of All Data) as index of validity. BMC Psychiatry. 2015;15:190.

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.

Calculators

Drugs

Pathways

Decision support only — verify against a current formulary, NICE, or your local guideline before clinical use.

Score interpretation

References

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