Measurement Properties of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression Scale in a Homeless Population

The measurement properties of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression Scale (CES–D; "L. S. Radloff, 1977") were evaluated in a probability sample of homeless adults residing in a large and demographically diverse community. The findings from this investigation suggest that the CES–D is a reliable measure of depressive symptoms among homeless adults and that the factor structure of the scale replicates the factor structure found in the general population. Change in the CES–D scores was associated with change in residential status, with participants who had made a transition from homelessness to regular domicile, reporting significantly lower levels of depressive symptomatology. This result indicates the scale's sensitivity to current depressive mood, as affected by significant life events encountered by homeless persons.