The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) is an inventory tool that measures depressive symptoms in children and young adults. The questionnaire consists of a variety of statements describing feelings or behaviors that may manifest as depressive symptoms in children. The subject is asked to indicate how much each statement applies to their recent experiences. The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire is created both in the form of a self-report questionnaire for the child to complete as well as a parent questionnaire. There is a short version (13 questions) and a long version (33 questions) of both child and parent forms of the MFQ. Several peer-reviewed studies have found the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire to be a reliable and valid measure of depression in children.
Question breakdown, scoring and interpretation
The MFQ is scored by summing together the point values of responses for each item. The response choices and their designated point values are as follows:
Scores on the short version of the MFQ range from 0 to 26, while scores on the long version range from 0 to 66. Higher scores on the MFQ suggest more severe depressive symptoms. Scoring a 12 or higher on the short version and a 27 or higher on the long version may indicate the presence of depression in the child.