The Mood Disorders Unit (MDU) research team at the Black Dog Institute has been responsible for developing a number of rating scales, including the:
The documents on this page can be downloaded and printed using Adobe Acrobat. 
Developed as part of the Mood Disorders Unit’s research on sub-typing depression. Once depression has been diagnosed, deciding on the sub-type of depression is often useful in deciding on the course of treatment. The total score on the scale allows the most basic distinction to be made between the melancholic (or endogenous) sub-type and the non-melancholic sub-type.
The CORE is an 18-item observer-rated scale which assesses people with depression on three dimensions: retardation, agitation and non-interactiveness. Based on the total score a classification into likely melancholia or not can be made. Apart from the initial development and further refinement, papers describing its factorial structure, reliability, relationship to the dexamethasane suppression test, and use in predicting the outcome of ECT are perhaps the most relevant. The development of the CORE is most comprehensively described in “Melancholia: A Disorder of Movement and Mood” (Cambridge University Press, New York, 1996) while a list of all of the relevant papers can be found in the Publications List.
The CORE measure is reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press. First published Parker and Hadzi-Pavlovic, "Melancholia: A Disorder of Movement and Mood", Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Download the CORE Rating Scale [PDF, 906KB]
A video describing how to rate the items of the CORE is available for purchase.
Developed to measure the principal parental dimensions of care and control. It is an instrument on which people rate the parenting behaviour they received from their parents up to the age of 16. It has been used in many studies world-wode and the original paper is one of the most cited in the psychological and psychiatric literature. See also the MOPS below for a related instrument.
Download the Parental Bonding Instrument [PDF, 45KB] including background information, references, the items and their scoring.
We have provided an annotated bibliography [PDF, 332KB] of most published research using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), incorporating the period since its development up until 1997-1998. The purpose of this is to provide a useful synthesis of PBI-related studies for interested members of the research community. Since this large body of literature continues to grow, with researchers continuing to study the nature of perental bonding and its many facets, the current available research is quite extensive and vast in focus. Thus, we are presently unable to provide a completely up-to-date bibliography (i.e, detailing all 1998-2004 research). It is envisaged, however, that a revised bibliography will be available in the coming years. Details will be posted on this site.
The IBM was developed to measure the levels of care and control expressed between partners in an intimate relationship. It is a self-report measure where partners rate each other.
Download the Intimate Bond Measure [PDF, 44KB] including background information, references, the items and their scoring.
Further information: Associate Professor Kay Wilhelm - k.wilhelm@stvincents.com.au
The MOPS was developed to overcome some shortcomings in the PBI. It is briefer and has a parental abuse scale.
Download the Measure of Parental Style [PDF, 51KB] including some background, references, the items and their scoring.
Assessment of depression in the medically ill is difficult because physical symptoms might be due to either the person’s illness, their depression, or both. To overcome this problem, rating scales need to avoid physical symptoms and focus on other symptoms of depression. The DMI-10 and the DMI-18 have since shown their usefulness in general practice settings, and as a general screening measure.
Download the DMI-10 and DMI-18 [PDF, 90KB] including background information, references, the items and their scoring.
The Black Dog Institute research group has developed its own Bipolar Disorder Screening Tool, which can be used as a self-rating tool that patients complete themselves or with a clinician. The tool can be done online, or downloaded for use in a clinical setting.
Download the Bipolar Disorder Screening Tool [PDF, 98KB]
The LSP was developed to assess those capacities needed for successfully living in the community or institutional settings. While initially intended for people with schizophrenia, it has also been used with other major psychiatric disorders and some organic conditions. The 16-item version is used extensively in Australian mental health data sets. The document provides a brief description of the three versions of the LSP; lists the items in them and how they can be scored; and gives a bibliography of articles citing the LSP. Contacts for further information are listed in the document.
Download the Life Skills Profile [PDF, 217KB]
The Temperament and Personality (T&P) questionnaire identifies a number of personality styles that have been held to predispose to non-melancholic depression (in particular) and that correspond with four of the five factors identified in the well known Five Factor Model (FFM) of normative personality.
Download the 'T&P Questionnaire' [PDF, 381KB]
For further information on any of these research tools, please contact: Professor Gordon Parker - g.parker@unsw.edu.au
This measure was designed as a brief dimensional measure of trait worrying which can be a significant risk to both anxiety and to depression. It is scored dimensionally with the 0, 1, 2 and 3 options for scoring being noted against the relevant anchor points. Thus, total scores range from 0 to 24.
Download the Brief Measure of Worry Severity [PDF, 56 KB]
This questionnaire is designed to identify risk factors known to be associated with perinatal depression and is for use in pregnancy. Developed by Associate Professor Marie-Paule Austin.
Download the 'Antenatal Risk Questionnaire' [PDF, 51 KB]
This questionnaire is designed to identify risk factors known to be associated with perinatal depression and it is for use after the birth of the baby. Developed by Associate Professor Marie-Paule Austin and Dr Susan Priest.
Download the 'Postnatal Risk Questionnaire' [PDF, 68KB]
The Adult Measure of Behavioural Inhibition (AMBI) is a 16-item clinical research instrument developed in order to measure subjective reports of contemporaneous ‘trait’ inhibition. The Retrospective Measure of Behavioural Inhibition (RMBI) is an 18-item instrument for the retrospective reporting (by adults) of remembered inhibited behaviours in childhood (e.g., during the primary school years ages 5 – 13).
Page last updated: 8-Sep-2008
Depression and Bipolar Disorder Information Australia - Black Dog Institute.
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