Preliminary report on reliability and validity of the trait form of the Depression Adjective Check List in a representative community sample

The purpose of this study was to investigate preliminary internal consistency and split-half reliability estimates of the trait form of the Depression Adjective Check List-Form E (DACL-E), as well as to validate three specific adjectives. The sample consisted of 294 residents of 17 inner-city neighborhoods of a large midwestern city, selected through a modified cluster sampling procedure. The Cronbach's alpha and split-half reliability estimates were similar in magnitude for both genders (.88 for males and .85 for females) and were at a level generally found to be reliable. Analyses of the three DACL-E adjectives--"distressed," "safe," and "active"--were related, respectively, to fear of crime (p less than .01), perception of one's safety (p less than .01), and active participation in crime prevention activities (p less than .001).