OBJECTIVES: To improve the breadth and depth of the clinical assessment of depressive symptomatology, a combined interview of the 17-item Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (SIGH-D) and the 30-item Clinician Rated Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-C) was translated into 20 languages. A rigorous methodology ensured conceptual equivalence and cultural relevance across different languages for this clinician-rated instrument. METHODS: For languages where no translation of the existing scales was available, the translation process was conducted by a specialist in each target country in collaboration with the developers of the two instruments using the following methodology: 1) two forward translations and reconciliation; 2) one backward translation; and 3) review by the sponsor’s subsidiaries. For languages where translations of the existing scales were available, these were integrated into the process as appropriate.   RESULTS: Two challenges emerged: 1) The integration of available translations of both existing scales required the challenging compromise of harmonising possible divergence of wording for identical expressions in the originals.  The involvement of the developers of the two existing scales was essential for this step; 2) The translation of the original medical terms and their abbreviations were difficult or impossible to retain in certain target languages and paraphrases approved by the developers had to be used. Examples and solutions will be given during the presentation. CONCLUSIONS: The 20 translations of the combined interview were established according to a rigorous methodology and in collaboration with the developers of the existing scales to ensure conceptual equivalence across languages. The psychometric analysis of the data obtained from the combined interview will be necessary to confirm how these compare to those of the existing scales both in the original and across languages.