Preliminary Studies of the Reliability and Validity of the Children's Depression Rating Scale

The Children's Depression Rating Scale, revised version (CDRS-R), is a reliable, clinician-rated scale which differentiates the depressed from the nondepressed child. The sum score of the CDRS-R appears to provide a better estimate of depressive symptomatology than does clinical impression. The relationship of the sum of the CDRS-R with global clinical ratings of depression indicates that the scale measures the severity of depression which is its primary purpose. The scale is not affected by the age of the child in our clinical sample, and the content of the items grouped as mood, somatic, subjective, and behavior all show good correlations with depression. The CDRS-R has been shown to be useful in a variety of settings, suggesting it is useful in both primary and secondary depressions.