What is the RCADS?

The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) is a comprehensive assessment tool designed to measure symptoms of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents aged 8-18 years.

Purpose and Use

• Screening: Identify anxiety and depression symptoms in youth
• Assessment: Detailed evaluation of specific anxiety disorders
• Treatment Monitoring: Track symptom changes over time
• Research: Standardized measure for clinical studies

What It Measures

• Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD): 7 items
• Social Phobia (SP): 9 items
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): 6 items
• Panic Disorder (PD): 9 items
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): 6 items
• Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): 10 items

Scoring and Interpretation

• Rating Scale: 0 (Never) to 3 (Always)
• Subscale Scores: Sum of items for each disorder
• T-scores: Standardized scores based on age and gender
• Cutoff Points: T-scores ≥65 suggest clinical significance

Clinical Applications

• Primary Care: Screening for anxiety and depression
• Mental Health: Comprehensive assessment
• Schools: Identifying at-risk students
• Treatment Planning: Target specific symptoms

Psychometric Properties

• Reliability: Strong internal consistency (α > .80)
• Validity: Good convergent and discriminant validity
• Factor Structure: Six-factor model confirmed
• Normative Data: Large community and clinical samples

Advantages

• Comprehensive coverage of anxiety disorders
• Age-appropriate language and content
• Strong psychometric properties
• Normative data available
• Brief administration time

Limitations

• Self-report measure - subject to response bias
• Reading level requirements
• Cultural considerations in interpretation
• May not capture all relevant symptoms