The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale 25–Parent Version: Scale Development and Validation in a School-Based and Clinical Sample

Abstract

To help facilitate the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based assessment practices, we examined the psychometric properties of the shortened 25-item version of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale–parent report (RCADS-25-P), which was based on the same items as the previously published shortened 25-item child version. We used two independent samples of youth—a school sample (N = 967, Grades 3-12) and clinical sample (N = 433; 6-18 years)—to examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the RCADS-25-P scale scores. Results revealed that the two-factor structure (i.e., depression and broad anxiety factor) fit the data well in both the school and clinical sample. All reliability estimates, including test–retest indices, exceeded benchmark for good reliability. In the school sample, the RCADS-25-P scale scores converged significantly with related criterion measures and diverged with nonrelated criterion measures. In the clinical sample, the RCADS-25-P scale scores successfully discriminated between those with and without target problem diagnoses. In both samples, child–parent agreement indices were in the expected ranges. Normative data were also reported. The RCADS-25-P thus demonstrated robust psychometric properties across both a school and clinical sample as an effective brief screening instrument to assess for depression and anxiety in children and adolescents.