Reliability and validity of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale with young adolescents

The current investigation examined the reliability and validity of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS; Reynolds, 1986a) in a sample of 89 young adolescents from an inner-city school. Participants were initially assessed in their classroom with the RADS, and then individually retested with the RADS and interviewed with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (Hamilton, 1967). The internal consistency reliability of the RADS was .91 on the initial assessment and .93 for the retest. The test-retest reliability of the RADS was .87. The correlation between the RADS and the Hamilton interview on the retesting was .76 (p < .001), suggesting a strong level of criterion-related validity. To examine the validity of the RADS in identifying youngsters who demonstrate clinical levels of depressive symptomatology, the clinical efficacy of the RADS cutoff score was examined using depression status as assessed by the Hamilton interview. A phi coefficient of .62 (P < .001) was found, with a sensitivity rate of 89% and specificity of 90%, with an overall correct classification of 90%. Overall, the results of this study suggest jar the RADS provides a reliable and valid assessment of depressive symptomatology in young adolescents. (C) 1998 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.