Systematic Review: The Measurement Properties of the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised in Adolescents With Major Depressive Disorder

Emma Stallwood; Andrea Monsour; Craig Rodrigues; Suneeta Monga; Caroline Terwee; Martin Offringa; Nancy J Butcher

doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2020.10.009

Systematic Review: The Measurement Properties of the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised in Adolescents With Major Depressive Disorder

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2021 Jan;60(1):119-133. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.10.009. Epub 2020 Oct 29.

Authors

Emma Stallwood¹, Andrea Monsour¹, Craig Rodrigues¹, Suneeta Monga², Caroline Terwee³, Martin Offringa⁴, Nancy J Butcher⁵

Affiliations

¹ Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
² Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
³ Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and the Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
⁴ Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: nancy.butcher@sickkids.ca.

PMID: 33130251
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.10.009

Abstract

Objective: To systematically appraise existing evidence of the measurement properties of the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). The CDRS-R is the most commonly used scale in adolescent depression research, yet was originally designed for use in children 6 to 12 years old.

Method: Seven databases were searched for studies that evaluated the measurement properties of the CDRS-R in adolescents (ages 12-18 years). Of 65 studies screened by full-text, 6 were included. Measurement properties were appraised using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines. The COSMIN minimum requirements for recommending the use of an outcome measurement instrument are (1) evidence for sufficient content validity (any level of evidence), and (2) at least low-quality evidence for sufficient internal consistency.

Results: Four studies assessed an English-language version of the CDRS-R; the other 2 assessed German and Korean versions, respectively. No study assessed content validity, cross-cultural validity/measurement invariance, or measurement error of the CDRS-R in adolescents with MDD. Low-quality evidence was found for sufficient construct validity (n = 4 studies) and responsiveness (n = 2 studies) assessed via comparator instruments. Very-low-quality evidence was found for sufficient interrater reliability (n = 2 studies). The results for structural validity (n = 3 studies) and internal consistency (n = 5 studies) were inconclusive.

Conclusion: It remains unclear whether the CDRS-R appropriately measures depressive symptom severity in adolescent MDD. Before use of the CDRS-R in adolescent MDD research can be recommended, evidence of sufficient psychometric properties in adolescents with MDD is needed.

Keywords: Children’s Depression Rating Scale−Revised; adolescent; major depressive disorder; measurement properties; outcome measurement instruments.

Publication types

Review
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child
Depression
Depressive Disorder, Major* / diagnosis
Humans
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychometrics
Reproducibility of Results