Clinical Evaluation of a Self‐rating Scale for Depressive Disorder in Childhood (Depression Self‐rating Scale)

Abstract

The many conceptual and methodological difficulties involved in evaluating depression rating scales for children are discussed. A clinical validation of the Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRSC) is described. The instrument is easy to use and has a predictive value comparable with that of a psychiatric global rating of depressed appearance and history of depression obtained at interview. There was confirmation that the DSRSC can tap an internal dimension of depression and that children are able to evaluate their feeling states. An examination of misclassified children pointed to diagnostic overlap and some unreliability of diagnosis by clinicians.

Alexithymia in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Relationship to Internalising Difficulties, Sensory Modulation and Social Cognition

“…The total scores range from 0-36, with higher scores indicating greater levels of depression. This questionnaire has good test-retest reliability (r=.80) and internal consistency (α=.86) (Birleson 1981), and discriminates well between clinician-rated depressed and non-depressed children (Birleson et al 1987). In our sample of participants with ASD internal consistency was near acceptable (α=.69).…”

The King's Outcome Scale for Childhood Head Injury and injury severity and outcome measures in children with traumatic brain injury

“…Emotional difficulties were assessed using the Birleson Depression Scale (BDS) 20 and Children's Impact of Events Scale (IES). 21 Behaviour/emotional outcome was not assessed until the participants had emerged from PTA.…”

Community factors influencing child and adolescent depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Observational studies that examined sub-sets of the population (k = 9) included the following: children from politically violent areas in the Gaza Strip and West Bank (Al-Krenawi and Graham, 2012), children of Latin American background (Behnke et al, 2010), children of mothers exposed to partner violence (Kennedy et al, 2010), child soldiers of war (Kohrt et al, 2010); children of African American background (Lambert et al, 2010;Simons et al, 2002), children of African American background who are at risk of or have been abused (Lindsey et al, 2008), children from Hispanic and African American backgrounds (Rosario et al, 2008) (Ialongo et al, 1999); BPI: Behaviour Problems Index (Zill, 1985); BSI: Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis and Melisaratos, 1983); C: Children's reports; CAPA: Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment ; CBCL: Child Behaviour Checklist (Achenbach, 1991); CDI: Child Depression Inventory (Kovacs, 1984); CES-D: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977); CI: Confidence Interval; DAWBA: Development and Well-being Assessment (Goodman and Ford, 2000); DSRS: Depression Self Rating Scale (Birleson et al, 1987); DISC: Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (Shaffer et al, 1993) and children from low-socio-economic backgrounds (Witherspoon et al, 2009). Details of participants in studies examining community interventions are provided in Table 4.…”