Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale
RCADS is a youth self-report or parent-report measure of anxiety and depression symptoms. This page is for clinics. It is not a public test and not a diagnosis.
Overview
What is the RCADS?
The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale yields several anxiety-related subscales plus depression. Child and parent versions exist. It is used in many CAMHS-style pathways as a symptom measure, not a diagnostic interview.
Development and clinical use
Chorpita and colleagues developed RCADS from earlier anxiety scales to align more closely with DSM anxiety and depression constructs in youth. Scoring manuals and T-score guidance are version-specific.
- Informant
- Youth or parent
- Constructs
- Anxiety subscales plus depression
- Typical use
- Symptom monitoring
- Not a diagnostic interview
- Clinician review required
- Form length
- Must be specified
- Clinical role
- Measurement support
Administration
A focused client experience
A young person or parent completes the authorised form. Age, informant, and whether you use the short or long form must be explicit. Results go to a clinician, not a public score page.
- One question at a time with visible progress
- Large keyboard-operable response choices
- Previous, next, and answer-review steps
- Clear confirmation that results go to the clinic
The illustration does not reproduce RCADS items.
Report showcase
Designed to make evidence easy to review
The downloadable synthetic example illustrates report layout using invented response patterns, without patient data or instrument questions.
- Named instrument, version, and provenance
- Item-level response pattern without source wording
- Methodology, references, and clinical boundary
- Responsible clinician review rather than automated conclusions
Clinician review required
Methodology
Understand the measure and its scoring conventions
Official scoring produces subscale scores. This page does not independently verify T-scores or cutoffs. Use the official manual for the form you intend.
References
- RCADS developmentChorpita BF, Yim L, Moffitt C, Umemoto LA, Francis SE. Assessment of symptoms of DSM-IV anxiety and depression in children: a revised child anxiety and depression scale. Behav Res Ther. 2000;38(8):835-855.
Questions
What clinics ask before they evaluate the RCADS
These answers stay inside educational catalogue scope. They do not replace official manuals or clinician judgement.
Does RCADS diagnose anxiety?
No. Subscale scores are measurement support for a clinician, not a disorder label.
Child or parent version?
They are different informants. Name the version and keep it with the result.
Can I complete RCADS here?
No. This landing does not collect answers.
Is the short form the same as the full RCADS?
No. Do not apply one scoring key to the other.