Validation and normative data on the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale RCADS‐25 in a Swedish national probability sample of children and adolescents aged 4–17 years

Abstract

Abstract Background Mental health problems among children and adolescents are a growing public health concern. Self‐report questionnaires are pivotal for screening and early detection of mental health issues. We evaluate the psychometric properties and provide norm data of the 25‐item child and 25‐item parent‐report versions of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS). Methods A random probability sample of 29,000 children and adolescents (ages 4–17) from the Swedish population registry was invited. Data collection occurred from September 2021 to January 2022, accompanied by one postal and four SMS reminders. Results Participants (N = 7045, 48.98% girls) demonstrate that the RCADS‐25 possesses relatively sound psychometric properties, albeit that the child‐report version assessed with children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 years rendered relatively better psychometric properties (e.g., ω = 0.87–0.92, CFI = 0.89) compared with the parent‐report version and the children 4 to 7 years old (e.g., ω = 0.72–0.82, CFI = 0.84). Conclusion The RCADS‐25 instruments may be used as an effective instrument for the initial assessment of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents in Sweden.

Keywords

• anxiety
• children and adolescents
• depression
• mental health
• RCADS
• screening