Brief Description
The 6-item Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale (KADS) is a self-report tool designed to assess the frequency of depressive symptoms in adolescents over the past week. Respondents rate how often they have experienced specific feelings or behaviors, such as low mood, feelings of worthlessness, fatigue, lack of enjoyment, anxiety, and thoughts of self-harm, on a scale from "Hardly Ever" to "All of the Time." This scale is particularly useful for screening and identifying young individuals at risk for depression in settings like schools and primary care.
Assessment Administration Type
Child/Adolescent Self-Report
Number of questions
6
Age Range for Administration
Primarily designed for adolescents aged 12-17 years but can be used up to age 22.
Recommended Frequency of Administration
No recommended standard frequency, although the look back period for questions is within the last week; Blueprint recommends administration based on clinical judgment, especially when depressive symptoms are suspected or during routine mental health screenings.
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
The KADS consists of six items rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 to 3. Questions are asked in the context of “Over the last week, how have you been “on average” or “usually” regarding the following…” and include items such as “Low mood, sadness, feeling blah or down, depressed, just can't be bothered” and “Feeling worried, nervous, panicky, tense, keyed up, anxious.”
Response option | Score |
Hardly Ever | 0 |
Much of the time | 1 |
Most of the time | 2 |
All of the time | 3 |
The total score is the sum of all six items, ranging from 0 to 18. Interpretation of total scores is as follows:
Score | Interpretation |
0-5 | Indicates “probably not depressed” |
6-18 | Suggests “possible depression,” indicating a need for a more thorough assessment |
Notably, the last question, which assesses thoughts, plans, or actions about suicide or self-harm, is highly sensitive to suicide risk. Any score of 1 or higher on this item should prompt a more comprehensive suicide risk assessment.
Blueprint Adjustments
N/A
Clinical Considerations
Estimated completion time: 2-3 minutes.
The brevity of the 6-item KADS allows for quick administration, making it suitable for various settings, including schools and primary care.
While the tool is effective for screening, scores indicating possible depression should be followed by a comprehensive clinical assessment.
Be attentive to any indication of suicidal thoughts or self-harm; such responses necessitate immediate attention and intervention.
Citation
Relevant Articles + Further Resources
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