The childrens depression scale: Review of Australian and overseas experience

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Abstract
Since the publication of the research editions of the Children's Depression Scale (Lang & Tisher, 1978, 1983), research evaluating its properties has been carried out in the USA, Canada, and Australia as well as in non‐English speaking countries: Japan, India, Italy, Holland, and Spain. The published literature is reviewed. Comparative data for norms are reported and studies of reliability and validity are reviewed. Studies indicate that the scale has good reliability and discriminates between depressed, clinical, and normal samples as well as between depressed and sad children. The subscales are not supported by the psychometric evidence and some items do not show good item‐total correlation. Sex, age, socioeconomic, and parent‐child data are reviewed. The clinical and social implications of the scale are interpreted within a family systems orientation.