Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale – KADS-11
A self-report scale designed to screen for and measure the severity of depression in adolescents.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale – KADS-11 was developed by Stan Kutcher (2003). It is designed to measure Adolescent Depression. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 11 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Depression, Suicidality.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Depression | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 | 10 |
| Suicidality | 11 | 1 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Hardly ever (Item 11: No thoughts, plans, or actions), 1 = Much of the time (Item 11: Occasional thoughts, no plans or actions), 2 = Most of the time (Item 11: Frequent thoughts, no plans or actions), 3 = All the time (Item 11: Plans and/or actions that have hurt).
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 33. Interpretation guidelines:
- Minimal or no depressive symptoms: 0 – 8
- Clinically significant depressive symptoms (possible depression): 9 – 33
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in source text.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.