Peterborough County, ON

Screening Tool: Depression (in Adolescents)

This survey is designed to provide a quick assessment of whether you might have signs and symptoms related to depression. However, no test is 100% accurate. No matter what your score is, you should seek help if you have any concerns about yourself or your loved ones.

 

This questionnaire is the 6-item Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale (KADS-6).

 

Over the last week, how have you been "on average"or "usually" regarding the following:

1. Low mood, sadness, feeling blah or down, depressed, just can't be bothered.
2. Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, letting people down, not being a good person.
3. Feeling tired, feeling fatigued, low in energy, hard to get motivated, have to push to get things done, want to rest or lie down a lot.
4. Feeling that life is not very much fun, not feeling good when usually (before getting sick) would feel good, not getting as much pleasure from fun things as usual (before getting sick)
5. Feeling worried, nervous, panicky, tense, keyed up, anxious.
6. Thoughts, plans or actions about suicide or self-harm.

For more information about this tool:

  • LeBlanc JC, Almudevar A, Brooks SJ, Kutcher S: Screening for Adolescent Depression: Comparison of the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale with the Beck Depression Inventory, Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 2002 Summer; 12(2):113-26. "Further ROC curve analyses established that the overall diagnostic ability of a six-item subscale of the KADS was at least as good as that of the BDI and was better than that of the full-length KADS. Used with a cutoff score of 6, the six-item KADS achieved sensitivity and specificity rates of 92% and 71%, respectively—a combination not achieved by other self-report instruments. The six-item KADS may prove to be an efficient and effective means of ruling out MDE in adolescents."