Validation of the Major Depressive Disorder Subscale (MDDS) of the Revised Child Anxiety & Depression Scale (RCADS) in a Sample of Jamaican and Barbadian Elementary School Children

Abstract

Background: Research on depression among Caribbean children has been limited by the lack of valid and reliable screening measures of depression. Aims: This project explores the reliability and the validity of the Major Depressive Disorder sub-scale (MDDS) of the Revised Child Anxiety & Depression Scale (RCADS), in a group of students attending elementary schools in Jamaica and Barbados. Method: Students enrolled in grade six (n = 759; 50.9% females, 49.1% males; mean age = 10.7 years + 0.66) were administered the Revised Child Anxiety & Depression Scale -Major Depressive Disorder sub-scale (RCADS-MDDS) along with the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale- 11 (KADS-11), the Adolescent Depression Rating Scale (ADRS) the Visual Analogue Scale – State Anxiety (VAS-SA) and the Visual Analogue Scale – Trait Anxiety (VAS-TA). The study cohort was divided into private and public elementary school students prior to analyses. A cross validation method was utilised to explore the psychometric properties of the scales by first, conducting analyses using the public school students’ responses and then replicated using those of their private school peers. Results: Overall, the RCADS-MDDS was found to have an acceptable level of internal consistency reliability (α = 0.70, public: α = 0.76, private). The scale also had good concurrent validity as evidenced by strong correlations with scores on the KADS-11 and the ADRS and acceptable discriminant validity as demonstrated by weak correlations with the VAS-SA and the VAS-TA scores. Conclusion: The RCADS-MDDS is a valid screening measure for depression among elementary school children in Jamaica and Barbados.