Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale - Parent Version

The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale – Parent Version (RCADS-P) is a comprehensive observer-rated instrument designed to capture a caregiver’s…

Questions: 47
Duration: 10 min
Original title: Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale - Parent Version
Adaptation: Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale - Parent Version
Authors: Bruce F. Chorpita
Created: 2003

The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale – Parent Version (RCADS-P) is a comprehensive observer-rated instrument designed to capture a caregiver’s perspective on a youth's internalizing symptoms. By surveying behaviors and emotional expressions related to anxiety and low mood, it provides a structured window into difficulties that might otherwise be hard for a young person to articulate directly.

For clinicians, the RCADS-P serves as a highly valuable tool for building a complete cognitive case formulation. Relying solely on a child's self-report can sometimes miss subtle behavioral signs of distress, whereas parent observations can highlight specific triggers, avoidance patterns, or signs of distressing automatic thoughts. Understanding how CBT maintaining processes operate within the family dynamic ensures a much more nuanced view of the child's daily functioning.

As a repeatable and validated measure, the RCADS-P allows practitioners to track symptom fluctuation over the course of therapy. Whether assessing the frequency of somatic complaints or the emergence of depressive signs, this instrument provides reliable data to guide clinical decision-making and collaboratively adjust interventions with the family.

Example result

Fictitious result, computed from a sample set of answers.

Overall score

69/ 141

The RCADS-P is a 47-item questionnaire completed by the parent (or caregiver) to assess the frequency of anxiety and depressive symptoms in a child or adolescent (generally aged 8 to 18 years), in accordance with DSM criteria. It assesses six dimensions: separation anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and major depressive disorder.

0141

Scoring

Sum by subscale, total score from 0 to 141, each item is scored on a 4-point scale (from 0 to 3).

Official interpretation by sex and grade level (UCLA)

Sex

Grade level

Total score (anxiety + depression)69 / 141clinical threshold reached

04349141

Total anxiety56 / 111clinical threshold reached

03742111

Separation Anxiety Disorder2 / 21within the normal range

091121

Generalized Anxiety Disorder5 / 18within the normal range

091018

Social Phobia21 / 27clinical threshold reached

0151727

Panic Disorder16 / 27clinical threshold reached

05627

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder12 / 18clinical threshold reached

06718

Major Depressive Disorder13 / 30clinical threshold reached

081030

The shaded areas for each scale are expressed in raw scores: for the selected sex and grade level, the amber zone begins at the first raw score that reaches a T-score of 65 in the official UCLA conversion tables (clinical borderline range according to the authors, approximately the top 7% of non-referred youth) and the pink zone at the first raw score that reaches a T-score of 70 (clinical threshold, approximately the top 2%). The T-score (mean 50, standard deviation 10 in the reference group of the same sex and grade) is only used to derive these intervals — table reading is direct, never interpolated.

RCADS (2023)View the study ↗· T 65/70 : Chorpita et al. (2021)View the study ↗

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What the test measures

The RCADS-P maps a broad spectrum of internalizing symptoms, breaking them down into specific dimensions of anxiety and depression. It covers the following clinical facets:

Separation Anxiety: Distress surrounding being away from caregivers or sleeping alone.
Generalized Anxiety: Pervasive worries about future events, performance, or everyday situations.
Social Phobia: Fear of negative evaluation, speaking in public, or joining groups.
Panic Symptoms: Sudden, unexpected physiological surges of fear, such as shortness of breath or a racing heart.
Obsessive-Compulsive Traits: Intrusive, unwanted thoughts and repetitive checking or organizing behaviors.
Major Depressive Symptoms: Pervasive sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, and feelings of worthlessness.

This multidimensional profile is intended for use with caregivers of children and adolescents experiencing emotional or behavioral difficulties.

When and why to use it

Clinicians typically deploy the RCADS-P to gather structured collateral information from caregivers at various stages of therapeutic care. Its primary clinical indications include:

Intake baseline: establishing a comprehensive overview of the youth's presenting symptoms before initiating treatment.
Monitoring change: administering the scale periodically to evaluate whether interventions are effectively reducing symptom frequency.
Mapping avoidance: identifying situations the child consistently evades to help stop avoidance behavior through targeted exposure.
Differential support: distinguishing between distinct clusters of anxiety and identifying patterns of harmful rumination to tailor psychoeducation for the family.

Having a standardized score from a parent adds crucial behavioral context that complements the child's own report and the clinician's direct observations, moving beyond general clinical impression.

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The questions

How often does each of these situations happen to your child? 1. Answer the items based on the past month or the time elapsed since your child's last appointment. 2. Use the scale located at the top of the table. 3. Answer each item by checking the box that best corresponds to your child's situation.
1. My child worries about different things.
Probes the presence of pervasive and generalized anxious apprehension.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
2. My child feels sad or empty.
Evaluates the caregiver's observation of core depressive affect.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
3. When my child has a problem, they get a funny feeling in their stomach.
Assesses somatic manifestations commonly linked to emotional distress.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
4. My child worries when they think they have done something badly.
Examines performance-related anxiety and fear of failure.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
5. My child is afraid of being home alone.
Probes separation anxiety regarding the absence of immediate caregiver proximity.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
6. Nothing is fun for my child anymore.
Evaluates signs of anhedonia and loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
7. My child feels scared when they have to take a test.
Assesses specific situational anxiety related to academic evaluation.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
8. My child worries when they think someone is angry with them.
Probes interpersonal anxiety and sensitivity to perceived rejection.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
9. My child worries about being away from me.
Examines the core feature of separation anxiety regarding parental detachment.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
10. My child is bothered by bad or silly thoughts or pictures in their mind.
Assesses the presence of intrusive, potentially obsessive cognitive phenomena.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
11. My child has trouble sleeping.
Evaluates sleep disturbances which frequently accompany both anxiety and depression.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
12. My child worries about doing their schoolwork badly.
Probes social anxiety and the fear of negative evaluation by peers or adults.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
13. My child worries that something awful will happen to a family member.
Examines self-doubt and anxious apprehension regarding personal competence.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
14. My child suddenly feels like they can't breathe when there is no reason for it.
Assesses unexpected fear surges characteristic of panic symptoms.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
15. My child has problems with their appetite.
Evaluates pervasive fatigue, a common somatic symptom of depression.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
16. My child has to keep checking that they have done things right (like checking if the light is off or if the door is locked).
Probes compulsive checking behaviors used to neutralize anxious uncertainty.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
17. My child feels scared if they have to sleep alone.
Examines social inhibition and fear of group integration.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
18. My child has trouble going to school in the morning because they feel nervous or scared.
Assesses nighttime separation anxiety and dependence on parental presence for sleep.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
19. My child has no energy for things.
Evaluates cognitive disruption often secondary to low mood or high anxiety.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
20. My child worries about looking silly.
Probes general behavioral inhibition and temperamental social reticence.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
21. My child is very tired.
Examines feelings of inadequacy and low self-worth.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
22. My child worries that bad things will happen to them.
Assesses anticipatory anxiety and apprehension about unknown future events.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
23. My child seems unable to get bad or silly thoughts out of their head.
Probes ritualistic or compulsive behaviors aimed at managing distress.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
24. When my child has a problem, their heart beats very fast.
Evaluates unexpected respiratory panic symptoms.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
25. My child can't think clearly.
Assesses core depressive cognitions related to extreme self-devaluation.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
26. My child suddenly starts to tremble or shake for no reason.
Probes unexpected motor manifestations of panic or severe anxiety.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
27. My child worries that something bad will happen to them.
Evaluates the general presence of a pervasive fear response.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
28. When my child has a problem, they tremble or shake.
Assesses unexpected cardiovascular symptoms indicative of panic.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
29. My child feels like they are worthless.
Probes observable behavioral expressions of sadness or emotional overwhelm.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
30. My child worries about making mistakes.
Examines performance-based social anxiety.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
31. My child has to think of special thoughts (like numbers or words) to stop bad things from happening.
Assesses the persistence of intrusive, unmanageable anxious or obsessive thoughts.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
32. My child worries about what other people think of them.
Probes social anxiety triggered by unfamiliar interpersonal encounters.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
33. My child is afraid of being in crowded places (like shopping malls, movie theaters, buses, or crowded schoolyards).
Evaluates school-related apprehension which may stem from separation or social fears.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
34. My child suddenly feels a strong fear for no reason at all.
Assesses sudden vestibular panic symptoms.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
35. My child worries about what is going to happen.
Examines generalized concern over meeting expectations or standards.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
36. My child suddenly gets dizzy or faint for no reason.
Probes unexpected somatic panic symptoms affecting the throat.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
37. My child thinks about death.
Evaluates the presence of morbid ideation or existential depressive thoughts.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
38. My child is scared if they have to speak in front of the class.
Assesses broad social apprehension across different age groups.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
39. My child's heart suddenly starts to beat too fast for no reason.
Evaluates unexpected neurological-like panic symptoms, such as paresthesia.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
40. My child feels like they don't want to move.
Probes psychomotor agitation commonly seen in anxiety and depression.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
41. My child worries about suddenly feeling scared when there is nothing to be afraid of.
Examines the specific social fear of embarrassment or humiliation.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
42. My child has to do some things over and over again (like wash their hands, clean, or put things in a certain order).
Assesses perfectionistic compulsions and rigidity.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
43. My child is scared of looking silly in front of people.
Probes agoraphobic-like fears or social overwhelm in busy environments.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
44. My child has to do some things in a certain way to stop bad things from happening.
Evaluates covert mental compulsions used to prevent feared outcomes.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
45. My child worries when they go to bed at night.
Assesses nocturnal anxiety often linked to separation or fear of the dark.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
46. My child would be scared if they had to spend the night away from home.
Probes generalized vulnerability and anticipation of harm.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
47. My child feels restless.
Evaluates a sense of impending doom or depressive pessimism about the future.
- Never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always