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RCADS stands for the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, a questionnaire that screens children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 for symptoms of anxiety and low mood. It is a screening and monitoring instrument, not a diagnostic test, and this page is general information about how it is built and scored, not individual advice. Researchers and clinic-based evaluators mostly want to answer three practical questions: which version to use, how a raw score becomes a T-score, and what permission is needed to use it.
What does RCADS stand for, and what is it?
RCADS is the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (the CORC outcome-measures page titles it “Children’s”). It was introduced by Chorpita, Yim, Moffitt, Umemoto and Francis (2000) in Behaviour Research and Therapy, who revised the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale so that its items correspond to several DSM-IV anxiety disorders and major depression. The original factor analysis used a school sample of 1,641 children and adolescents. The measure is copyrighted by Bruce F. Chorpita and Susan H. Spence.
What is the age range for completing the RCADS?
The youth self-report version is for ages 8 to 18. The parent/carer version (RCADS-P) covers the same six subscales and is completed by parents or carers of children aged 8 to 18. The 11-item screener, the RCADS-11, is described by CORC for ages 11 to 17.
What are the outcome measures of the RCADS-child?
The 47-item child self-report yields six subscales and two composites (source: CORC, read 2026-11-07).
- Six subscales: separation anxiety, social phobia, generalised anxiety, panic, obsessions and compulsions (OCD), and low mood (major depression).
- Total Anxiety: the sum of the five anxiety subscales.
- Total Internalizing: the sum of all six subscales.
RCADS versions at a glance
| Version | Items | Respondent and ages | What it reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| RCADS (child) | 47 | Youth self-report, 8-18 | Six subscales, Total Anxiety, Total Internalizing |
| RCADS-P | Parent-report form | Parent or carer of a child aged 8-18 | Same six subscales |
| RCADS-25 | 25 (15 anxiety, 10 depression) | Short form derived from the 47-item scale | Total and subscale converted scores |
| RCADS-11 | 11 (6 anxiety, 5 depression) plus 2 optional impact items | Screener, ages 11-17 | Brief screening score |
The RCADS-25 was built by Ebesutani and colleagues (2012, Psychological Assessment, doi 10.1037/a0027283) using Schmid-Leiman bifactor analysis in a school sample (N = 1,060) and a clinic-referred sample (N = 303). The retained 10-item depression scale had reliability of α = .80 in the clinic sample and α = .79 in the school sample. An adapted version for autism spectrum conditions (ASC-ASD) also exists, per CORC. For the reliability statistic itself, see Cronbach’s alpha.
How do you interpret RCADS scores?
RCADS raw scores are converted to T-scores, which compare a young person with peers of the same school grade. A T-score has a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10 by general statistical convention. CORC gives two reference points:
| T-score | Approximate position among un-referred peers | Label (CORC) |
|---|---|---|
| 65 | About the top 7% | Borderline clinical |
| 70 | About the top 2% | Clinical threshold |
CORC states that the overall thresholds were set against the ADIS-IV-C/P diagnostic interview, while subscale thresholds come from normative data. Scores at or above these points flag symptoms worth a fuller assessment; they do not establish a diagnosis. When using the developers’ scoring spreadsheet or syntax, enter the US school grade (CORC notes this is one below the UK school year), because the norms are grade-based and the wrong grade shifts the T-score.
Worked example: from raw score to T-score
The official tool does this conversion for you with the published norms. The arithmetic below uses made-up norm values (mean 12, SD 6) purely to show the mechanics; they are not RCADS norms.
T = 50 + 10 × z, where z = (raw − norm mean) / norm SD (see z-score).
- Raw 20: z = (20 − 12) / 6 = 1.33, so T = 50 + 10 × 1.33 = 63.3.
- Raw 21: z = (21 − 12) / 6 = 1.50, so T = 65. Under a normal curve about 93.3% of peers score below z = 1.5, which is why T = 65 sits near the top 7%.
- Raw 24: z = (24 − 12) / 6 = 2.00, so T = 70. About 97.7% score below z = 2, matching the top 2% figure.
RCADS scoring in Excel, R or Python
These snippets reproduce only the generic T-score formula for illustration. They are not the official scoring tool; use the developers’ spreadsheet or syntax for real data.
Excel (raw in B2, norm mean in C2, norm SD in D2): =50+10*(B2-C2)/D2
R: t_score <- 50 + 10 * (raw - norm_mean) / norm_sd
Python: t_score = 50 + 10 * (raw - norm_mean) / norm_sd
Assumptions and common mistakes
- Using the wrong grade, or the UK school year instead of the US grade, when converting scores.
- Treating a T-score at the threshold as a diagnosis. The thresholds flag elevated symptoms relative to peers.
- Comparing a short-form total (RCADS-25 or RCADS-11) with a 47-item total. They have different item sets and are converted separately.
- Ignoring that child and parent reports can differ; they are separate informants.
- Overlooking floor and ceiling behaviour at the extremes; see floor and ceiling effects. For evidence that a scale measures what it claims, see construct validity and convergent and discriminant validity.
RCADS PDF, download and permissions
The scale is free to end users under a limited license through rcads.ucla.edu, supported by the UCLA Child FIRST Laboratory. The site offers manual and automated scoring downloads and groups permissions into Clinical Measurement (Organizational), Research Project, Derivatives, Translation and Digital Platform Incorporation. CORC notes that adaptations or derivatives need the developers’ written permission and further translations need the authors’ agreement. CORC is not the copyright holder.
How to report the RCADS (APA example)
Example wording: “Anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed with the 47-item Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS; Chorpita et al., 2000). Raw scores were converted to grade-based T-scores, and T ≥ 70 was treated as the clinical threshold.” Report the version, respondent, scoring method, cutoff used and the reliability in your own sample.
FAQ
Is the RCADS a diagnostic test?
No. It is a symptom questionnaire. Elevated scores indicate that a fuller clinical assessment may be warranted.
Is there a short RCADS?
Yes: the 25-item RCADS-25 and the 11-item RCADS-11, described in the table above.
Is there a parent version?
Yes. The RCADS-P covers the same six subscales and is completed by parents or carers.
Sources
- Chorpita, B. F., Yim, L., Moffitt, C., Umemoto, L. A., & Francis, S. E. (2000). Assessment of symptoms of DSM-IV anxiety and depression in children: a revised child anxiety and depression scale. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38(8), 835-855. doi 10.1016/s0005-7967(99)00130-8 (PubMed 10937431).
- Ebesutani, C., et al. (2012). The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Short Version. Psychological Assessment, 24(4), 833-845. doi 10.1037/a0027283.
- Child Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC), RCADS outcome-measure page, https://www.corc.uk.net/outcome-experience-measures/revised-childrens-anxiety-and-depression-scale-rcads/ (read 2026-11-07).
- RCADS site, UCLA Child FIRST Laboratory, https://rcads.ucla.edu (read 2026-11-07).
