THE CHILDRENS DEPRESSION SCALE - ASSESSMENT OF FACTOR STRUCTURE WITH DATA FROM A NORMAL ADOLESCENT POPULATION

This study investigated the reliability and construct validity of the Children's Depression Scale. Data were gathered from an Australian sam ple of male and female students with a mean age of 14.9 years (N = 202 ). Factor analysis using principal components was conducted to develop a revised version of the scale. Four factors met the stipulated crite ria and accounted for 54% of the variance. The revised subscales, thre e with five items and one with four items, were shown to have strong c onstruct and face validity and high reliability. Further work on this measure is necessary to refine it for future research.