The Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale (KADS) is a psychological self-rating scale developed by Dalhousie University professor of psychiatry Stan Kutcher, to assess the level of depression in adolescents.
[1] Because its primary function is to qualify the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments, it is structured so as to be sensitive to changes in depression severity over time.
[2] While there are some variations, the 11-item version of the KADS is the most commonly used and most thoroughly verified for efficacy in monitoring outcomes in adolescents who are receiving treatment for major depressive disorder.
Its items are worded using standard and colloquial terminology, and responses are scored on a simple 4 choice scale.
Unlike some rating scales, there is no threshold for sub-clinical presentation, or ranges for mild, moderate, and severe symptoms.