An observationally based rating scale for affective symptomatology in child psychiatry

There is growing dissatisfaction with current methods for rating affective symptoms in children. We report findings from a preliminary psychometric study of an alternative approach, that of direct observational ratings. The Emotional Disorders Rating Scale (EDRS) is an observation-based instrument containing 59 items divided into eight subscales. The results of this study indicate that measurement of nonverbal components of affective symptoms in children is feasible. Interrater reliability and internal consistency of the EDRS subscales were high. The EDRS also has potential as a measurement of state-related changes in affective behavior and as a technique for examining treatment response.