Innovations In Pediatric Depression Assessment: The Electronic CDRS-R

By Elizabeth Jones, Samantha Silverman, Margot Oakley, and Joan Busner

The Children’s Depression Rating Scale – Revised (CDRS-R) is the FDA-preferred primary efficacy measure for assessing depressive symptoms in pediatric clinical trials. This semi-structured clinician interview synthesizes input from both child and caregiver interviews to derive a “best estimate” score, ensuring a comprehensive view of symptomatology. Despite its status as a gold-standard tool, the CDRS-R’s implementation in global trials presents logistical and methodological challenges, including limited access to experienced child psychiatry research sites and inconsistencies in administration quality.

To address these barriers, Signant Health has developed the electronic CDRS-R (eCDRS-R), a digitally optimized version designed to standardize administration and enhance data reliability across diverse clinical settings. Signant's electronic CDRS-R doesn't just digitize the scale—it embeds clinical expertise, automates quality controls, and guides raters through every step to ensure consistent, reliable data.

The eCDRS-R has been successfully implemented in multiple global studies and has been well received by investigators and sponsors. By preserving the psychometric rigor of the original CDRS-R while enhancing operational consistency, Signant’s solution represents a meaningful advance in pediatric depression research.