Commentary
The CRS accurately reflects information contained in the HRSD and, with the possible exception of assessing adolescents, intra-scale agreement is high. Available evidence suggests that the CRS is reliable and the available validity results are promising. By saving the clinician’s time, the CRS offers an economical alternative in regular monitoring of patients or in routine practice to identify patients who need more extensive follow-up (10). Its adequacy as a screen for depression needs more study. As with any self-rating scale, some patients may be unable to complete the CRS due to illiteracy or severe illness (4).