RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition: initial validation of the Korean version Myung-Sun Hyun, Kyoung-A Nam, Hee Sun Kang & William M. Reynolds Accepted for publication 3 November 2008 Correspondence to H.S. Kang: e-mail: goodcare@cau.ac.kr Myung-Sun Hyun PhD RN Associate Professor Division of Nursing, College of Nursing, Ajou University, South Korea Kyoung-A Nam PhD RN Associate Professor Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, Hallym University, South Korea Hee Sun Kang PhD RN Associate Professor Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea William M. Reynolds PhD Professor Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California, USA HYUN M.-S., NAM K.-A., KANG H.S. & REYNOLDS W.M. (2009) HYUN M.-S., NAM K.-A., KANG H.S. & REYNOLDS W.M. (2009) Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition: initial validation of the Korean version. Journal of Advanced Nursing 65(3), 642–651 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04913.x Abstract Title. Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition: initial validation of the Korean version. Aim. This paper is a report of a study conducted to test the validity and reliability of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition in Korean culture. Background. Depression is a significant mental health problem in adolescents. The Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition has been shown to be a useful tool to assess depression in adolescents, with extensive research on this measure having been conducted in western cultures. Measures developed in western cultures need to be tested and validated before being used in Asian cultures. Method. The participants were a convenience sample of 440 Korean adolescents with a mean age of 13Æ78 years (SD SD =0Æ95) from grades 7 to 9 in three public middle schools in South Korea. A cross-sectional design was used. Back-translation was used to create the Korean version, with additional testing for cultural meaning and comprehension. The data were collected at the end of 2004. Results. Internal consistency reliability for the Korean version of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition was 0Æ89, with subscale reliability ranging from 0Æ66 to 0Æ81. Evidence for criterion-related, convergent and dis- criminant validity for the Korean version of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition was found. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the 4-factor structure of Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition. Conclusion. Our results support the validity and reliability for the Korean version of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition as a measure of depression and suggest that it can be used to screen students and to evaluate the effectiveness of preventive interventions in school settings. Keywords: adolescents, depression, health care, instrument validation, Korean version, Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition, students 642 Ó 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation Ó 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd JAN JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING