AbstractAttempts have been made in develop self‐rating stales to assess depression in children. One of these scales, the Birleson Self‐rating Scale, was administered to a non‐clinical sample of boys which was larger, and covered a wider age‐range, than Birleson's own non‐clinical group. A comparison is made with Birleson's findings, and in addition data from the administration of the scale to a group of boys aged 13 to 18 years is