This study examined the psychometric properties of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) in 104 adolescent outpatients attending a psychiatric clinic. The clinic offers a special assessment and treatment service for young people with depressive disorders. In this sample the self-report version of the MFQ had acceptable reliability and was a satisfactory screen for major depressive disorder diagnosed by a standardised interview with the child. It was also a useful measure of clinical remission.