ABBREVIATED MENTAL TEST SCORE

The AMTS assesses the elderly for dementia. It has utility across a range of acute and outpatient settings. The test takes 5 minutes and must include all 10 questions. The AMTS does not require reading, writing or drawing, and is not strictly dependent on education level. The test can differentiate normal from cognitively impaired.

ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE SCALE

Today’s adolescents may face serious problems, including natural disasters, loss of loved ones, separation of parents, or a move to a different home or school. The APRS reflects resiliency, consisting of internal and external sources of support. Mean scores of both the Well Adjusted and Resilient groups were higher than that the Vulnerable group, therefore supporting the construct validity of the APRS.

ALCOHOL USE DISORDER IDENTIFICATION TEST

The AUDIT is a 10-item screening tool developed by the World Health Organization to assess alcohol consumption, drinking behaviors, and alcohol-related problems. It has excellent clinical utility and is listed with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

ALTMAN SELF-RATING MANIA SCALE

The ASRM is a 5-item self-rating mania scale designed to assess the presence and/or severity of manic symptoms.  If the individual receiving care is of impaired capacity and unable to complete the form, a knowledgeable informant may complete the measure. The ASRM has very good psychometric properties.

ADULT AUTISM SPECTRUM QUOTIENT-10

The AQ-10 is a shortened version of the Adult Spectrum Quotient. It consists of only 10 questions and possesses comparable validity to the Adult Spectrum Quotient.

ATTITUDES TOWARD SEEKING PROFESSIONAL HELP

Attitude toward seeking professional help is complex. It can often result in unmet needs, treatment gaps, and delays in help-seeking. This tool evidences adequate internal consistency. Higher scores (indicating more positive treatment attitudes) were associated with less treatment-related stigma, and greater intentions to seek treatment in the future.

AUTISM BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST

The ABC contains 57 atypical behaviors, organized in five domains: (1) sensory, (2) relating, (3) body concept, (4) language, and (5) adaptive. The ABC has been widely used in many countries both in research and clinical practice due to ease of application and low cost. The ABC has merit as a screening tool (this checklist’s result alone do not establish a diagnosis).  Research suggests the cut-off score needs to be lowered.

AUTOMATIC THOUGHTS QUESTIONNAIRE

The ATQ assesses negative thoughts that are associated with depression among adults. The ATQ has also been extended to children. Internal consistency and validity of the ATQ were evaluated with 250 child psychiatric inpatient children. The findings in relation to psychometric properties of the ATQ with children parallel those evident in the study of depression among adults.

BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY

The BAI consists of 21 items. It was developed in 1988 and a revised manual was published in 1993 with some changes in scoring. The BAI scores are classified as minimal anxiety, mild anxiety, moderate anxiety, and severe anxiety. When the BAI first came out, it demonstrated good reliability and validity on two separate studies. More about the BAI.

BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY

The BDI is a 21-item, self-report rating inventory that measures characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression. The BDI takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Clients require a fifth – sixth grade reading level to adequately understand the questions. More about the BDI.

BORDERLINE SYMPTOM TEST

The BSL-23 is one of the newest self-report instruments designed to assess complaints and experiences commonly reported by patients with BPD.  Findings from this study indicate that the BSL-23 is strongly associated with DSM-IV BPD symptoms as assessed by a valid semi-structured interview. The BSL-23 also demonstrated sensitivity to the effects of therapy.

BRIEF PSYCHIATRIC RATING SCALE

The BPRS is a rating scale that characterizes psychopathology and measures change in clinical psychopharmacology research. The BPRS assesses psychotic symptoms of schizophrenic patients. Originally developed with 16 items, the following standard 18-item version has been used for more than 40 years to good effect.

BURDEN SCALE FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS

The BSFC is the most important caregiver-related variable in care at home of a chronically-ill person. Caregiver burden has significant impact on the emotional and physical health of the caregiver, and even influences the mortality of spouses of caregivers. The BSFC and BSFC-s (shortened version) are designed for use in both clinical practice and research studies.

CAGE-AID

CAGE-AID is a version of the CAGE alcohol screening questionnaire, adapted to include drug use (AID). The target population for the CAGE-AID is both adults and adolescents and can be administered by patient interview or self-report in a primary care setting.

CAREGIVER BURDEN SCALE

The Caregiver Burden Scale reflects how people sometimes feel when they are taking care of another person. It is a self-administered 22-item questionnaire that assesses the “experience of burden.”

CHILDHOOD AUTISM SPECTRUM TEST

The CAST is a parental questionnaire developed by the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge, for assessing the severity of autism spectrum symptoms in children. The sensitivity of the CAST, at a designated cut-point of 15, was 100 percent, the specificity was 97 percent and the positive predictive value was 50 percent.

CENTER FOR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES DEPRESSION IN CHILDREN

The CES-DC is a 20-item self-report depression inventory for children and adolescents. The CES-DC demonstrates good psychometric properties for clinical screening and evaluation in both developed and underdeveloped countries.

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR INVENTORY

This measure assesses all of the specific diagnostic criteria for Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder and Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder. The close mapping of items against the diagnostic criteria in the DSM IV is an advantage of this measure over others, such as the Child Behavior Checklist.

CHILD MANIA RATING SCALE

The CMRS-P represents parent’s report of symptoms. Preliminary evidence of its validity as a treatment outcome makes it applicable in research and suggests its potential use in clinical settings. Because parents are often the first to suspect that a child has a serious psychiatric disorder, it appears to be a useful and accurate screening instrument for pediatric mania.

COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT TEST - 6 item

The 6-Item Cognitive Impairment Test (6CIT) is a brief cognitive function test and is widely used in primary care settings. The 6CIT correlates highly with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Some researchers suggest that the 6CIT has advantages over the MMSE in hospital settings. It shows good sensitivity for detecting mild dementia as well being culturally unbiased.

COGNITIVE SCREENING TEST - INFORMANT INTERVIEW

The GPCOG informant interview takes just 2 minutes. Reviews of dementia screening tools for the primary care setting recommend the use of the GPCOG.  Scoring is not influenced by the cultural and linguistic background of a person making it an invaluable screening in multicultural patient settings.  (See page 2 of the hard copy.)

COLUMBIA SUICIDE SEVERITY RATING SCALE

The C-SSRS supports suicide risk assessment through a series of simple, plain-language questions that anyone can ask. The answers help users identify whether someone is at risk for suicide, assess the severity and immediacy of that risk, and gauge the level of support that the person needs. The C-SSRS has sound psychometric studies as evidenced by multiple research studies.

DEPRESSION ANXIETY STRESS SCALES-21

The DAAS is a shortened version of the original 42 question inventory. The development of the DASS was based on the tripartite model of depression and anxiety. DASS-depression focuses on reports of low mood, motivation, and self-esteem; DASS-anxiety on physiological arousal, perceived panic, and fear; and DASS-stress on tension and irritability.

DISPLACED AGGRESSION QUESTIONNAIRE

Analysis of the DAQ provided support for affective (angry rumination), cognitive (revenge planning), behavioral dimensions (engaging in displaced aggression). It demonstrated good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent and discriminant construct validity. The trait, displaced aggression, predicted behavior in the real-world and in two experiments.

DRINKING RELATED EXTERNAL INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL

The DRIE is a highly reliable, multidimensional scale dealing with specific expectations concerning drinking behavior.  Its use may provide greater predictive power in the investigation of alcoholic personality traits, psychopathology, and drinking behavior than that provided by Rotter’s Internal-External Locus of Control Scale and other measures of generalized expectancy of control.

DISTRESS AND RISK ASSESSMENT METHOD

The DRAM is a simple and straightforward psychological assessment method for pain problems. The DRAM is designed as no more than a first-stage screening procedure, whether as a confirmation of clinical impression, or to alert the clinician that a more comprehensive psychological or psychophysiological assessment is indicated.

DYADIC ADJUSTMENT SCALE - REVISED

The DAS-R is a 14-item scale that measures relationship satisfaction.  The DAS-R gives a quick snapshot of multiple dynamics within a given relationship as well as an overall assessment of the stability of the relationship. The revised version offers improved psychometric properties, and can successfully differentiate between distressed and non-distressed relationships.

DYSFUNCTIONAL ATTITUDE SCALE

The Dysfunctional Attitude Scale form A (DAS-A) is a self-report scale designed to measure the presence and intensity of dysfunctional attitudes.

EATING ATTITUDES TEST

This is the most widely used screening measure to help determine if someone has an eating disorder and is in need of professional attention. The EAT-26 measures symptoms and concerns characteristic of eating disorders. In 1982, the test was updated and shortened to the current 26-item version, known as the EAT-26. It’s not designed to diagnose or to take the place of a professional consultation.

EPWORTH SLEEPINESS SCALE

The ESS was first introduced in 1991 by Dr. Murray Johns of the Epworth Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, and is a tool used to measure the average sleep propensity (ASP) of patients to assess their general level of sleepiness and determine if sleep disorders could be the cause of their problems.  Patients taking the questionnaire are asked questions regarding their likelihood of falling asleep during eight normal, low activity situations.

GERIATRIC DEPRESSION SCALE

The GDS is a self-report measure of depression in older adults, and a sound psychometric tool. The GDS was developed as a 30-item instrument.

GERIATRIC DEPRESSION SCALE - SHORT FORM

The GDS can be both time-consuming and difficult for some patients to complete, so a shortened form (GDS-SF) was developed, comprised of 15 items chosen from the GDS

INFORMANT QUESTIONNAIRE OF COGNITIVE DECLINE

The short form can be filled out by a relative or other supporter of an older person to determine whether that person has cognitive decline and can be used to screen for dementia. The short form was cross-validated using those diagnosed with dementia/delirium as the validity standard and was found to perform as well as the long form.

INTERPERSONAL SUPPORT EVALUATION LIST

The ISEL assesses the perceived availability of four separate social supports as well as an overall support measure. The items fall into (1) tangible or perception of material aid; (2) appraisal or availability of someone to talk to about one’s problems; (3) self-esteem or comparing one’s self to others; and (4) belonging or availability of people one can do things with.

IMPACT OF EVENTS SCALE - REVISED

The IES-R is a self-report measure designed to assess current subjective distress for any specific life event. It has 22 items. Seven items were added to the original 15-item IES. The 7 items comprise 6 that tap hyperarousal such as: anger and irritability, heightened startle response, difficulty concentrating, hypervigilance; and 1 new intrusion item that taps the dissociative-like re-experiencing when experiencing true flash-back. The hyperarousal subscale and the new intrusion item along with the existing intrusion and avoidance subscales parallel the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Psychometric information is available to support the efficacy of the IES-R as a tool for assessing the impact of traumatic experience on the victims of workplace bullying.

INSOMNIA SEVERITY INDEX RATING SCALE

The ISI is a 7-item self-report questionnaire assessing the nature, severity, and impact of insomnia. The total score is interpreted as follows: absence of insomnia (0–7); sub threshold insomnia (8–14); moderate insomnia (15–21); and severe insomnia (22–28). Study findings provide evidence that the ISI is a reliable and valid instrument to detect cases of insomnia in the population and is sensitive to treatment response in clinical patients.

KUTCHER ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION SCALE

The KADS is a self-report scale specifically designed to diagnosis and assess the severity of adolescent depression. It’s optimized for monitoring outcomes in adolescents who are receiving treatment for major depressive disorder. Its items address the core symptoms of depression, giving it the potential to have good predictive or criterion validity as well as good evaluative properties (i.e., the ability to assess change over time).

LEEDS DEPENDENCE QUESTIONNAIRE

The LDQ is derived from a psychological understanding of the nature of dependence. It is therefore suitable for measuring dependence during periods of substance use or abstinence. The LDQ is an indicator of how addicted a person is — and therefore how difficult it will be to achieve a positive outcome.  The questionnaire was designed to be sensitive to change over time and to be sensitive through the range from mild to severe dependence.

LIEBOWITZ SOCIAL ANXIETY SCALE

This measure assesses the way that social phobia plays a role in your life across a variety of situations. The LAS is a well-validated measure that can be used to screen clients for social anxiety disorder and measure their progress while in treatment. It is a 24-item measure designed to assess both fear and avoidance of social (e.g., going to a party, meeting strangers) and performance situations (e.g., taking a test, giving a report to a group) occurring in the last week.

MINDFUL ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE

The MAAS is a 15-item scale designed to assess a core characteristic of dispositional mindfulness, namely, open or receptive awareness of and attention to what is taking place in the present. The scale shows strong psychometric properties and has been validated with college, community, and cancer patient samples. Correlational, quasi-experimental, and laboratory studies have shown that the MAAS taps a unique quality of consciousness that is related to, and predictive of, a variety of self-regulation and well-being constructs.

MINI MENTAL STATE EXAM

The or Folstein test is a 30-point questionnaire that is used extensively in clinical and research settings to measure cognitive impairment. It is commonly used in medicine and allied health to screen for dementia. It is a valid and reliable tool is also used to estimate the severity and progression of cognitive impairment and to follow the course of cognitive changes in an individual over time.

MEANING IN LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE

The MLQ is a 10-item self-report inventory designed to measure life meaning. The MLQ has solid psychometric properties, with good internal consistency, with coefficient alphas ranging in the low to high .80s for the Presence subscale and mid .80s to low .90s for the Search subscale. A main focus of logotherapy is the discovery of life meaning. Along these lines, logotherapy posits that: (1) there is meaning in life, (2) people are motivated by the Will to Meaning, and (3) people are free to find their own meaning.

MICHIGAN ALCOHOL SCREENING TEST - Geriatirc Version

The SMAST-G was developed as the first short-form alcoholism screening instrument tailored to the needs of older adults. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommend that a screening test like the SMAST-G be the first step in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment.

MICHIGAN ALCOHOL SCREENING TEST - Short Form

The SMAST is a 13-item questionnaire that requires a 7th grade reading level, and only a few minutes to complete. It was developed from the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test. Evaluation data indicate that it is an effective diagnostic instrument, and does not have a tendency for false positives, as does the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test. It is strongly recommended that the DAST-10 be used along with the SMAST unless there is a clear indication that the client uses alcohol but does not use any other drug at all.

MOOD DISORDER QUESTIONNAIRE

The MDQ was developed by a team of psychiatrists, researchers and consumer advocates to address a critical need for timely and accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which can be fatal if left untreated. The questionnaire takes about five minutes to complete, and can provide important insights into diagnosis and treatment.

MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALE OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT

The MSPSS is a brief tool designed to measure perceptions of support from 3 sources: family, friends, and a significant other. It’s comprised of a total of 12 items, with 4 items for each subscale. An initial study describing the development of the MSPSS indicated that it was a psychometrically sound instrument: strong factorial validity was demonstrated, confirming the three-subscale structure of the MSPSS.

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE INVENTORY REVISED

The OCI consists of 42 items and 7 subscales and is designed to report the frequency of and distress caused by each symptom. It is psychometrically sound, but disadvantaged  by length and redundancy.  The revised version was developed to address those problems. The OCI_R consists of 18 items and 6 subscales and is a sound psychometric measure of OCD and its various symptom presentations. The OCI-R consists of six distinct factors, demonstrates good convergent validity, and performs well in discriminating OCD from other anxiety disorders.

PTSD CHECKLIST - CIVILIAN VERSION

The PCL is a standardized self-report rating scale for PTSD comprising 17 items that correspond to the key symptoms of PTSD. Two versions of the PCL exist: 1) PCL-M is specific to PTSD caused by military experiences and 2) PCL-C (this version) is applied generally to any traumatic event.

PICTORIAL PEDIATRIC SYMPTOM CHECKLIST 17

The PPSC-17 is for children 4 to 18 years of age and serves as an accurate quick screen for 3 separate factors: attentional, behavioral/extrnalizing, and emotional/mental health problems. The PPSC-17 was a useful tool for screening for psychosocial impairment, with improved sensitivity and specificity in comparison to previous assessments of the written PPSC-17 in similar populations within the U.S. Questionnaires that include pictorial descriptions may be valuable for improvements of health screening in communities with low education levels.

PENN STATE WORRY QUESTIONNAIRE

The PSWQ is a 16-item questionnaire that measures worry. Research shows it possesses high internal consistency and good test-retest reliability and a strong ability to differentiate patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) from other anxiety disorders. Since its development in 1990, the PSWQ has become a widely used self-report tool for pathological worry and GAD.

POST-TRAUMATIC COGNITIONS INVENTORY

The PTCI is derived from clinical observations and current theories of post-trauma psychopathology. The PTCI yields 3 factors: Negative Cognitions of Self, Negative Cognitions of the World, and Self-Blame. The 3 factors correlated well with measures of PTSD severity, depression, and general anxiety; and discriminated between traumatized individuals with and without PTSD.

QUANTITATIVE CHECKLIST FOR AUTISM IN TODDLERS

The Q-CHAT contains 25 items and was completed by parents of 779 toddlers with a mean age of 21 months and parents of 160 toddlers and preschoolers with a mean age 44 months with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The ASD group scored significantly higher on the Q-CHAT than controls. Full examination of the clinical validity of the Q-CHAT and test properties is underway.

SATISFACTION WITH LIFE SCALE

SATISFACTION WITH THERAPY AND THERAPIST SCALE

Patients’ level of satisfaction with their therapeutic experience is a concept that is important for understanding treatment efficacy; however, patient satisfaction has received little empirical attention. The STTS developed for group psychotherapy was designed to assess patients’ level of satisfaction with their therapeutic endeavor.

SCOFF QUESTIONNAIRE

The Scoff Test is an eating disorders screening test. Results can be used to to decide if further assessment of an eating disorder is indicated. Keep in mind that, while this eating disorders test has proved effective in screening for anorexia or bulimia in women, in 12% of cases it detected an eating disorder where the subject did not really have one.

SELF-ASSESSMENT PERFECTIONISM SCREENING TEST

Perfectionism is a response to anxiety that can be damaging to relationships and performance. The SAPST can assess if there a person is struggling with perfectionism. Scoring five or more yes answers suggest a potential problem with perfectionism. This is a screening test only. For an accurate diagnoses, a qualified professional needs to perform a full assessment.

SOCIAL INTERACTION ANXIETY SCALE

The SIAS is a 20 item self report scale designed to measure social interaction anxiety defined as “distress when meeting and talking with other people”. This tool is helpful in tracking social anxiety symptoms over time, and may be helpful as part of an assessment for social phobia or other anxiety related disorders. An exploratory factor analysis yielded three factors: (1) interaction anxiety, (2) anxiety about being observed by others, and (3) fear that others will notice anxiety symptoms. However, hierarchical factor analysis suggested that these factors all load on a single higher-order factor, social anxiety.

SOUTH OAKS GAMBLING SCREEN

The SOGS consists of 20-items based on DSM- III criteria for pathological gambling.  There is research demonstrating the value of using the SOGS is dimensionally. the current results reaffirm its utility with both DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria. (Digital Wellness Group had adjusted the cut-off scores per that research.)

STAGES OF CHANGE READINESS AND TREATMENT EAGERNESS

The SOCRATES is designed for individuals seeking treatment for their alcohol problems. It is comprised of three factors: Recognition, Ambivalence, and Taking Steps. The SOCRATES yields scores related to (a) acceptance of their problems, (b) insight that their problems are destructive, and (c) if steps toward change are already being taken.

STOP-BANG

The STOP BANG questionnaire is a proven tool that can be used to screen for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This tool will assess one’s low, moderate or high risk group for sleep apnea.

TEXAS REVISED INVENTORY OF GRIEF

Complicated grief is characterized by persistent yearning for the deceased, intense sorrow and emotional pain in response to death causing significant distress. Complicated grief is often under recognized and undertreated. The TRIG is a questionnaire that has been demonstrated to have high validity and reliability in the assessment of grief.

VANDERBILT ADHD DIAGNOSTIC PARENT AND TEACHER RATING SCALES

The Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS) is a psychological assessment tool for parents and teachers of children aged 6 to 12 designed to measure the severity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Developed by Mark Wolraich at the Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, this rating scale also includes items related to other disorders which are frequently comorbid with ADHD.