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Why Diagnostic Interviewing?
Why Diagnostic Interviewing?
The screening tools in this section should not be used solely for making diagnosis. One way to systematically evaluate psychological difficulties is to use a diagnostic interview. Many interview instruments were developed to evaluate the mental health of children and adolescents (Marin et al., 2013).
Diagnostic interviews are valuable for all clinicians and providers because the information they provide are an important part of the evaluation process. Furthermore, utilizing a structured or semistructured diagnostic interview framework that provides prompts and probes for mental health symptoms augments diagnostic reliability (Edelbrock & Costello, 1984).
The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI Kid) is a short, structured diagnostic interview for DSM-V and ICD-10 mental health disorders in children and adolescents.
Level of Care (LoC) Clinical Decision Support Tools
Level of Care (LoC) Clinical Decision Support Tools
The Child and Adolescent Level of Care/Service Intensity Utilization System (CALOCUS-CASII) is a standardized tool used to determine the intensity of services needed for children and adolescents from ages 6-18 years. This instrument is developmentally informed and has been created on the foundation of a System of Care approach -- embracing family-driven, youth-guided care that includes individualized strength-based and culturally sensitive service planning, supporting the use of intensive care coordination or wraparound planning teams when indicated, and providing a broad service array that includes natural supports as well as clinical services.
Mental Status Exam (MSE)
Mental Status Exam (MSE)
Mental Status Exam Checklists
Mental Status Exam Checklists
MSE Definitions and Guidelines
MSE Definitions and Guidelines
Mini MSE Assessment Tools
Mini MSE Assessment Tools
HGAPS Screening Batteries
HGAPS Screening Batteries
Anxiety-Related Assessment Tools
Anxiety-Related Assessment Tools
The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) is a 38-item questionnaire designed to assess a child’s (ages 2.5 to 18) anxiety symptoms, and includes corresponding child (SCAS-C; Spence, 1998) and caregiver/parent (SCAS-P; Nauta et al., 2004) versions.
Items address symptoms of anxiety disorders, including separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, social phobia, obsessive–compulsive behaviors, panic and agoraphobia, and physical injuries fears.
Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED)
for 8 to 18 years old
Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children (PSWQ-C)
for 7 to 17 years old
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) Adolescent Scale
for 11 to 17 years old
CY-BOCS Symptom Checklist Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale
for 6 to 17 years old
Depression-Related Assessment Tools
Depression-Related Assessment Tools
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC)
for 6 to 17 years old
Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ9-A)
for 11 to 17 years old
Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS)
for 8 to 18 years old
Trauma-Related Assessment Tools
Trauma-Related Assessment Tools
Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS)
for 3 to 17 years old
UCLA Brief COVID-19 Screen for Child/Adolescent PTSD
for 6 to 20 years old
Structured Trauma-Related Experiences and Symptoms Screener (STRESS) for 7 to 18 years old
Child PTSD Symptom Scale for DSM-5 (CPSS-5)
for 8 to 18 years old
Acute Stress Checklist (ASC-Kids) for 8 to 17 years old
Trauma-Related Symptoms and Impairment - Rapid Screen for 7 to 18 years old
Young Child PTSD Checklist and Screen
The YCPC is a screening questionnaire used to assess caregiver-reported symptoms of PTSD among young children (ages 1-6 years old). The YCPS is intended to quickly screen for PTSD in the acute aftermath of traumatic events (2-4 weeks after an event) and/or in settings where there would not be time for longer assessments or more in-depth mental health assessment is not available.
CPP Child and Caregiver Assessment Tools
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Pair of ACEs Screening Tools
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Pair of ACEs Screening Tools
ACEs Psychoeducation Handout
ACEs Algorithm and Clinical Workflow
ACEs Screening Scripts for Adaptation
What's your Number Story?
What's your Number Story?
The campaign’s theme, “The Story of Your Number,” is a reference to understanding the story behind one’s ACE score, and how this can support and empower people and families to heal.
NumberStory.org can also be used as a psychoeducational tool for clients, patients, parents/caregivers, clinical staff, and partners through its videos (like What is a Number Story?), and easily accessible scientific information.
aces_extended_pyramid_2018.pdfThough the ACEs study is a valuable tool that brings a wider audience to what clinicians, researchers, and advocates working in the field of child and adolescent trauma have said for decades, the study is also deeply problematic. Simply put, in confirming that experiences of violence, neglect, and trauma are harmful to a person’s long-term health, the ACEs study fails to name racism - structural, personal, and historic - among specific root causes of modern trauma (Dhaliwal, 2016)
ADHD and Behavior-Related Assessment Tools
ADHD and Behavior-Related Assessment Tools
Vanderbilt Assessment Scales of the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) include symptoms and impairments in behavior that can help in the diagnosis of ADHD in children of 6 to 12 years, based on caregiver/parent and teacher input.
Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale (SNAP-IV) for 6 to 18 years old
Conduct Disorder Rating Scale (CDRS) for 5 to 12 years
Intermittent Explosive Disorder Screening Questionnaire for 13+ years
Substance Use-Related Assessment Tools
Substance Use-Related Assessment Tools
The CRAFFT is an efficient and effective health screening tool designed to identify substance use, substance-related riding/driving risk, and substance use disorder among youth ages 12 to 21. The current version of the tool, the CRAFFT 2.1 (2020), includes evidence-based revisions to increase the sensitivity and specificity of the tool and includes vaping as a method of administration for marijuana use.
The CRAFFT 2.1 Self-Administered
The CRAFFT 2.1 Self-Administered
There are two versions of the CRAFFT 2.1: a Clinician Interview and a Self-administered Questionnaire. Research has shown that adolescents report greater comfort and likelihood of honesty with self-administered questionnaires.
Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth:
A Practitioner’s Guide
This guide is designed to help health care professionals quickly identify youth at risk for alcohol-related problems.
The screen consists of just two questions.
It’s the first tool to include friends’ drinking that helps identify clients at earlier stages of alcohol involvement.
Youth Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (YSBIRT) is an evidence-based practice to prevent and reduce risky substance use among adolescents ages 12 to 18.
Eating Disturbances-Related Assessment Tools
Eating Disturbances-Related Assessment Tools
Eating Disorder-15 for Youth (ED-15-Y)
is a useful tool to briefly assess eating disorder psychopathology in youth as young as 8 years old
Psychosis-Related Assessment Tools
Psychosis-Related Assessment Tools
Prodromal Questionnaire-Brief
(PQ‐B)
The PQ-B is a self-report measure designed to identify help-seeking adolescents and young adults who may be experiencing attenuated psychotic symptoms that characterize the schizophrenia prodrome. This tool is not diagnostic; rather, it is meant to identify young people in need of further assessment for a psychosis risk syndrome as assessed by established clinical interview.
Suicide Risk and NSSI Screening and Assessment Tools
Suicide Risk and NSSI Screening and Assessment Tools
Know the Signs is a California-wide suicide prevention campaign built on three key messages: Know the signs. Find the words. Reach out. This help recognize the warning signs of suicide, how to find the words to have a direct conversation with someone in crisis and where to find professional help and resources.
The SAFE-T card guides clinicians through five steps which address the client's level of suicide risk and suggests appropriate interventions. The card lists key risk and protective factors that should be considered in the course of completing the five steps and addresses both adult and adolescent populations.
The ASQ Toolkit includes a brief suicide risk screening tool, resources for effectively implementing suicide risk screening, and guides for managing clients who screen positive. The toolkit also provides guidance for engaging families in screening processes and helping clients create a safety plan.
The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), the most evidence-supported tool of its kind, is a simple series of questions to prevent suicide.
The Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) can help (1) identify people who could benefit; and (2) ask about their access to lethal methods.
The CARS is a self-report instrument for the culturally competent assessment of suicide (see page 429).
The Air Force Guide for Suicide Risk Assessment, Management, and Treatment includes a collection of screening tools.
Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Assessment Tool
(Whitlock & Purington, 2013)
Inventory of Statements About Self-injury (ISAS)
(Klonsky & Glenn, 2009)
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