Child Symptom Screener

Description

A 146-item screener for the following DSM-IV diagnoses in children: ADHD (Inattentive Subtype, Hyperactive/Impulsive subtype, and combined); Oppositional Defiant Disorder; Conduct Disorder; Depression; Anxiety disorders (Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder or Significant Somatic Symptoms, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Significant School Avoidance); OCD; History of Trauma; Psychosis; Alcohol abuse; Drug abuse; Developmental disorders; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Enuresis; and Encopresis.

Incorporates the entire Vanderbilt parent version, entire SCARED parent version, entire HDCL-C, and other screening questions.

Designed to be assigned as a pre-intake to the patient in the Patient Portal, and be pulled into your Child Intake Note. Alternatively, you could choose not to pre-assign it; it will still appear as a blank section in the Child Intake Note and you can fill it out with the patient in session. Follow-up measures are available for most positively-screened diagnoses.

Special Instructions

If you want to assign it to the patient/patient's parents pre-Intake:

  1. Assign the Child Symptom Screener as a one-time measure.
  2. Once the patient has submitted it, preview it on the uninitialed documents tab in the patient's chart. Do not initial it or it won't later be pulled into your Child Intake Note.
  3. Based on your preview, assign follow-up measures. Then, when you open your Child Intake Note for the appointment, the completed screener and follow-up measures will be pulled into your Child Intake Note.


If you want to fill it out in session

  1. Before you start your note for the session, assign the Child Symptom Screener as a one-time measure.
  2. When you start your Child Intake Note for the appointment, the empty screener will be pulled into your Child Intake Note for you to fill out with the patient.
  3. Based on the screener results, assign follow-up measures.


Recommended Follow-Up Measures                                       

  • ADHD (Inattentive Subtype) =  Vanderbilt-parent
  • ADHD (Hyperactive/Impulsive Subtype) = Vanderbilt-parent
  • ADHD (Combined Inattention/Hyperactivity) = Vanderbilt-parent
  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder = Vanderbilt-parent
  • Conduct Disorder= Vanderbilt-parent
  • Depression =  HDCL-C
  • Anxiety disorder = SCARED-parent
  • Panic Disorder or Significant Somatic Symptoms = SCARED-parent
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder = SCARED-parent
  • Separation Anxiety = SCARED-parent
  • Social Anxiety Disorder = SCARED-parent
  • Significant School Avoidance = SCARED-parent
  • History of Trauma = Clinician follow-up
  • Psychosis = Clinician follow-up
  • Alcohol abuse =  AUDIT
  • Drug abuse =  NIDA-modified ASSIST (beta)
  • Developmental disorders = Clinician follow-up
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders = Clinician follow-up
  • Enuresis = Clinician follow-up
  • Encopresis = Clinician follow-up


Scores Produced

  • ADHD (Inattentive Subtype)  (1; 0; -1)
  • ADHD (Hyperactive/Impulsive subtype) (1; 0; -1)
  • ADHD (Combined Inattention/Hyperactivity) (1; 0; -1)
  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder (1; 0; -1)
  • Conduct Disorder (1; 0; -1)
  • Depression (1; 0; -1)
  • Anxiety disorder (1; 0; -1)
  • Panic Disorder or Significant Somatic Symptoms (1; 0; -1)
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (1; 0; -1)
  • Separation Anxiety (1; 0; -1)
  • Social Anxiety Disorder (1; 0; -1)
  • Significant School Avoidance (1; 0; -1)
  • OCD (1; 0; -1)
  • History of Trauma (1; 0; -1)
  •  Psychosis (1; 0; -1)
  • Alcohol abuse (1; 0; -1)
  • Drug abuse (1; 0; -1)
  • Developmental disorders (1; 0; -1)
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders (1; 0; -1)
  • Enuresis (1; 0; -1)
  • Encopresis (1; 0; -1)
  • Vanderbilt-parent Inattentive Subtype (0-9)
  • Vanderbilt-parent Hyperactive/Impulsive Subtype (0-9)
  • Vanderbilt-parent Total ADHD Symptom Score (0-54)
  • Vanderbilt-parent Oppositional-Defiant Disorder (0-8)
  • Vanderbilt-parent Conduct Disorder (0-14)
  • Vanderbilt-parent Anxiety-Depression (0-7)
  • Vanderbilt-parent Performance (0-8)
  • Vanderbilt-parent Average Performance Score (1-5)
  •  SCARED-parent Total (0-82)
  •  SCARED-parent Panic Disorder/Signif Somatic Symp (0-26)
  • SCARED-parent Generalized Anxiety Disorder (0-18)
  • SCARED-parent Separation Anxiety (0-16)
  • SCARED-parent Social Anxiety Disorder (0-14)
  • SCARE-parent Significant School Avoidance (0-8)
  • HDCL-C (0-152)


Interpretation

For screening scores:

1 = positive screen; assign follow-up measures

0 = negative screen

-1 = not enough questions were answered to interpret results

For measure-specific scores

  • Vanderbilt-parent Inattentive Subtype is positive if this score is 6 or greater AND Performance score is 1 or greater
  • Vanderbilt-parent Hyperactive/Impulsive Subtype is positive if this score is 6 or greater AND Performance score is 1 or greater
  • Vanderbilt-parent Total ADHD Symptom Score is for tracking improvement over time
  • Vanderbilt-parent Oppositional-Defiant Disorder is positive if this score is 4 or greater and Performance score is 1 or greater
  • Vanderbilt-parent Conduct Disorder is positive if this score is 3 or greater and Performance score is 1 or greater
  • Vanderbilt-parent Anxiety-Depression is positive if this score is 3 or greater and Performance score is 1 or greater
  • Vanderbilt-parent Performance is for use in interpreting the above scores
  • Vanderbilt-parent Average Performance Score is for tracking improvement over time
  • SCARED-parent Total score of 25 or greater may indicate the presence of an anxiety disorder
  • SCARED-parent Panic Disorder/Signif Somatic Symp may be present if this score is 7 or greater AND Total score is 30 or greater
  • SCARED-parent Generalized Anxiety Disorder may be present if this score is 9 or greater AND Total score is 30 or greater
  • SCARED-parent Separation Anxiety may be present if this score is 5 or greater AND total score is 30 or greater
  • SCARED-parent Social Anxiety Disorder may be present if this score is 8 or greater AND total score is 30 or greater
  • SCARED-parent Significant School Avoidance may be present if this score is 3 or greater AND Total score is 30 or greater
  • HDCL-C:
    • Mean Score in Depressed In-patients = 66.8 +/- 13.4
    • Mean Score in Normal Population = 26.4 +/-5.3

References

  • American Academy of Pediatrics and National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality. NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment Scale - Parent Informant. 2002.
  • Wolraich ML, Lambert EW, Worley KA, et al. Psychometric properties of the Vanderbilt ADHD diagnostic parent rating scale in a referred population. J Pediatr Psychol. 2003;28(8):559–568.
  • Developed by Boris Birmaher, M.D., Suneeta Khetarpal, M.D., Marlane Cully, M.Ed., David A. Brent, M.D., and Sandra McKenzie, Ph.D., Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pgh. (10/95).
  • Joshi PT, Capozzoli, JA, Coyle, JT. The Johns Hopkins Depression Scale: normative data and validation in child psychiatry patients. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1990;29(2): 283-288.


Blank Sample Form

ChildSymptomScreener.pdf


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