Leeds Dependence Questionnaire

Raistrick, Bradshaw, Tober, Weiner, Allison, Healey | 1994 

A self-report instrument called the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire (LDQ) assesses the level of dependence in people with substance use disorders. The questionnaire was created by a research team at the University of Leeds in the UK and released for the first time in 1994.

The LDQ has 20 questions that look at many aspects of drug dependence, such as how much a person's drug use gets in the way of their daily lives, how strong their need is, how important the drug is to them, and how much they can control how much they use.

Usually given as a self-report questionnaire, the LDQ takes between 10 and 15 minutes to complete. The responses are evaluated from "not at all" to "always." The overall score, which reflects the intensity of the reliance, is created by adding the scores from each item.

The LDQ has been used in numerous research to evaluate the degree of dependence in people with substance use disorders and has been shown to have strong reliability and validity. The questionnaire has also been utilised in international studies and translated into several languages.

To sum up, the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire can help people with substance use disorders figure out how much they depend on a substance. It is a reliable and valid tool that gives useful information about the type and severity of addiction and can help with treatment planning and making decisions.

Reference

Raistrick, D.S., Bradshaw, J., Tober, G., Weiner, J., Allison, J. & Healey, C. (1994) Development of the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire, Addiction, 89, pp 563-572. 

The Modified Rogers Scale

It rates abnormalities in movement, volition, speech, and overall behaviour and aids in the distinction of catatonic signs from similar extrapyramidal side effects. It has eleven items, out of which three or more constitute a diagnosis of catatonic syndrome.

Items

The following are the items included in the Modified Rogers Scale.

1. Stupor
2. Mutism
3. Negativism
4. Opposition
5. Posturing
6. Catalepsy
7. Automatic obedience
8. Echophenomena
9. Rigidity
10. Verbigeration
11. Withdrawal.

For information on other scales used in catatonia, see Rating Scales for Catatonia. 

The Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale 

The Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale, has been widely recommended for its ease of use and reliability and validity. In this scale, the presence of two or more signs is suggestive of catatonia.

Is the most widely used instrument for catatonia. The Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale has twenty-three items, and there is also a shorter, 14-item screening version. The reliability and validity of the Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale has been established (Bush et al, 1996). The screening section marks items #1-14 as either “absent” or “present.” The full-scale rates items #1-23 on a scale of 0-3. The ratings are made based on the observed behaviours during the examination, except for completing the items for “withdrawal” and “autonomic abnormality,” which may be based upon either observed b behaviours/or chart documentation. Rate items only if well defined. If uncertain, rate the item as “0”.

Using the Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale, 32% of 225 patients with chronic schizophrenia meet the criteria for catatonia. See Ungvari et al., 2005. 

It has two subscales

1. A screening instrument with fourteen items that are marked as either present or absent.  

2. The full severity scale with nine extra items scored zero to three.

Ungvari GS, Leung SK, Ng FS, Cheung HK, Leung T. Schizophrenia with prominent catatonic features ('catatonic schizophrenia'): I. Demographic and clinical correlates in the chronic phase. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2005;29(1):27-38. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2004.08.007

 Rating Scales for Catatonia

The routine use of validated rating scales has also been advocated to facilitate the identification of catatonic signs and a diagnosis of catatonia. A rating scale helps to identify people who have catatonia that might otherwise not have been diagnosed.

Seven catatonia rating scales were retrieved: 

1. Modified Rogers Scale

2. Rogers Catatonia Scale, 

3. Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale 

4. Northoff Catatonia Rating Scale

5. Braunig Catatonia Rating Scale 

6. Kanner Scale

Bender-Gestalt Test

Definition

The Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test is a psychometric test used for ages three and over to assess visual-motor functioning, visual-perceptual abilities, cognitive disability, and emotional disturbances.

Purpose

The Bender-Gestalt is used to evaluate visual-motor maturity and to screen children for developmental delays. The test is also used to assess brain damage and neurological deficits. Individuals who have suffered a traumatic brain injury may be given the Bender-Gestalt as part of a battery of neuropsychological measures, or tests.

The Bender-Gestalt is sometimes used in conjunction with other personality tests to determine the presence of emotional and psychiatric disturbances such as schizophrenia.

Precautions

Psychometric testing requires a clinically trained examiner. The Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test should be administered and interpreted by a trained psychologist or psychiatrist. The Bender-Gestalt should always be employed as only one element of a complete battery of psychological or developmental tests, and should never be used alone as the sole basis for a diagnosis.

Description

The original Bender Visual Motor Gestalt test was developed in 1938 by psychiatrist Lauretta Bender. There are several different versions of the Bender-Gestalt available today (i.e., the Bender-Gestalt test; Modified Version of the Bender-Gestalt test for Preschool and Primary School Children; the Hutt Adaptation of the Bender-Gestalt test; the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt test for Children; the Bender-Gestalt test for Young Children; the Watkins Bender-Gestalt Scoring System; the Canter Background Interference Procedure for the Bender-Gestalt test). All use the same basic test materials but vary in their scoring and interpretation methods.

The standard Bender Visual Motor Gestalt test consists of nine figures, each on its own 3 × 5 cards. An examiner presents each figure to the test subject one at a time and asks the subject to copy it onto a single piece of blank paper. The only instruction given to the subject is that he or she should make the best reproduction of the figure possible. The test is not timed, although standard administration time is typically 10-20 minutes. After testing is complete, the results are scored based on accuracy and organization. Interpretation depends on the form of the test in use. Common features considered in evaluating the drawings are rotation, distortion, symmetry, and perseveration. As an example, a patient with frontal lobe injury may reproduce the same pattern over and over (perseveration).

The Bender-Gestalt can also be administered in a group setting. In group testing, the figures are shown to test subjects with a slide projector, in a test booklet, or on larger versions of the individual test cards. Both the individual and group-administered Bender-Gestalt evaluation may take place in either an outpatient or hospital setting. Patients should check with their insurance plans to determine if these or other mental health services are covered.

Normal results

Children normally improve in this test as they age, but, because of the complexity of the scoring process, a clinically trained psychologist or psychiatrist should only interpret results for the Bender-Gestalt.

Confusion Assessment Method. 

It is a clinical tool that you can apply at the bedside, and it takes only two minutes to administer. It is not much different from clinical assessment, but it has standardised the entire process. So, it can be especially useful for learning. When you practice a few times on it, you can then do the same. You can download it from that link. 

GAD-7 Scale

Scoring

Scores of 5, 10, and 15 are taken as the cut-off points for mild, moderate and severe anxiety, respectively. When used as a screening tool, further evaluation is recommended when the score is ten or greater. 

Evidence

Using the threshold score of 10, the GAD-7 has a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 82% for GAD. It is moderately good at screening three other common anxiety disorders.

1. Panic disorder (sensitivity 74%, specificity 81%)

2. Social anxiety disorder 

1. Sensitivity 72%

2. Specificity 80% 

3. Post-traumatic stress disorder 

1. Sensitivity 66%

2. Specificity 81%

Source

Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JBW, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder. Arch Inern Med. 2006;166:1092-1097.

Beck Anxiety Inventory

The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), created by Aaron T. Beck and other colleagues, is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory that is used for measuring the severity of anxiety in children and adults. The questions used in this measure ask about common symptoms of anxiety that the subject has had during the past week (including the day you take it). I designed it for individuals who are of 17 years of age or older and takes 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Several studies have found the Beck Anxiety Inventory to be an accurate measure of anxiety symptoms in children and adults. 

Scoring and Interpretation

The BAI contains twenty-one questions, each answer being scored on a scale value of 0 (not at all) to 3 (severely). Higher total scores indicate more severe anxiety symptoms. The standardized cut-offs are:

• 0–9: normal to minimal anxiety

• 10–18: mild to moderate anxiety

• 19–29: moderate to severe anxiety

• 30–63: severe anxiety

Minimum score 0 max 63

Evidence

The BAI has been criticized for its predominant focus on physical symptoms of anxiety (almost akin to a panic response). As such, it is often paired with the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, which provides a more accurate assessment of the cognitive components of anxiety (i.e., worry, catastrophizing, etc.) commonly seen in generalized anxiety disorder.

The Trauma History Screen (THS)

 (Carlson et al., 2011)

The THS is a 14-item self-report measure assessing exposure to trauma in adults. The THS can be used as a screening tool. The THS has not been used with adolescents, nor does a separate adolescent version exist. The THS consists of two parts. In part one, questions probe for traumatic events (e.g., “a really bad car, boat, train or aeroplane accident”) and the number of times the event(s) occurred. Respondents indicate “yes” or “no” and the number of times the event occurred. In part two, respondents can provide further details about endorsed events (Carlson et al., 2011). This measure was designed to be administered in about 4 minutes (Carlson et al., 2011). The THS demonstrates adequate test-retest reliability over a period of one to two weeks (k = .61 -.77; Carlson et al., 2011) and concurrent validity with the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ; Kubany et al., 2000). The measure is available online (http://www.istss.org/AssessmentResources/5347.htm). (Carlson et al., 2011).

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version (PCL-C)

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version (PCL-C)

 Weathers et al., 1993

The PCL-C is a 17-item self-report measure assessing symptoms of PTSD in adults. The PCL-C can be used as a screening and diagnostic tool (Wilkins, Lang, & Norman, 2011). The PCL-C has been used in studies with adolescents (Wang et al., 2012; Calderoni, Alderman, Silver, & Bauman, 2006) and a separate adolescent version exists (PCL-C/PR, Ford et al., 2000) but is not freely available. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale from one (“not at all”) to five (“extremely”). The PCL-C was designed to be administered in 5-10 minutes and can be scored in several ways, including a total symptom severity score that ranges from 17-85, or by mapping onto DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Empirical research suggests that five points on the PCL-C is a minimum threshold for determining whether an individual has responded to treatment and 10 points as a minimum threshold for determining whether the improvement is clinically meaningful (Monson et al., 2008). The PCL-C demonstrates acceptable internal consistency (α > .75; Wilkins, Lang, & Norman, 2011) and adequate test-retest reliability over a period of one week (r = .75-.88; Campbell et al., 1999). In addition, the PCL-C demonstrates concurrent validity (Bollinger, Cuevas, Vielhauer, Morgan, & Keane, 2008) with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS; Blake et al., 1995) and the Mississippi PTSD scale (Keane, Caddel, & Taylor, 1988; Blake et al., 1995). The measure is available online (http://www.ptsd.va.gov).

 Los Angeles Symptom Checklist (LASC)

King, King, Leskin, & Foy, 1995

The LASC is a 43-item self-report measure assessing symptoms of PTSD in adults and adolescents for screening and diagnosis purposes. The LASC consists of items corresponding to the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD and items assessing distress and adjustment problems. Each item is rated on a scale from zero (“not a problem”) to four (“extreme problem”). A preliminary diagnosis of PTSD can be determined using the 17 items within the scale that correspond to the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. A response counts towards the preliminary diagnosis if rated as a 2 or higher. The LASC was designed to be administered in 10-15 minutes. The LASC demonstrates excellent internal consistency for the 17 items correlated with DSM-IV criteria (α = .94) and the total score (α = .97). For use in adolescents, the LASC has demonstrated excellent internal consistency for the 17 items associated with DSM-IV criteria (α = .90) and the total score (α =.95; The LASC demonstrates convergent validity with measures of combat exposure and other measures of PTSD symptomatology. It has also demonstrated a 75.6% accuracy in predicting a PTSD diagnosis from a structured interview. The measure can be obtained via (dfoy@pepperdine.edu).

(King et al., 1995). (Orsillo, 2001) (Foy et al. ,1997).

 Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R)

(Weiss & Marmar, 1997).

The IES-R is a 22-item self-report measure assessing stress associated with the experience of traumatic events in adults. The IES-R can be used as a screening tool. The IES-R has been used in several studies with adolescents (e.g. Xia & Ding, 2011) and a separate adolescent version exists (CRIES-13, Smith, Perrin, Dyregrov, & Yule, 2003). The IES-R consists of three subscales: Intrusion, Avoidance, and Hyperarousal. Sample items include, “Pictures appeared in my mind,” “I tried not to talk about it,” and “I was jumpy and easily startled.” Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale from zero (“not at all”) to four (“extremely”). The IES-R demonstrates excellent internal consistency for the total score (α = .96), and good to excellent internal consistency for the subscales (r =.87-.94; Creamer, Bell, & Failla, 2003). It also demonstrates high concurrent validity with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist (PCL; Weathers, Litz, Herman, Huska, & Keane, 1993). When compared to the PCL, a cut-off score of 33 provided a sensitivity of .91, a specificity of .82, a positive predictive power of .90, and a negative predictive power of .84 (Creamer et al., 2003). The measure is available via (daniel.weiss@ucsf.edu). The adolescent version of this measure is available (http://www.heardalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Child-Impact-of-Traumatic-Event-Scale-English.pdf).

(Orsillo, 2001).

Clinical Rating Scales and Psychometric Tests

Adult Instruments

Depression

Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9)

Hamilton Scale for Depression

Anxiety

Beck Anxiety Inventory

GAD-7 Scale

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener

Catatonia

The Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale

The Modified Rogers Scale

Trauma

The Trauma History Screen (THS)

Other

Bender-Gestalt Test

Confusion Assessment Method

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version

 (PCL-C; Weathers et al., 1993).

The PCL-C is a 17-item self-report measure assessing symptoms of PTSD in adults. The PCL-C can be used as a screening and diagnostic tool (Wilkins, Lang, & Norman, 2011). The PCL-C has been used in studies with adolescents (Wang et al., 2012; Calderoni, Alderman, Silver, & Bauman, 2006) and a separate adolescent version exists (PCL-C/PR, Ford et al., 2000) but is not freely available. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale from one (“not at all”) to five (“extremely”). The PCL-C was designed to be administered in 5-10 minutes and can be scored in several ways, including a total symptom severity score that ranges from 17-85, or by mapping onto DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Empirical research suggests that five points on the PCL-C is a minimum threshold for determining whether an individual has responded to treatment and 10 points as a minimum threshold for determining whether the improvement is clinically meaningful (Monson et al., 2008). The PCL-C demonstrates acceptable internal consistency (α > .75; Wilkins, Lang, & Norman, 2011) and adequate test-retest reliability over a period of one week (r = .75-.88; Campbell et al., 1999). In addition, the PCL-C demonstrates concurrent validity (Bollinger, Cuevas, Vielhauer, Morgan, & Keane, 2008) with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS; Blake et al., 1995) and the Mississippi PTSD scale (Keane, Caddel, & Taylor, 1988; Blake et al., 1995). The measure is available online (http://www.ptsd.va.gov)

Clinical Rating Scales and Psychometric Tests

Adult Instruments

Depression

Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9)

Hamilton Scale for Depression

Anxiety

Beck Anxiety Inventory

GAD-7 Scale

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener

Catatonia

The Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale

The Modified Rogers Scale

Trauma

The Trauma History Screen (THS)

Other

Bender-Gestalt Test

Confusion Assessment Method

 Los Angeles Symptom Checklist (LASC; King, King, Leskin, & Foy, 1995).

The LASC is a 43-item self-report measure assessing symptoms of PTSD in adults and adolescents.  The LASC can be used as a screening and diagnostic tool (King et al., 1995). The LASC consists of items corresponding to the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD and items assessing distress and adjustment problems. Sample items include, “Vivid memories of unpleasant prior experiences” and “Waking early in the morning.” Each item is rated on a scale from zero (“not a problem”) to four (“extreme problem”). A preliminary diagnosis of PTSD can be determined using the 17 items within the scale that correspond to the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD.  A response counts towards the preliminary diagnosis if it is rated as a 2 or higher. The LASC was designed to be administered in 10-15 minutes (Orsillo, 2001). The LASC demonstrates excellent internal consistency for both the 17 items correlated with DSM-IV criteria (α = .94) and for the total score (α = .97). For use in adolescents, the LASC has demonstrated excellent internal consistency for the 17 items associated with DSM-IV criteria (α = .90) and the total score (α = .95; (Foy et al.,1997). The LASC demonstrates convergent validity with measures of combat exposure and other measures of PTSD symptomatology (Orsillo, 2001). It has also demonstrated a 75.6% accuracy in predicting a PTSD diagnosis from a structured interview (King, 1995). The measure can be obtained via (dfoy@pepperdine.edu).

Clinical Rating Scales and Psychometric Tests

Adult Instruments

Depression

Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9)

Hamilton Scale for Depression

Anxiety

Beck Anxiety Inventory

GAD-7 Scale

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener

Catatonia

The Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale

The Modified Rogers Scale

Trauma

The Trauma History Screen (THS)

Other

Bender-Gestalt Test

Confusion Assessment Method

 Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R; Weiss & Marmar, 1997).

The IES-R is a 22-item self-report measure assessing stress associated with the experience of traumatic events in adults. The IES-R can be used as a screening tool (Orsillo, 2001). The IES-R has been used in several studies with adolescents (e.g. Xia & Ding, 2011) and a separate adolescent version exists (CRIES-13, Smith, Perrin, Dyregrov, & Yule, 2003). The IES-R consists of three subscales: Intrusion, Avoidance, and Hyperarousal. Sample items include, “Pictures appeared in my mind,” “I tried not to talk about it,” and “I was jumpy and easily startled.” Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale from zero (“not at all”) to four (“extremely”). The IES-R demonstrates excellent internal consistency for the total score (α = .96), and good to excellent internal consistency for the subscales (r =.87-.94; Creamer, Bell, & Failla, 2003). It also demonstrates high concurrent validity with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist (PCL; Weathers, Litz, Herman, Huska, & Keane, 1993). When compared to the PCL, a cut-off score of 33 provided a sensitivity of .91, a specificity of .82, a positive predictive power of .90, and a negative predictive power of .84 (Creamer et al., 2003). The measure is available via (daniel.weiss@ucsf.edu). The adolescent version of this measure is available (http://www.heardalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Child-Impact-of-Traumatic-Event-Scale-English.pdf).

 The Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised

 (SBQ-R; Cole, 1988; Osman et al., 2001). The SBQ-R is a 4-item self-report measure assessing suicidality in adults. The SBQ-R can be used as a screening tool (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999). The SBQ-R has been used with adolescents (Osman et al., 2001, Baczwaski, 2012) but does not include a separate adolescent version. The number of responses and response content varies for each question. Different responses are assigned a point number for a total score ranging from 3 to 18. Using a cutoff score of seven or greater, sensitivity reached 93% and specificity reached 95% (Osman et al., 2001). The SBQ-R demonstrates adequate internal consistency (α > .75) and adequate test-retest reliability over a  period of two weeks (r = .95; Cotton, Peters, & Range, 1995). The measure is available online (http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/images/res/SBQ.pdf).

 Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS; Posner et al., 2011)

The C-SSRS is a 20-item clinician-report measure assessing the severity of suicidal behavior and ideation in adolescents and adults. The C-SSRS can be used as a screening tool (Center for Suicide Risk Assessment, Columbia University, 2013), and to monitor symptom changes over time (Posner et al., 2011). The C-SSRS consists of subscales on the severity of ideation, the intensity of ideation, suicidal behavior, and lethality, as well as versions for varying time periods and settings. Respondents are asked to rate items on varying ordinal and nominal scales, depending on the subscale and level of behavior. The C-SSRS demonstrates adequate to excellent internal consistency (α = .73-.93; Posner et al., 2011). The C-SSRS demonstrates convergent validity (Posner et al., 2011) with the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI; Beck, Kovacs, & Weissman, 1979), the suicidal ideation item on the MADRS (Montgomery & Asberg, 1979), and the suicide item on the BDI (Beck et al., 1961). In addition, the C-SSRS demonstrated divergent validity with somatic depression items on both the MADRS and BDI. Although it is not required for clinical use, free online training is available on the C-SSRS’s website. The scale is available in 103 languages. The measure is available online (http://www.cssrs.columbia.edu).

National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (NIH PROMIS, 2013)

The NIH PROMIS is a database of self-report measures for monitoring patient symptoms in four domains (i.e., global, physical, mental, and social health) in adults. The Mental Health profile item banks (i.e., depression and anxiety) are the most directly related to community mental health. Both item banks are available in short forms (ranging from 4- to 8-items) and long forms (approximately 30 items).  These tools can be used as screening instruments (Broderick, DeWitt, Rothrock, Crane, & Forrest, 2013). No information on use with adolescents was available. All items are available in Spanish, with translations and validations pending in Dutch, Portuguese, Hindi, and Mandarin. Below, we have described the Depression and Anxiety banks. Additional mental health item banks include Anger; Applied Cognition; Alcohol Use, Consequences and Expectancies; and Psychosocial Illness Impact. The psychometric analysis is still pending for these item banks.

The PROMIS Depression item bank assesses depressive effects such as negative mood (e.g., sadness, guilt) and negative social cognition (e.g., loneliness, interpersonal alienation). Sample items include “I felt worthless” and “I felt helpless.” Each item is rated on a scale from one (“never”) to five (“always”). The full depression bank (28 items) demonstrates excellent alternate-form reliability (r = .96) and concurrent validity with the 8-item short form. In addition, the depression item bank demonstrates acceptable to good concurrent validity with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-DS; Radloff, 1977) and the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ; Watson & Clark, 1991).   

The PROMIS Anxiety item bank assesses aspects of anxiety symptomatology such as fear (e.g., feelings of panic) and anxious misery (e.g., worry, dread). Sample items include “I felt like something awful might happen” and “I worried about what could happen to me.” Each item is rated from one (“never”) to five (“always”). The full anxiety bank (29 items) demonstrates excellent alternate-form reliability (r = .96) and concurrent validity with the 7-item short form. The Anxiety item bank demonstrates concurrent validity with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-DS; Radloff, 1977) and the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ; Watson & Clark, 1991).

Brief forms are available at:

(https://www.assessmentcenter.net/PromisForms.aspx).

Full forms are available by creating an account through the PROMIS Assessment Center.

(www.assessmentcenter.net).

Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS; Young et al., 1978).

The YMRS is an 11-item clinician-report measure assessing manic symptoms in adults. The YMRS is can be used as a screening tool (Young et al., 1978), and to monitor symptom changes over time (McIntyre, Mancini, Srinivasan, McCann, Konarski, & Kennedy, 2004). Four of the YMRS items are rated on a zero to eight scale, with the remaining seven being rated on a zero to four scale. This measure can be administered in 10-20 minutes. The YMRS is not intended for diagnosis of mania - if a client scores high, clinicians are encouraged to use a more thorough assessment (Young et al., 1978). The clinician version of the YMRS demonstrates excellent inter-rater reliability (r = .93) and correlates with the number of subsequent days in the hospital (r=.66, p<0.001; Young et al., 1978). The measure does not assess comorbid depressive symptoms and should be administered with a depression rating scale (Collaborative Research Team to Study Psychosocial Issues in Bipolar Disorder, 2013). 

The measure is available online

Download Young Manic Rating Scale

Bech-Rafaelsen Mania Scale (MAS; Bech, Rafaelsen, Kramp, & Bolwig, 1978).

The MAS is an 11-item clinician-report measure assessing mania symptoms in adults. The MAS can be used as a screening tool, and to monitor symptom changes over time (Bech, 2002). The MAS has been used with adolescents (Strober et al., 1998), but a separate adolescent version does not exist. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale with descriptions of severity tailored to each symptom of mania (e.g., zero, “normal activity” to four, “impossible to interrupt, completely dominates conversation”). Total scores range from 0 to 44, with scores between 5 and 15 indicating hypomania, scores near 20 indicating moderate mania, and scores above 28 indicating severe mania symptoms (Bech, 2002). The MAS demonstrates good to excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC = .89-.92; Bech, 2002).

This measure is available online (http://opapc.com/images/pdfs/MRS.pdf).