Measuring Progress in Therapy
How do you tell if therapy is working? When I provide services to kids and families, I often ask for parents to complete measures of progress periodically. Usually, this comes in the form of a short questionnaire asking about the child’s functioning in a few key areas. While it’s not a perfect method, research shows that setting specific goals and tracking progress over time leads to better outcomes. This makes sense when you think about it: When is the last time you tried to change something? It was easier when you measured it, right?
One issue with measuring progress like this is that parents (and therapists!) don’t always know which questionnaires are appropriate. I have compiled a list here of behavioral and mental health screeners that are 1) free or very low-cost, and 2) widely used and accepted in various places. These screeners are not a substitute for diagnostic assessment by a trained professional, and are provided here for educational purposes. Ideally, they should be used as part of clinical assessment and care.
Please message me if any of the links are outdated! I want this to be a living document. For many of these, you’ll need to scroll to find the actual PDF.
Depression/Anxiety:
Mood and Feelings Questionnaire
Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Disorders (SCARED)
Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS)
Behavior/ADHD:
Weekly Assessment of Child Behavior (WACB)
Trauma:
Child and Adolescent Trauma Screener (CATS)
General:
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
Self-harm (**trained professionals only**):
If you have a favorite child or adolescent assessment that you like to use, feel free to share it with me. I’d be happy to add it to the list after vetting it.
Screening tools like this can only provide an incomplete glimpse at your concerns, particularly if you are using them yourself without professional guidance. Please contact me to set up an appointment if you are having concerns about your child that would benefit from a proper psychological assessment.