Pediatric Symptom Checklist
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The Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) is a 35-question psychological assessment tool designed to evaluate and identify cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. There are four versions of the PSC, including a full-length parent-report form (PSC), a full-length youth self-report form (Y-PSC), a shortened parent-report form (PSC-17), and a shortened youth self-report form (Y-PSC-17). The PSC contains a series of statements regarding the child's emotions and behavior. Respondents are asked to indicate to what degree the statement describes the child, with response options of "never," "sometimes," and "often." The PSC is available in six languages, including Spanish and German. The questionnaire takes about 5-10 minutes to complete and the is designed for use with children ages 4 and up (PSC) and adolescents ages 11 and up (Y-PSC). Several peer-reviewed research studies support the Pediatric Symptom Checklist as a reliable and valid measure of psychological symptoms in children and adolescents, giving it an assessment rating of "A — Reliability and Validity Demonstrated."[1][2][3]
Scoring and interpretation
Question breakdown
The PSC and Y-PSC include three subscales, the questions of which evaluate a given symptom set:[4]
- Attention problems subscale: questions 4, 7, 8, 9, and 14
- A score of 7 or higher on this subscale indicates significant impairments in attention.
- Internalizing problems subscale: questions 11, 13, 19, 22, and 27
- A score of 5 or higher on this subscale indicates significant symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Externalizing problems subscale: questions 16, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35
- A score of 7 or higher on this subscale indicates significant problems with conduct.
Scoring
Scoring the PSC is based on a 0-2 scale, with each question being scored as follows based on responses:
- 0 points: 0, meaning "never"
- 1 point: 1, meaning "sometimes"
- 2 points: 2, meaning "often"
Cutoffs
Scores are summed to yield the total score. Cutoff scores vary based on the measure format and on age:[4]
- PSC:
- For children ages 4 and 5, a score of 24 or higher indicates significant psychological impairment.
- For children ages 6 to 16, a score of 28 or higher indicates significant psychological impairment.
- Y-PSC:
-For adolescents of all ages, a score of 30 or higher indicates significant psychological impairment.
- PSC-17:
- For children of all ages, a score of 15 or higher indicates significant psychological impairment.
See also
- Full PSC
- Full Y-PSC
- Full PSC-17
- Full Y-PSC-17
- Diagnostic classification and rating scales used in psychiatry
References
- ↑ Gardner, W; Murphy, M; Childs, G; Kelleher, K; Pagano, M; Jellinek, M; McInerny, TK; Wasserman, RC; Nutting, P; Chiappetta, L (1999). "The PSC-17: A brief pediatric symptom checklist with psychosocial problem subscales. A report from PROS and ASPN". Ambulatory Child Health 5: 225–225.
- ↑ Gardner, W; Lucas, A; Kolko, DJ; Campo, JV (May 2007). "Comparison of the PSC-17 and alternative mental health screens in an at-risk primary care sample.". Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 46 (5): 611–8. doi:10.1097/chi.0b013e318032384b. PMID 17450052.
- ↑ Kostanecka, A; Power, T; Clarke, A; Watkins, M; Hausman, CL; Blum, NJ (April 2008). "Behavioral health screening in urban primary care settings: construct validity of the PSC-17.". Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP 29 (2): 124–8. doi:10.1097/dbp.0b013e31816a0d9e. PMID 18408533.
- 1 2 "Pediatric Symptom Checklist: Scoring the PSC". Massachusetts General Hospital: Psychiatry. Massachusetts General Hospital. Retrieved 21 September 2015.