Sections
Functioning of Rating Scales | Broad-Band Rating Scales | Rating Scales Assessing Externalizing
Behaviors | Rating Scales Assessing Internalizing Symptoms | Rating Scales Assessing Autism Spectrum Disorders | Functional Impairment and Adaptive Functioning | Summary Points | References
Excerpt
The term rating scale refers
to any instrument that provides rapid assessment of a behavior or
psychological dimension, yields a numerical score that is easily
interpreted, and complements clinical care. This chapter presents
rating scales that have high utility for disorders that are frequently
treated in general psychiatric practice. The text discusses general
issues regarding the use of the scales, including their strengths
and weaknesses, and the tables provide information regarding the
availability of psychometric data. Readers may also review the Journal
of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Vol
34, Issue 3, 2005) for a special section devoted to evidence-based
assessment practices. Another excellent resource is Assessment
Scales in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Verhulst and van der Ende 2006), which provides both descriptions
of scales that are beyond the scope of this chapter and copies of
several reproducible scales. From the large number of available
scales, those presented here were selected on the basis of their
frequency of use in clinical practice and the adequacy of their
psychometric properties.