Respond To The Post Below By Comparing Your Assessmen 106614

Respond To The Post Bellowby Comparing Your Assessment Tool To Theirs

Respond to the post bellow by comparing your assessment tool to theirs. NOTE: my assessment tool: The patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9 Main Post According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (1995), children and adolescents are evaluated due to psychiatric disorders that impair emotional, cognitive, physical, and/or behavioral functioning. The child or adolescent is evaluated in the context of the family, school, community, and culture. The purpose and aims of the clinical diagnostic assessment are to determine whether psychopathology is present and, if so, to establish a differential diagnosis and tentative diagnostic formulation, to develop a treatment recommendation and plan, or to communicate the above findings in an appropriate fashion to the parents and child.

In addition, the aims of the assessment process are to identify the stated reasons and factors leading to the referral, to assess the nature and severity of the child's behavioral difficulties, functional impairments, subjective distress, and to identify individual, family, or environmental factors that may potentially account for, influence, or ameliorate these difficulties. When assessing children, parents’ interviews and school functioning reports are necessary. The assessment tool I will discuss in this post is the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Per the University of Pittsburg (2019), SCARED is a child and parent self-report instrument used to screen for childhood anxiety disorders including general anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia.

In addition, it assesses symptoms related to school phobia. The SCARED consists of 41 items and 5 factors that parallel the DSM-IV classification of anxiety disorders. The child and parent versions of the SCARED have moderate parent-child agreement and good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and discriminant validity, and it is sensitive to treatment response Target population : Children ages 8-18 years Intended users : Clinicians and Psychiatrists Time to Administer : 10 minutes Completed by : Children and Parents How to Use SCARED : SCARED is a questionnaire with scales that describes how people feel. Clients read each phrase and decide if it is “Not True or Hardly Ever True†or “Somewhat True or Sometimes True†or “Very True or Often Trueâ€.

Then, for each sentence, they fill in one circle that corresponds to the response that seems to describe them for the last 3 months. After each phrase and circles, there are abbreviations of the various disorders. Therefore, a total score of >25 may indicate the presence of an Anxiety Disorder . Scores higher than 40 are more specific. A score of 7 for items 1, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 19, 22, 24, 27, 30, 34, 38 may indicate Panic Disorder or Significant Somatic Symptoms (PN).

A score of 9 for items 5, 7, 14, 21, 23, 28, 33, 35, 37 may indicate Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GD). A score of 5 for items 4, 8, 13, 16, 20, 25, 29, 31 may indicate Separation Anxiety Disorder (SP). A score of 8 for items 3, 10, 26, 32, 39, 40, 41 may indicate Social Anxiety Disorder (SC) A score of 3 for items 2, 11, 17, 36 may indicate Significant School Avoidance (SN) (see the attached document or link, it’s the SCARED assessment and how the score is calculated: source ) Psychometric Properties : There are accumulating studies that have shown the SCARED to have good psychometric properties for children and adolescents from various cultures, so SCARED can be utilized in various countries as a cross-cultural screening instrument for DSM-V anxiety disorders.

The psychometric properties of the SCARED are strong because females scored significantly higher than males, and that age had a moderating effect on male and female score differences. Studies have demonstrated that girls run a higher risk of developing anxiety disorders than boys. The moderating effect of age on anxiety symptoms, particularly generalized anxiety disorder symptoms increases for older girls that may highlight the importance of early interventions for them to help reduce the risk for later developmental maladaptation (Crocetti et al., 2011) Diagnosis for a Client Receiving Psychotherapy : Possible diagnoses for these clients under Anxiety Disorders are Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia (fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment), Separation Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder (formerly Social Phobia), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2017).

Legal and Ethical Implications of Counseling Children : The four ethical/ legal issues that arise when counseling children are counselor competence, informed consent, confidentiality, and mandatory reporting of child abuse. Counselor Competence - that is knowledge and skills of the counselor (e.g. use of play therapy), knowledge of mental disorders, understanding human development, understanding family structure, culture/ diversity, and a more talked about topic (transgender). Informed Consent - It is formal permission that allows treatment. The counselor and client fall under legal jurisdiction of contract law. Minors can only enter a contract by parental / guardian consent, involuntary at parent’s insistence, or ordered by juvenile court.

Through informed consents, clients are given voluntary knowledge of treatment, must understand consequences of treatment, and if not obtained, counselors are held responsible, and sued for battery, failure to gain consent, & child enticement. Confidentiality must be maintained so it will not cause lack of trust and communication, child not seeking treatment, or early termination of psychotherapy. Mandatory Reporting : mental health professionals must report in all States. It’s the duty of health care providers to report and failure to report breaches legal and ethical standards (Garnsey, n.d.) References American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (1995). Practice Parameters for the Psychiatric Assessment of Children and Adolescents.

Retrieved March 2, 2020, from American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Retrieved March 2, 2020, from American Psychiatric Association (2017). What Are Anxiety Disorders? Retrieved March 3, 2020, from Crocetti, E., Meeus, W.

H. J., Raaijmakers, Q. A. W., William, W. H. (2011).

A meta-analysis of the cross-cultural psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Retrieved March 3, 2020, from Garnsey, E. (n.d.). Legal and Ethical Issues When Counseling Children. Retrieved March 3, 2020, from Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED)- (2012). CHILD Version—Page 1 of 2 (to be filled out by the CHILD) Retrieved March 3, 2019, from University of Pittsburg (2019).

Instruments- Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Retrieved March 2, 2020, from SCARED_Child_Updated_June_2015.pdf

Paper For Above instruction

The assessment tools utilized in child and adolescent mental health evaluation serve to identify, diagnose, and guide treatment for various psychological disorders. Among these tools, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) represent two distinct instruments tailored for different diagnostic purposes and populations. Comparing the PHQ-9 with the SCARED reveals notable differences in focus, structure, psychometric properties, and clinical application, highlighting their respective strengths and limitations in pediatric mental health assessment.

The PHQ-9 is primarily a screening instrument designed to assess the severity of depressive symptoms in various populations, including adolescents. Rooted in the DSM criteria for depression, it consists of nine items that inquire about core symptoms such as mood, anhedonia, sleep disturbances, fatigue, appetite changes, feelings of worthlessness, concentration difficulties, psychomotor changes, and suicidal ideation. Its brevity—requiring approximately five minutes to administer—makes it a practical tool for primary care and mental health settings (Kroenke et al., 2001). The PHQ-9’s strengths lie in its high internal consistency, validity across diverse populations, and ease of use, facilitating early detection of depression which is often comorbid with other disorders in youth populations.

Contrastingly, the SCARED focuses specifically on screening for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents aged 8-18 years. Comprised of 41 items, it assesses symptoms across five domains that correspond to DSM-IV anxiety disorder classifications, including generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, and school phobia. Its design incorporates both child and parent self-report formats, allowing for a comprehensive view of the child's symptomatology. The SCARED's psychometric strengths include high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and cross-cultural validity, making it a culturally sensitive instrument for diverse populations (Crocetti et al., 2011). Moreover, it provides clinical cut-off scores and subscale analyses, aiding clinicians in pinpointing specific anxiety domains and facilitating targeted interventions.

The key difference in application pertains to the disorders screened: the PHQ-9 targets depression, while the SCARED is focused on anxiety disorders. Both tools incorporate self-report formats, but the SCARED additionally includes parent-report versions, which enhance diagnostic accuracy given the common discrepancies between child and parent perceptions. psychometrically, both tools demonstrate strong reliability and validity; however, the SCARED's multidimensional structure allows for more nuanced assessment of symptom clusters, which is particularly valuable in planning individualized treatment strategies for pediatric anxiety disorders.

Furthermore, while the PHQ-9 emphasizes severity grading for depression and is widely used in adult populations, its application in younger children may require supplementary assessments due to developmental considerations. Conversely, the SCARED is specifically designed for children and adolescents, with normative data and subscale scoring that facilitate early detection within this age group. The length of administration also differs; the PHQ-9's quick nine-item format makes it suitable for rapid screening, whereas the SCARED’s comprehensive format may require more time but yields detailed symptom profiles.

In summary, both assessment instruments are valuable in pediatric mental health but serve different primary purposes. The PHQ-9 excels in efficiently screening for depressive symptoms across age groups with proven reliability and validity, making it versatile in various clinical settings. The SCARED offers a detailed, domain-specific assessment of anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents, supported by extensive psychometric validation and cultural adaptability. Clinicians selecting between these tools should consider the presentation, suspected disorder, and context to optimize screening and diagnostic accuracy—using the PHQ-9 for depression screening and the SCARED when anxiety disorders are suspected. Both instruments complement comprehensive assessments, ultimately enhancing early detection and intervention outcomes in youth mental health care.

References

• Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. (2001). The PHQ-9: Validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606-613.
• Crocetti, E., Meeus, W. H. J., Raaijmakers, Q. A. W., & William, W. H. (2011). A meta-analysis of the cross-cultural psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52(9), 1038-1048.
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).
• American Psychiatric Association. (2017). What Are Anxiety Disorders? In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).
• García-Peña, C., et al. (2015). Validity of the Spanish version of the PHQ-9 for screening depression in primary care. Revista de psiquiatría y salud mental, 8(4), 204-211.
• Beesdo-Baum, K., & Knappe, S. (2013). Developmentally sensitive epidemiological and clinical perspectives on anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(4), 360-376.
• Costello, E. J., et al. (2003). Development of anxiety and depression in adolescents: The predictive role of childhood anxiety and depression. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32(3), 185–198.
• Varni, J. W., et al. (2000). The PedsQL™: Measurement model for the pediatric quality of life inventory. Medical Care, 39(8), 800-812.
• Reynolds, C. R., & Kamphaus, R. W. (2004). Behavior Assessment System for Children (2nd ed.).
• Silverman, W. K., & Albano, A. M. (1996). Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV for Children.