Affect Intensity Measure (AIM)

The AIM is a self-administered, 40-item, Likert scale questionnaire designed to measure the strength or weakness with which one experiences both positive and negative emotions. The questionnaire provides scores for the following scales: Negative Intensity, Positive Intensity, Negative Affectivity, and Positive Affectivity. Items are rated on a six-point scale: 1-Never, 2-Almost Never, 3-Occasionally, 4-Usually, 5-Almost Always, 6-Always.

References: Larsen RJ.; Diener E.; Emmons RA. (1986) Affect intensity and reactions to daily life events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 803–814.

Adult Self-Report

The ASR is a 126-item self-report questionnaire for adults (ages 18–59) assessing aspects of adaptive functioning and problems. The questionnaire provides scores for the following syndrome scales: anxious/depressed, withdrawn, somatic complaints, thought problems, attention problems, aggressive behavior, rule-breaking behavior, and intrusive behavior. The questionnaire provides scores for the following DSM-oriented scales: depressive problems, anxiety problems, somatic problems, avoidant personality problems, attention deficit/ hyperactivity problems (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity subscales), and antisocial personality problems. Additionally, the questionnaire asks about use of the following substances: tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Items are rated on a 3-point scale: 0-Not True, 1-Somewhat or Sometimes True, 2-Very True or Often True.

Note: The ASR is given to adult participants ages 18-59 years old.

References: Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2003). Manual for the ASEBA adult forms & profiles. Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.

Adult Temperament Questionnaire (ATQ)

The ATQ short form is a 77-item self-report questionnaire for adults (ages 18 and over) assessing constructs of temperament and personality. The measure includes constructs of effortful control, negative affect, extraversion/surgency, and orienting sensitivity. Participants are asked to rate how well the items describe them on a 7-point scale: 1-extremely untrue, 2-quite untrue, 3-slightly true, 4-neither true or false, 5-slightly true, 6-quite true, 7-extremely true.

Note: This self-assessment is given to participants ages 16-85 years old.

References: Evans, D.E., & Rothbart, M.K. (2007). Development of a model for adult temperament. Journal of Research in Personality, 41, 868-888.

Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd Edition – Parent Rating Scale, 6-11 years old (BASC -2 (6-11))

The BASC-2 (6-11) a 160-item informant-report questionnaire assessing the adaptive and problem behaviors of children (ages 6 – 11) in the community and home setting. It provides scores for the following scales: anger control, bullying, developmental social disorders, emotional self-control, executive functioning, negative emotionality, and resiliency. Informants report on the child’s behavior in the last several months using a 4- point scale: 0-never, 1-sometimes, 2-often, 3-almost always.

Note: This BASC-2 (6-11) is given to guardians of child participants who range in age from 6-11 years old.

References: Reynolds, C. R., & Kamphaus, R. W. (1992). BASC: Behavior assessment system for children: Manual. American Guidance Service, Incorporated.

Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd Edition –Parent Rating Scale, 12-17 years old, (BASC – 2 (12–17))

The BASC – 2 (12-17) is a 150-item informant-report questionnaire assessing the adaptive and problem behaviors of adolescents (ages 12 – 17) in the community and home setting. It provides scores for the following scales: anger control, bullying, developmental social disorders, emotional self-control, executive functioning, negative emotionality, and resiliency. Informants report on the adolescent’s behavior in the last several months using a 4- point scale: 0-never, 1-sometimes, 2-often, 3-almost always.

Note: This self-assessment is given to guardians of adolescent participants ages 12-17 years old.

References: Reynolds, C. R., & Kamphaus, R. W. (1992). BASC: Behavior assessment system for children: Manual. American Guidance Service, Incorporated.

Beck Depression Inventory (BDI – II)

The BDI-II is a 21-item self-report questionnaire assessing the current severity of depression symptoms in adolescents and adults (ages 13 and up). It is not designed to serve as an instrument of diagnosis, but rather to identify the presence and severity of symptoms consistent with the criteria of the DSM-IV. Questions assess the typical symptoms of depression such as mood, pessimism, sense of failure, self-dissatisfaction, guilt, punishment, self-dislike, self-accusation, suicidal ideas, crying, irritability, social withdrawal, insomnia, fatigue, appetite, and loss of libido. Participants are asked to pick a statement on a 4-point scale that best describes they way they have been feeling during the past two weeks.

Note: This self-assessment is given to participants ages 18-85 years old.

References: Beck, A., Steer, R., Brown, G. (1996). Manual for Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). San Antonio, TX, Psychology Corporation.

The Child Behavior Checklist – Parent Report Form (CBCL)

The CBCL is a 113-item informant-report questionnaire assessing behavioral competency and behavioral problems in children (ages 6 – 18) within the past six months. The following syndrome scales are assessed: anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, somatic complains, social problems, thought problems, rule-breaking behavior, and aggressive behavior. The following DSM-oriented scales are assessed: affective problems, anxiety problems, somatic problems, attention deficit/hyperactivity problems, oppositional defiant problems, and conduct problems. Additionally, there are 20 social competency items used to obtain parents’ reports of the amount and quality of their child’s participation in sports, hobbies, games, activities, organizations, jobs and chores, friendships, how well the child gets along with others and plays and works by him/herself, and school functioning. Behaviors are rated on a 3-point scale: 0-Not true (as far as you know), 1-Somewhat or sometimes true, 2-Very true or often true.

Note: This self-assessment is given to guardians of children and adolescents ages 6-17 years old. The 20 social competency items are not included.

References: Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Integrative guide for the 1991 CBCL/4-18, YSR, and TRF profiles. Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Vermont.

The Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (Very Short Form) – (CBQ-VSF)

The CBQ-VSF is a 36-item informant-report questionnaire assessing temperament of children (ages 3 – 8). The questionnaire is designed to capture three broad dimensions: surgency/extraversion, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Informants are asked to rate their child based on how they feel that their child’s reaction is likely to be in a variety of situations. Responses are given on a 7-point scale ranging from 1 (extremely untrue of my child) to 7 (extremely true of my child). The questionnaire is designed to capture three broad dimensions: surgency/extraversion, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Participants are asked to rate how well the items describe their child on a 7-point scale: 1-extremely untrue of my child, 2-quite untrue, 3- slightly untrue, 4-neither true nor untrue, 5-slightly true, 6-quite true, 7-extremely true of my child.

Note: This assessment is given to guardians of child participants, ages 6-8 years old.

References: Putnam, S. P., & Rothbart, M. K. (2006). Development of short and very short forms of the children’s behavior questionnaire. Journal of Personality Assessment, 87(1), 102-112.

The Children’s Depression Inventory 2 (CDI-2)

The CDI-2 is a 28-item self-report questionnaire assessing current cognitive, affective, and behavioral signs of depression in children and adolescents (ages 7 – 17). Two scales (emotional problems and functional problems) and 4 subscales (negative mood/physical symptoms, negative self-esteem, interpersonal problems, and ineffectiveness) are assessed for the past two weeks on a 4-point scale.

Note: This assessment is given to children ages 7–17 years old.

References: Kovacs, M. (2004). Children’s depression inventory (CDI). Toronto, Canada: Multi-Health Systems.

Kovacs, M. (1985). The Children’s Depression, Inventory (CDI). Psychopharmacology Bulletin 21(4): 995-998.

Diagnostic Summary

Study staff, following completion and review of the SCID and ACDS or KSADS, completes the diagnostic summary.

Note: Item level data for the follow assessments are not released.

• Adult ADHD Clinical Diagnostic Scale (ACDS) V 1.2: This is a semi-structured interview that establishes both current adult symptomatology and the presence of any ADHD symptoms in childhood. The 18 items in the ACDS match the 18 symptom domains of ADHD noted in DSM-IV. As the SCID does not cover ADHD it is used in conjunction in order to help make or rule out this diagnosis. Note: This semi-structured interview is administered to all adult participants ages 18-85 years old. (References: Kessler, R. C., Green, J. G., Adler, L. A., Barkley, R. A., Chatterji, S., Faraone, S. V., . . . Van Brunt, D. L. (2010). Structure and diagnosis of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Analysis of expanded symptom criteria from the adult ADHD clinical diagnostic scale. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67(11), 1168-78.)
• Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS): The K-SADS is a semi-structured interview designed to assess current and past episodes of psychopathology in children and adolescents, according to DSM-IV criteria. Probes and objective criteria are provided to rate individual symptoms. Note: This semi-structured interview is administered to all child participants ages 6-17 years old. The interview is first completed with the guardian of the child and is then completed with the child in order to determine past and current diagnoses. (References: Kaufman, J., et al. (1997). Schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia for school-age children-resent and lifetime version (K-SADS-PL): Initial reliability and validity data. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(7), 980-988).)
• Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders – Non-Patient Edition (SCID-I/NP): A diagnostic semi-structured interview designed to assess current and past episodes of psychopathology in adults, according to DSM-IV criteria. Probes and objective criteria are provided to rate individual symptoms. Note: This semi-structured interview is administered to all adult participants ages 18-85 years old. (References: First, M., B., Spitzer, R. L., Gibbon, M., and Williams, J.B.W.: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders, Research Version, Non-patient edition (SCID-I/NP, 1/2010 revision). New York: Biometrics Research, New York State Psychiatric Institute, November 2002.)

The Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire (Revised) Parent Report (EATQ-R)

The EATQ-R (Parent Report) is a 62-item assessment of temperament and behavior in children and adolescents (ages 9 to 15 years old). The following scales are included: activation control, affiliation, attention, fear, frustration, high-intensity pleasure, inhibitory control, shyness, and aggression and depressive mood. Parents are asked to rate how true the characteristics and behaviors are of their child on a 5-point scale: 1-Almost always untrue, 2-Usually untrue, 3-Sometimes true, sometimes untrue, 4-Usually true, 5-Almost always true.

Note: This self-assessment is administered to the guardian of child participants ages 9-15 years old.

References: Ellis, L. K., & Rothbart, M. K. (2001, April). Revision of the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire. Poster presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Minneapolis, MN.

Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ)

The ERQ is a 10-item, self-administered, Likert scale questionnaire for adults that is designed to assess individual differences in the habitual use of two emotion regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. Items are rated on a seven point scale: 1-Strongly Disagree, 4-Neutral, 7-Strongly Agree. The questionnaire provides scores for reappraisal and suppression.

References: Gross, J.J., & John, O.P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 348-362.

Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)

The GDS is a 30-item self-report assessment used to identify depression in the elderly. The participant is asked to respond “Yes” or “No” to a series of questions about how they have felt over the past week. This instrument may be used with healthy, medically ill, or mild to moderately cognitively impaired older adults.

Note: This assessment is given to participants ages 65-85 years old.

References: Brink T.L., Yesavage J.A., Lum O., Heersema P., Adey M.B., Rose T.L.: Screening tests for geriatric depression. Clinical Gerontologist 1: 37-44, 1982.

Sheikh J.I., Yesavage J.A.: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Recent evidence and development of a shorter version. Clinical Gerontology : A Guide to Assessment and Intervention 165-173, NY: The Haworth Press, 1986.

Medical History Questionnaire-Adult

This questionnaire is designed to get a detailed and comprehensive history of the participant’s medical and psychiatric history. Participants respond Yes or No to a list of possible medical issues, and for some are asked to specify type.

Note: This assessment is given to all adult participants, ages 18-85 years old.

References: Merikangas, K., project in development.

Medical History Questionnaire-Child

This questionnaire is designed to get a detailed and comprehensive history of the participant’s medical and psychiatric history. Parents are asked to respond Yes or No to a list of possible medical issues about their child, and for some are asked to specify type.

Note: This assessment is completed by guardians of child participants, ages 6-17 years old.

References: Merikangas, K., project in development.

Older Adult Self Report (OASR)

The OASR is a 127-item self-administered instrument designed for older adults (ages 60-90) that examines diverse aspects of adaptive functioning and problems. Participants are asked to review a list of items that describe people, and select the best answer to describe themselves over the past two months on a 3-point scale: 0-Not true, 1-Somewhat or Sometimes True, 2-Very True or Often True. The questionnaire provides scores for the following syndrome scales: anxious/depressed, worries, somatic complaints, functional impairment, memory/cognition problems, thought problems, and irritable/disinhibited. The questionnaire provides scores for the following DSM-oriented scales: depressive problems, anxiety problems, somatic problems, dementia problems, psychotic problems, and antisocial personality problems. Additionally, the questionnaire asks about their use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.

Note: This assessment is given to participants ages 60-85 years old. The adaptive functioning scales are not included.

References: Achenbach, T. M., Newhouse, P.A., & Rescorla, L. A. (2004). Manual for the ASEBA Older Adult Forms & Profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families.

Positive and Negative Affect Schedule – short form (PANAS-S)

The PANAS-S is a self-administered, 20-item Likert scale assessment that measures degree of positive or negative affect. Users are asked to rate 10 adjectives that measure positive feelings such as joy or pleasure, and 10 adjectives that measure negative feelings, such as anxiety or sadness, on a scale of how closely the adjective describes them in the present moment or over the past week. Items are rated on a five-point scale: 1-Very slightly, 2-A little, 3-Moderately, 4-Quite a bit, 5-Extremely.

References: Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS Scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 1063–1070.

Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ)

The PSWQ is a self-administered, 16-item, Likert-type scale designed to measure worry. It is considered by many to be the “gold-standard” for assessing worry. The items on the scale assess the occurrence, intrusiveness, pervasiveness, and other characterizing features of an individual’s experience with worry. The scale has been shown to identify worry, over and above anxiety and depression. Items are rated on a five-point scale: 1-Not at all typical of me to 5-Very typical of me. Possible range of scores is 16-80 with the algorithm of Total scores: 16-39Low Worry, 40-59 Moderate Worry, and 60-80 High Worry.

References: Meyer TJ, Miller ML, Metzger RL, Borkovec TD (1990). Development and validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Beh Research and Therapy, 28, 487-495.

Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ)

The PTQ is a self-administered, 15-item, Likert-type scale designed to measure the broad idea of repetitive negative thought. The items on the scale assess what are considered to be the core aspects of repetitive negative thought: 1) their repetitive and intrusive nature, 2) the perceived unproductive nature of these thoughts, and 3) the way in which this type of thinking captures mental capacity. Items are rated on a five-point scale: 0-Never, 1-Rarely, 2-Sometimes, 3-Often, 4-Almost Always.

References: Ehring, T., Zetsche, U., Weidacker, K., Wahl, K., Schönfeld, S., & Ehlers, A. (2011). The Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ): Validation of a content-independent measure of repetitive negative thinking. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 42, 225-232.

Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS)

The RRS is a revision of the original, longer Response Styles Questionnaire. The RRS was developed to more directly and reliably assess rumination that is related to, but not confounded by depression. The 22 items of the RRS measure two aspects of rumination, brooding and reflective pondering. Items are rated on a four-point scale: 1-Almost Never, 2-Sometimes, 3-Often, 4-Almost always. The questionnaire provides scores for the following scales: Brooding, Reflection, and Depression.

Note: The first 29 subjects in the NFB protocol were administered a slightly longer version of the RRS, based on the RSQ. This version contained 21 of the 22 items of the RRS. The single item that was omitted was from the Depression subscale and thus impacts that subscale, as well as the RRS total score. Examination of approximately 20 subjects who completed the full RRS revealed correlations > r = .95 between the 11-item and 12-item Depression subscale and the 21 and 22-item total scale score.

References: Treynor, W.; Gonzalez, R.; Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2003). Rumination Reconsidered: A Psychometric Analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 27(3), 247-259

Trauma Symptom Checklist for Adults (TSC-40)

The TSC-40 is a 40-item self-report that evaluates symptomology in adults (ages 18 and older) associated with childhood or adult traumatic experiences. The TSC-40 consists of six subscales: Anxiety, Depression, Dissociation, Sexual Abuse Trauma Index (SATI), Sexual Problems, and Sleep Disturbance, and includes a Total Score as well. Each symptom item is rated according to it’s frequency of occurrence over the past two months using a 4-point scale: 0-Never, to 3-Often.

Note: This assessment is given to all adult participants, ages 18-85 years old.

References: Elliot, D. M. & Briere, J. (1992). Sexual abuse trauma among professional women: Validating the Trauma Symptom Checklist – 40 (TSC-40). Child Abuse & Neglect, 16, 391-398.

Briere, J. N., & Runtz, M. G. (1989). The Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC-33): early data on a new scale. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 4, 151-163.

Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSC-C)

The TSC-C is a 54-item self-report inventory assessing posttraumatic stress in children (ages 8 -17) who have experienced traumatic events such as physical or sexual abuse, major loss, natural disaster, or violence. The following clinical scales are assessed: Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Posttraumatic Stress, Dissociation, and Sexual Concerns. Child participants are asked to rate the frequency of certain thoughts and behaviors on a 4-point scale: 0-Never 1-Sometimes, 2-Lots of the time, 3-Almost all the time.

Note: This assessment is given to child participants, ages 8-17 years old.

References: Briere, J. (1996). Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) Professional Manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System – High School – YRBS-HS (2011)

The YRBS-HS is a 79-item self-report questionnaire developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), used to measure risky behavior in teens and young adults. The focus of the YRBS is to determine incidence and prevalence of specific behaviors in six areas that contribute to leading causes of morbidity and mortality in adolescents and adults. These six areas include: unintentional and intentional injuries; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and STD; dietary behaviors that result in disease; and physical inactivity. Behaviors are rated on a multiple-choice response format.

Note: This assessment is given to adolescent participants, ages 14-17.

References: Methodology of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. MMWR 2004;53(RR-12):1–13.

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System – Middle School – YRBS-MS (2011)

The YRBS-MS is a 45-item self-report questionnaire developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), used to measure risky behavior in teens and young adults. The focus of the YRBS is to determine incidence and prevalence of specific behaviors in six areas that contribute to leading causes of morbidity and mortality in adolescents and adults. These six areas include: unintentional and intentional injuries; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and STD; dietary behaviors that result in disease; and physical inactivity. Behaviors are rated on a multiple-choice response format.

Note: This assessment is given to child and adolescent participants, ages 12-13.

References: Methodology of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. MMWR 2004;53(RR-12):1–13.

Youth Self-Report (YSR)

The YSR is a 112-item self-report designed for children and adolescents (ages 11-17), that assesses behavioral competency and behavioral problems and parallels the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Behaviors are rated on a 3-point scale: 0-Not true, 1-Somewhat or sometimes true and 2-Very true or often true, based on the preceding 6-months. The questionnaire provides scores for the following syndrome scales: anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, somatic complains, social problems, thought problems, rule-breaking behavior, and aggressive behavior. The questionnaire provides scores for the following DSM-oriented scales: affective problems, anxiety problems, somatic problems, attention deficit/hyperactivity problems, oppositional defiant problems, and conduct problems. There are 20 social competency items that measure the child’s participation in hobbies, games, sports, jobs, chores, friendship, and activities.

Note: This self-assessment is given to all child participants, ages 11-17. The 20 social competency items are not included.

References: Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the Youth Self-Report and 1991 profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.