Find Screening & Assessment Tools
Find a tool to:
- Evaluate traumatic stress symptoms
- Evaluate psychosocial support needs
- Guide needs assessment and care planning
- Evaluate pain in pediatric patients
Tools are marked to denote those appropriate for use in screening (S) and/or as part of a more in-depth assessment (A).
Evaluate traumatic stress symptoms
Acute Stress Checklist for Children (ASC-Kids) (S) (A)
Purpose & Description: Evaluate acute stress reactions in children or teens. Available as 29 item self-report checklist, and as 3- or 6-item brief screening version.
Language: English, Spanish
Who can administer: Any member of the healthcare team; Child can complete as self-report.
Time to administer: 1-2 mins (brief screen versions); 5-10 mins (full version)
References: Kassam-Adams, 2006; Kassam-Adams et al., 2013; Kassam-Adams et al., 2016
Get a copy of the measure.
Child Trauma Screening Questionnaire (CTSQ) (S)
Purpose & Description: 10 item screening tool. Helps identify recently injured children at higher risk for later PTSD.
Language: English
Who can administer: Any member of the healthcare team. Child can complete as self-report.
Time to administer: 2-3 mins
References: Kenardy et al., 2006.
Get a copy of the measure.
For more information on the CTSQ, contact: Justin Kenardy, University of Queensland.
Acute Stress Disorder Scale (ASDS) (S)
Purpose & Description: Evaluate acute stress reactions in adults or older teens. 19 item self-report checklist.
Language: English
Who can administer: Any member of the healthcare team; Adult or teen can complete as self-report.
Time to administer: 5-10 mins
References: Bryant et al., 2000
NOTE: CPTS has created an adapted version of the ASDS suitable for use with healthcare staff in the COVID19 pandemic.
Get a copy of the adapted ASDS measure.
Child Stress Disorders Checklist (CSDC) (A)
Purpose & Description: 35 item checklist completed by parent (or nurse). Assesses acute stress or PTSD symptoms in children or teens.
Language: English
Who can administer: Completed by parent or nurse about child.
Time to administer: 10 mins
References: Saxe et al. (2003). Child Stress Disorders Checklist: A measure of ASD and PTSD in children. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 42(8): 972-978.
Get a copy of the measure.
Child Stress Disorders Checklist (CSDC) Short Form (S)
Purpose & Description: 4 item subset of CSDC to be completed by parent (or physician / nurse). Assesses acute stress of PTSD symptoms in children or teens.
Language: English
Who can administer: Completed by parent or nurse about child.
Time to administer: 1-2 mins
References: Bosquet Enlow et al,. 2010.
Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) for DSM5 (A)
Purpose & Description: 27-item self-report checklist. Assesses PTSD symptoms (and impairment) in children or teens.
Language: English
Who can administer: Child can complete as self-report, or can be administered as interview.
Time to administer: 5-10 mins
References: Foa et al., 2018.
Get information on the measure from: Edna B. Foa, Center for the Study and Treatment of Anxiety, University of Pennsylvania.
PTSD Checklist for DSM5 (PCL-5) (S) (A)
Purpose & Description: 20 item self-report checklist. Assesses PTSD symptoms in older teens and adults.
Language: English, Spanish
Who can administer: Any member of the healthcare team; Adult can complete as self-report.
Time to administer: 5-10 mins
References: Blevins et al., 2015.
Scale available from the National Center for PTSD.
Evaluate psychosocial support needs
Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) (S) (A)
Purpose & Description: Comprehensive questionnaire assessing psychosocial risk in families of children newly diagnosed with cancer. Helps identify children and families who would benefit from targeted psychosocial intervention.
Language: English, Spanish
Who can administer: Any member of the healthcare team.
Time to administer: 10-15 mins
References: Kazak et al. 2018
Get information on the measure from: psychosocialassessmenttool@nemours.org
Hospital Emotional Support Form (A)
Purpose & Description:: Brief clinical assessment tool to aid parents in providing coping assistance to child
Language: English
Who can administer: Any member of the healthcare team.
Time to administer: 5-10 mins
References: N/A
Guide needs assessment and care planning
D-E-F Nursing Assessment Form (A)
Purpose & Description: Not just for nurses! Brief checklist completed by physician, nurse or social worker. Needs assessment and care planning with hospitalized children. Organized according to the D-E-F framework to assess Distress, Emotional support needs, and Family needs / strengths.
Language: English
Who can administer: Nurses, or any healthcare or psychosocial care provider
Time to administer: 10-15 mins
References: N/A
Medical Trauma Assessment and Action Form for Child Welfare Professionals (A)
Purpose & Description: Brief questionnaire assessing psychosocial risk and medical traumatic stress in families of children in the child welfare system.
Language: English
Who can administer: Any child welfare professional.
Time to administer: 10 mins
References: N/A
Evaluate pain in pediatric patients
Faces Pain Scale- Revised (S)
Purpose & Description: Well-validated self-report scale for children or teens. Assesses pain (disease-related, procedural, surgical/trauma, treatment-related).
Language: English, French, and 31 additional languages
Who can administer: Any healthcare provider.
Time to administer: 1-2 min
References: Hicks et al., 2001.
