Table 6.
Useful instruments for screening for mental health problems in adolescents
| Name of tool (inventor) | Scope of screening | No of items (time needed, minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| Beck depression inventory (Beck) |
Depressive state |
21 (5) |
| SCL-90-R (Derogatis) |
Mental health problems |
90 (12-15) |
| Brief symptom inventory (Derogatis) |
Mental health problems |
53 (8-10) |
| Children's depression inventory (Kovacs) |
Depression |
27 (5-10) |
| Strengths and difficulties questionnaire (Goodman) |
General psychopathology and associated impairment |
25 or 30 (5-10) |
| Child behaviour checklist; youth self report (Achenbach) |
General psychopathology |
120 (25) |
| Giessen test | Psychopathology | 30 (5-10) |
The brief symptom inventory is a shortened version of the SCL-90-R.