Table 2.

Descriptive statistics for the utility of diagnosis and standardized diagnosis scales and items

Scale or item	N	Ma (SD)	db
Utility of diagnosis scale	1634	3.15 (0.71)	0.21
Accurate diagnosis is an important part of my treatment planning		3.96 (0.93)	1.04
Most children and families come to work on problems of daily living rather than a diagnosisc		3.72 (1.07)	0.67
It is sometimes necessary to assign a diagnosis that is not clinically indicated in order to qualify for servicesc		2.89 (1.22)	−0.087
Assigning a diagnosis is more important for authorization of services or obtaining insurance payment than for planning treatmentc		2.88 (1.23)	−0.094
It is sometimes necessary to assign a less serious diagnosis than is clinically indicated to avoid stigma associated with serious diagnosesc		2.72 (1.14)	−0.24
Standardized diagnosis scale	1454	3.39 (0.54)	0.72
Standardized measures help with accurate diagnosis		3.91 (0.77)	1.18
Standardized measures help detect diagnostic comorbidity		3.67 (0.72)	0.94
Standardized measures help with differential diagnosis		3.64 (0.78)	0.83
Using clinical judgment to diagnose children is superior to using standardized assessment measuresc		3.15 (0.95)	0.16
Standardized diagnostic interviews interfere with establishing rapport during an intakec		3.05 (1.08)	0.043
Standardized measures over diagnose psychopathologyc		2.83 (0.89)	−0.19
Most standardized measures aren’t helpful because they don’t map onto DSM diagnostic criteriac		2.45 (0.84)	−0.66

^aMean on a scale from 1 to 5

^bCohen’s d effect size, comparing each mean to the neutral value of 3

^cItem was reverse-scored before it was included in the scale score