Adolescent Psychopathology Scale (APS) & Adolescent Psychopathology Scale Short Form (APS-SF)

Age: 12 -19 years

Time: 15–20 minutes (APS-SF); 40-60 minutes (APS)

Administration: Individual or Group

The Adolescent Psychopathology Scale (APS) is a multidimensional self-report instrument designed to evaluate specific DSM-IV symptoms found in adolescents and to assess other psychological problems and behaviours that may interfere with an adolescent's psychosocial adaptation and personal competence.

It examines domains of psychopathology and psychosocial problems that may suggest the need for direct and expeditious intervention.

The 346-item APS consists of 40 scales that measure four broad content domains:

1. Clinical Disorders: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity, Conduct, Oppositional Defiant, Adjustment, Substance Abuse,Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Sleep, Somatisation, Panic, Obsessive-Compulsive, Generalised Anxiety, Social Phobia, Separation Anxiety, Posttraumatic Stress, Major Depression, Dysthymic, Mania, Depersonalisation, Schizophrenia
2. Personality Disorder: Avoidant, Obsessive-Compulsive, Borderline, Schizotypal, Paranoid
3. Psychosocial Problems: Self-Concept, Psychosocial Substance Use Difficulties, Introversion, Alienation-Boredom, Anger, Aggression, Interpersonal Problems, Emotional Lability, Disorientation, Suicide, Social Adaptation
4. Response Style Indicators: Lie Response, Consistency Response, Infrequency Response, Critical Item Endorsement

The APS empirically assesses the severity of symptoms associated with specific DSM-IV™ clinical and personality disorders.

The 115-item Adolescent Psychopathology Scale Short Form (APS-SF) is a multidimensional measure of psychopathology and personality derived from the APS. It is ideal for use when time and circumstance necessitate a brief measure of psychopathology.

• Addresses issues regarding school safety by assessing excessive anger and propensity for violence toward others.
• Consists of 12 clinical scales and two validity scales. Six of the clinical scales focus on DSM-IV™ symptomatology associated with the following disorders: conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse disorder.
• The remaining six clinical scales are not anchored to specific DSM-IV disorders and symptoms but evaluate the related and important areas of eating disturbance, suicide, academic problems, anger/violence proneness, self-concept, and interpersonal problems.