Measurement Issues: Is standardised diagnostic assessment feasible as an adjunct to clinical practice? A systematic review.

BACKGROUND

A standardised diagnostic assessment (SDA) is a comprehensive assessment of psychiatric disorder that provides a label according to established diagnostic criteria. While standardised assessments are considered essential in child and adolescent mental health research, they are rarely applied systematically in routine clinical practice.

METHOD

A systematic review of studies that assessed the utility, feasibility and acceptability of SDAs in the assessment of psychopathology among children and young people in routine clinical practice.

RESULTS

Eight papers were identified that applied mixed research methods. Overall, attitudes towards SDAs were positive, with lack of training in administration and interpretation of SDAs and a concern for the validity of diagnostic categories being key barriers. Two randomised control trials and a case series suggest that SDAs might aid the detection of emotional disorders in particular.

CONCLUSION

The current evidence is not yet sufficient to recommend that SDAs should be universally adopted as an adjunct to clinical practice, but our findings suggest that can they be used if applied cautiously and mindfully pending further evaluation.