10 Behavioral Health Assessments to Identify Patient Needs

Misdiagnosis is a common reality for patients with mental health disorders, with rates reaching up to 65.9% for major depressive disorder, 92.7% for bipolar disorder, and 71.0% for generalized anxiety disorder (Vermani et al., 2011). Fortunately, behavioral health assessments can help facilitate dialogue with patients and clearly identify symptoms of these mental health conditions.

These assessments offer time saving measures for mental health professionals, such as psychiatrists, and psychologists. They also help primary care providers more accurately screen for mental health conditions in the process of making referrals.

In this post, we include a comprehensive list of assessment and screening tools, as well as:

• What’s included in a behavioral health assessment 
• How to evaluate the quality of these assessments
• The best digital tools to improve assessment workflows

What is a Behavioral Health Assessment?

A behavioral health assessment is a screening tool that gives providers an overview of their patients’ mental and behavioral health, including maladaptive behaviors and substance use. These screening tools identify symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, and more. 

Behavioral health assessments are not standalone diagnostic tools, but rather are used to gather the data that can guide providers towards accurate diagnoses. They help behavioral health specialists narrow down conditions, and give general practitioners an idea of when a referral for a more serious mental health disorder might be valuable. Often, patient health questionnaires are completed alongside interviews with patients and their families and a physical health assessment and more, as we explore below.

One comparison of research interview results found that 30-70% of patients with mental health disorders had them go undetected by their general practitioners (Fleury et al., 2021). Conducting regular mental health screenings can help identify symptoms and significant mental health changes early, and get patients on the road to treatment.

What is Included in a Behavioral Health Assessment?

A behavioral health intake assessment typically involves questionnaires, and takes place alongside a patient interview, family and caregiver interviews, physical exam, and cognitive testing. We’ll go into more detail on each of these below.

Questionnaires

An efficient way to go through behavioral health screening questions is using a patient health questionnaire. These questionnaires can be completed either verbally, on paper, or digitally, and can get both an overall look at patients’ mental health or screen for specific conditions.

Creyos behavioral health questionnaires can be administered in clinic or remotely, and integrate the results directly into patients’ electronic health records. This maximizes face-to-face appointment time and reduces the amount of time providers spend writing session notes.

Patient Interviews

Under the patient-centered care model, the role of providers is to get a full view of an individual patient’s needs and goals. Patient interviews give patients the opportunity to self-report their symptoms, and give providers a chance to examine a patient’s behaviors during the conversation.

In a patient interview, a provider might ask about their:

• Personal history
• Family history
• Lifestyle
• Relationships
• Trauma background
• Mental health symptoms
• Sources of stress
• Current emotional state

Family & Caregiver Interviews

Patients with major health conditions often benefit from social care, and family interviews give providers extra context and perspective about patients’ social environment and behavioral health. 

Why are family and caregiver perspectives important? In the cognitive health field, for example, many dementia patients experience denial or lack of insight about their symptoms (Alzheimer’s Society). In these cases, interviews with a family member can reveal the extent to which cognitive impairment is impacting patients’ lives.

Physical Exams

A physical exam can help rule out physical illnesses that may be causing behavioral health problems. For example, conditions such as thyroid disorders, vitamin deficiencies, and diabetes can present with similar symptoms to clinical depression (Crouch, 2024). If providers suspect a physical condition, they can order lab tests such as blood work, urine tests, or MRIs.

Checking in about patients’ current medication, substance use, and physical wellness gives a more complete picture of patient health.

Cognitive Assessments

Many cognitive health disorders have behavioral symptoms. In fact, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) affect 40-80% of people with dementia, and is associated with the likelihood of being placed in a nursing home (Le Clair et al., 2019). 

Including cognitive assessments alongside behavioral and mental health screenings gives providers essential patient data that can impact the direction of treatment.

Top Behavioral and Mental Health Assessments and Screeners

Here are some common behavioral health assessments for:

• ADHD in children and adults
• Addiction
• Anxiety
• Autism
• Bipolar Disorder
• Depression
• Pain
• PTSD
• Sleep and Insomnia
• Stress

ADHD

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), ADHD is “a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by impairing levels of inattention, disorganization, and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, patient inquiries about ADHD and the use of ADHD medication have significantly increased (Tu et al., 2023). Behavioral health assessments and screening tools help general practitioners and psychologists provide accurate diagnoses and appropriate treatment.

Creyos ADHD Assessment Tool 

The Creyos ADHD Assessment and Report is a scientifically-backed protocol that evaluates objective cognitive markers of ADHD. It includes five tasks that assess 14 specific markers, and can be completed in-clinic or at home in under 25 minutes.

Along with the cognitive assessment, the protocol has several age-appropriate questionnaires, allowing for an accurate look into the ways patients experience their symptoms. This helps physicians and behavioral health specialists not only diagnose ADHD, but also monitor how symptoms and behaviors evolve over time.

Contact us today to book a demo of our cutting-edge ADHD assessment screening tools.

SWAN ADHD Assessment

The Strengths and Weaknesses of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms and Normal Behavior (SWAN) Scale is an 18-item screening tool designed to evaluate ADHD symptoms in children and teens. It combats social-cultural and statistical biases by addressing a greater range of strengths and weaknesses in attention-based skills and behaviors.

Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS)

The Vanderbilt Assessment (VADRS) for childhood ADHD is a 55 item diagnostic aid for parents, teachers, and clinicians to screen children between the ages of 6 and 12. It takes about 10 minutes to complete, and includes additional items regarding school performance and relationship skills.

Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS)

The ASRS assessment is a two-part symptom checklist with 18 questions based on the ADHD diagnosis guidelines in the DSM. The first part is a six-question screening tool, and the second is used for additional information about a patient’s symptoms for follow-up conversations.

Addiction

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 39.5 million people are affected by substance use disorders worldwide. Addiction screening tools help physicians, mental health providers, and behavioral health specialists monitor patients’ drug and alcohol use.

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)

The AUDIT questionnaire contains 10 questions that help identify hazardous alcohol consumption. It only takes two minutes to complete, and can be administered either remotely or in-person.

Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10)

Similar to the AUDIT questionnaire, the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) is a two-minute questionnaire that contains 10 questions that help identify signs of drug abuse. 

Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders, affecting 4% of the world’s population—however, only one in four people receive treatment (World Health Organization). Behavioral health assessments can screen for symptoms of anxiety and identify when patients might benefit from further assessment for a diagnosis.

GAD-7 Questionnaire

The General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaire is a seven-question, self-administered screening tool for symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Brief and able to be taken from home, this behavioral health assessment can reduce patient anxiety regarding the process of assessment itself.

Autism

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) refer to a diverse group of conditions often characterized by challenges with social interaction, communication, and sensory needs (World Health Organization). The needs of autistic patients greatly vary, and diagnoses can often be missed due to masking (Miller et al., 2021).

Autism screening questionnaires assist physicians in diagnosis or the decision to refer patients to a behavioral health specialist for a full diagnostic assessment, opening the way for steps like crucial accommodations in school and the workplace.

Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) Questionnaire

The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) questionnaire is a self-administered screening tool for patients 16+. It is designed primarily for adults with autistic traits who are not severely intellectually impaired.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder affects approximately 2.4% of the global population, and is one of the leading causes of disability and suicide risk in young people (Zhong et al., 2024). Scientifically-backed mental health screenings help identify the state of an individual’s mental health, their family history of mental illness, and when a complete psychological evaluation might be necessary.

Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ)

The Mood Disorder Questionnaire is a self-administered mental health screening tool that can be completed in about five minutes. It contains 13 yes/no questions that assess a patient’s history and severity of manic or hypomanic symptoms.

If a patient reaches the cut off score for bipolar disorder, physicians are advised to refer them to a mood disorder specialist for more thorough evaluation.

Depression

Globally, an estimated 5% of adults live with depressive disorder (World Health Organization). Depending on the severity and duration of symptoms, this mental illness can be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. Mental health assessments can identify depression early on, allowing patients to more promptly access treatment.

PHQ-9 Measure

The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a nine question screening tool that can identify depression symptoms, assist with a diagnosis, and monitor symptoms over time. It is one of the most commonly used mental health screening tools among clinicians and researchers.

Pain

Chronic pain and pain-related diseases are the leading cause of disability and disease burden worldwide (Mills et al., 2019; Vos, Theo et al., 2017). The impact of this pain has led to ongoing epidemics of painkiller  abuse; in fact, 70% of prescription drug addicts are addicted to pain medication (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics). As physicians assess patient pain levels, a drug abuse screening test can identify their risk factors for addiction.

Pain Medication Questionnaire (PMQ)

The Pain Medication Questionnaire (PMQ) is a 26-question self-report for patients who are already taking opioids, designed to measure their risk of misuse and addiction to painkillers.

PTSD

It is estimated that 6% of the population will experience PTSD at some point in their lives in response to traumatic events (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs). This disorder can lead to cognitive impairment, including challenges with memory, attention, planning, and problem solving (Hayes et al., 2012).

Behavioral health assessments, combined with cognitive screening tools, can identify when symptoms of cognitive impairment are occurring as a result of trauma.

Connect with Creyos today to learn more about our full suite of cognitive assessment tools.

PCL-5 Measure for Post-Traumatic Stress

The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 is a 20-item self report that screens for the presence and severity of symptoms of PTSD. It can be completed in under 10 minutes, and is primarily used to assist in making a PTSD diagnosis and monitor symptom changes during treatment. 

Stress

Research shows that chronic stress can lead to challenges with the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems (American Psychological Association, 2024). Screening for stress levels during a patient’s wellness visit helps identify the relationship between their physical and mental health symptoms.

Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a self-report assessment tool that captures patients’ subjective stress levels. Rather than identify individual stressors, it examines the impact of those stressors on an individual patient’s health and measures improvement over time.

Assessments for Adults vs. Assessments for Children

Symptoms of mental health conditions often present differently between children and adults. Choosing age-appropriate behavioral health assessments leads to more accurate data, improving health outcomes in the long-term.

For example, while the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS) measures childhood ADHD, the ASRS assessment includes questions that are more relevant to adults. Even though they are different screening tools, providers can bill with CPT code 96127 for both of them.

How to Evaluate Behavioral Screeners

There are a few factors to consider when choosing which screening tools are best for your clinic’s behavioral health assessment:

Criteria

The behavioral health assessment software and screeners should have the following qualities:

• Validity: This one is obvious, but the right tools for behavioral assessments should always be scientifically-backed and measure what they claim to measure. This is key to health outcomes and clinic credibility.

• Reliability: A good assessment minimizes confusing questions or other factors that can make results unreliable from one time to another. 

• Administrative ease: 75% of physicians say that unnecessary administrative tasks negatively affect their job satisfaction (Canadian Medical Association, 2024). A behavioral screening test should reduce administrative burden rather than add to it.

• Specificity: Certain mental health conditions have overlapping symptoms. The more specific the assessment is, the better it is at correctly screening out patients who do not genuinely have the condition being measured..

• Sensitivity: Health assessments should be able to identify the patients who truly have a condition and would likely benefit from treatment. 

Objective and Subjective Measures

Evidence-based health assessments are most successful when they include both objective and subjective measurements:

• Subjective measurements capture a patient’s individual perception of their symptoms. This data is often captured through self-report questionnaires.
• Objective measurements identify and quantify observable symptoms and gather medical evidence through scientifically-validated tests. 

Each of these strategies plays an equal role in measurement-based care. In combination, patients are able to share their unique experience, guiding providers towards the tests that can verify the self-reported symptoms.

For example, if a patient is reporting ongoing confusion and forgetfulness, cognitive tests provide objective data about to identify the nature and severity of those symptoms.

Screening, Diagnosis, Monitoring

Behavioral, cognitive, and mental health assessments serve a few different purposes:

• Screening: A screening test should be quick and easy to use. Its purpose is to identify if a patient should be referred to a fuller assessment.

• Diagnostic support tool: Once a patient has completed a screening, a diagnostic support tool confirms if a patient qualifies for a diagnosis. This assessment is longer, and typically performed by a specialist.

• Outcome monitoring: If a patient is showing symptoms of behavioral or mental health conditions, ongoing monitoring quantifies how effective treatment is. It can also identify when it’s time for a different approach or more serious interventions.

Online Tools for Enhanced Assessment Workflows

Research shows that depression and cognitive decline tend to occur bidirectionally, each amplifying the other over time (Yin et al., 2024; Desai et al., 2020) Objective measurements of mental health symptoms help providers track these patterns and identify comorbidities.

The Creyos suite of mental and behavioral health assessment tools can quickly and accurately assess symptoms of mental health conditions like ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Along with this, they help evaluate the cognitive impacts of mental disorders. 

One study found that as many as one in five newly qualified general practitioners lacked confidence in their ability to assess patients for mental health conditions (Gillett et al., 2023). When combined, our self-report questionnaires and cognitive tasks empower patients to share how they experience their symptoms while giving providers objective data.

Complete Behavioral Healthcare

The best behavioral health assessments are the ones that open the road to diagnosis. Whether you’re a mental health specialist who wants to improve your process or a general practitioner who wants to incorporate screenings into your intake form, there are plenty of tools to support patient outcomes.

Connect with Creyos today to learn what our behavioral health assessments have to offer your medical practice!