Abstract
A competent and thorough assessment of child and adolescent anxiety and depression is one that is guided by an evidence-based assessment approach. The competent therapist uses a multi-method (e.g., interviews, questionnaires) and multi-informant (e.g., child, parent, teacher) approach, which relies on valid, reliable, clinically useful measures. Moreover, the methods used must be developmentally appropriate. The therapist must have sound clinical skills and theoretical knowledge to: (1) integrate the information gleaned from various assessment techniques; and (2) differentiate normal internalizing experiences from abnormal symptoms. This chapter will outline each of the five key therapist competencies identified by Sburlati et al. (2011) in the assessment of child and adolescent anxiety and depressive disorders. The chapter also addresses issues relevant to developmentally-sensitive assessment, considerations of the child’s specific environment, and the identification of suicide risk and self-harm.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Evidence-based CBT for anxiety and depression in children and adolescents |
| Subtitle of host publication | a competencies based approach |
| Editors | Elizabeth S. Sburlati, Heidi J. Lyneham, Carolyn A. Schniering, Ronald M. Rapee |
| Place of Publication | Chichester, West Sussex |
| Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell, Wiley |
| Pages | 79-94 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781118500576 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781118469248, 9781118469255 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- Clinical decision-making
- Child psychopathology
- Multi-informant assessment
- Developmentally-sensitive assessment
- Internalizing disorders
- Evidence-based assessment
- Depression and anxiety care
- Multi-method assessment
- Depression
- anxiety
- Therapist competency