The Quality of Assessments for Childhood Anxiety Disorders within a Regional Medical System
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to analyze the quality of assessments for anxiety disorders in children within a regional medical system. This was done by analyzing clinician's assessment notes for implementation of evidence-based assessment practices, specificity of diagnosis, and diagnostic agreement among clinicians. The results of this descriptive study indicate that the overall quality of assessments of anxiety disorders in children is low, due to infrequent implementation of evidence-based assessment practices, non-specific diagnoses, and poor diagnostic agreement among clinicians. Additionally, results indicate significant variability in the quality of assessments for anxiety disorders in children in terms of type of clinician conducting the assessment and setting in which the assessment was conducted. Researchers conclude that future research should focus on bridging the divide between science and practice within the field of clinical psychology.
Rights Statement
