Psychiatric Pharmacy Essentials: Rating Scale Resources

Rating scores are often used in mental health and neurology to give objective values when assessing symptoms or changes in cognitive function. Additionally, some rating scores are utilized to assess the severity of medication side effects or risks associated with these agents.

  • What scales and assessments are commonly utilized in bipolar disorder?1
  • Where can I find information about movement disorder rating scales?2
  • Where can I find detailed descriptions of many rating scores?3-5
  • What are the relative risks of different anticholinergic effects of medications?6
  • How can I assess for alcohol cravings in my patients?7
  • Where can I access a library of psychiatric clinical scales, tests and forms?8
  • What books that address rating scales are used in psychiatry and mental health?5,9-10

Reviewer 1: Katy Zeier, PharmD, BCPP
Reviewer 2: Austin Smith, PharmD, BCPP
2023-2024 AAPP Resident and New Practitioner Committee

References

  1. Cerimele JM, Goldberg S, Miller CJ, et al. A systematic review of bipolar disorder symptom measures for use in measurement-based care. Psychiatr Serv. 2019;70(5):396-408. [PubMed]
  2. Drug-induced movement disorders: A clinical guide to rating scales. AAPP. [Weblink]
  3. Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatric Rating Scales. Bay Psychiatry. [Weblink]
  4. McDowell I. Measuring Health: A Guide to Rating Scales and Questionnaires, Third Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2006. [Amazon Smile]
    • Purchase/subscription required
  5. Sajatovic M, Ramirez LF. Rating Scales in Mental Health, Third Edition. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD; 2012. [Amazon Smile]
    • Purchase/subscription required
  6. Carnahan R. The anticholinergic drug scale as a measure of drug-related anticholinergic burden: Associations with serum anticholinergic activity. [Weblink]
  7. Kavanagh DJ, Statham DJ, Feeney GFX, Young RM, May J, Andrade J, et al. Measurement of alcohol craving. Addict Behav. 2013;38(2):1572-1584. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2012.08.004. PubMed PMID: 23142210.
  8. Psychiatric rating scales. Psychiatric Times. [Weblink]
    • Purchase/subscription required
  9. Baer L and Blais MA (Eds).  Handbook of Clinical Rating Scales and Assessment in Psychiatry and Mental Health.  New York, NY: Humana Press; 2010. [Weblink]
    • Purchase/subscription required
  10. AAPP Psychiatric Pharmacotherapy Review 2022-2023. [Weblink]