If you have ever scheduled a mental health appointment, you may have been asked to complete a few questionnaires before your visit. Perhaps you wondered why there were so many questions—or whether your answers would determine your diagnosis.
These questionnaires are one way to help us understand what you have been experiencing. They give us a starting point for conversation and help us notice patterns we may want to explore together.
At True North Psychiatry & Wellness Center, we use them to support a thoughtful, thorough evaluation. Your responses are helpful, but they are only one part of your story.
What are screening questionnaires?
Screening questionnaires are sets of questions that ask about symptoms and experiences commonly associated with mental health conditions. Depending on the questionnaire, you may be asked about your sleep, energy, mood, concentration, or how often you feel worried.
Many ask you to reflect on a specific period, such as the past two weeks or the past month. Your answers provide a snapshot of your experience during that time.
You can think of them as one piece of the assessment—similar to how a blood pressure reading provides useful information during a medical visit, but does not tell the whole story of your health.
Common questionnaires you may encounter
Depending on your concerns and what we discuss, you may be asked to complete one or more of the following:
PHQ-9: Asks about symptoms of depression, including changes in mood, sleep, energy, and concentration.
GAD-7: Asks about symptoms commonly associated with anxiety, such as worry, restlessness, and difficulty relaxing.
ADHD rating scales, such as the ASRS: Ask about experiences with attention, organization, impulsivity, and completing tasks.
MDQ (Mood Disorder Questionnaire): Asks about experiences that may help us explore whether symptoms of a bipolar disorder are present.
PCL-5: Asks about symptoms that can occur after a stressful or traumatic experience.
ISI (Insomnia Severity Index): Asks about sleep difficulties and how they affect your daily life.
Not everyone needs to complete every questionnaire. The forms we use will depend on your individual concerns and the questions we are exploring together.
How do questionnaires help guide care?
They give us a place to begin. It can be difficult to remember everything you want to share during an appointment. A questionnaire may bring attention to symptoms or experiences you had not thought to mention.
They help us understand your starting point. Completing a questionnaire early in care can give us a baseline to revisit as treatment progresses. Your scores, along with your own description of how you are feeling and functioning, can help us understand whether a treatment plan is helping.
They make room for a more meaningful conversation. When you complete forms before your visit, we can spend more of our time together discussing your experiences, answering your questions, and considering the next steps that feel right for you.
A questionnaire is not a diagnosis
A score alone cannot tell us who you are or explain everything you are experiencing. Some symptoms can overlap across different conditions. For example, difficulty concentrating may be related to ADHD, anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, stress, or another health concern.
That is why we look beyond the numbers. We consider your history, daily functioning, physical health, and the context in which your symptoms occur. Most importantly, we listen to your perspective on what you are experiencing.
There are no “right” or “wrong” answers. Try to respond as honestly as you can, based on the timeframe listed on the form. If a question feels confusing or does not seem to capture your experience, you can always bring that up during your appointment.
Screening questionnaires are a starting point—not the final word. Together, they help us ask better questions and build a care plan that reflects your individual needs.