Clinician tool

Outcome measurement toolkit

A working reference for the outcome measures behind measurement-based care — what each captures, how it scores, the clinical cutoffs, how often to re-administer, and where it falls short. Links to Meridian's built-in screeners.

A quick reference for the outcome and screening measures most often used in measurement-based care — what each one measures, how it scores, the severity bands, and how often to re-administer it. Routine, repeated measurement helps you catch cases that are off track and adjust treatment early.

These are screening and monitoring tools, not diagnostic instruments. Cutoffs and severity bands are decision guides, not diagnoses — a score is one data point alongside the clinical picture. Any elevated result, and especially any positive suicidality item, requires direct clinical follow-up, judgment, and (where indicated) safety planning.

PHQ-9 — Patient Health Questionnaire-9

Measures: Depression severity, mapped to the DSM-5 major depressive episode criteria.
Items: 9 items (plus an optional 10th item rating overall functional difficulty).
Administration: ~2–5 minutes; self-report.
Scoring: Total score 0–27 (each item rated 0–3 over the last two weeks).
Cutoffs & bands: 0–4 none–minimal · 5–9 mild · 10–14 moderate · 15–19 moderately severe · 20–27 severe. A score of ≥10 is a common clinical cutoff. Item 9 flags passive/active suicidal ideation — always follow up directly, regardless of the total.
Cadence: Each visit or at least every 1–2 weeks while adjusting treatment; monthly once stable.
Limitations: Self-report; somatic items (sleep, appetite, energy, concentration) overlap with medical illness and can inflate scores.

Open the built-in PHQ-9 screener →

GAD-7 — Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7

Measures: Generalized anxiety severity; also a reasonable screen for panic, social anxiety, and PTSD.
Items: 7 items.
Administration: ~2–3 minutes; self-report.
Scoring: Total score 0–21 (each item rated 0–3 over the last two weeks).
Cutoffs & bands: 0–4 minimal · 5–9 mild · 10–14 moderate · 15–21 severe. A score of ≥10 is the usual cutoff warranting further assessment.
Cadence: Each visit or biweekly during active treatment; less frequently once stable.
Limitations: Screens broadly across anxiety disorders, so a positive result is not disorder-specific; confirm with clinical interview.

Open the built-in GAD-7 screener →

PCL-5 — PTSD Checklist for DSM-5

Measures: PTSD symptom severity keyed to the 20 DSM-5 symptom criteria.
Items: 20 items, keyed to a specific index trauma (the “worst” event you anchor it to).
Administration: ~5–10 minutes; self-report.
Scoring: Total score 0–80 (each item rated 0–4 over the last month).
Cutoffs & bands: Provisional cutoff of ~31–33 suggests probable PTSD. A change of 5 points is a reliable change; 10 points is a clinically meaningful change.
Cadence: Monthly, or before/after a course of trauma-focused treatment to track response.
Limitations: Not a diagnosis — pair with a structured interview such as the CAPS-5. Results are tied to the specific index trauma selected.

Open the built-in PCL-5 screener →

AUDIT-C — Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test — Consumption

Measures: Hazardous drinking and possible alcohol use disorder.
Items: 3 items (the consumption subset of the full 10-item AUDIT).
Administration: ~1 minute; self-report.
Scoring: Total score 0–12 (each item rated 0–4).
Cutoffs & bands: Risk cutoff of ≥4 for men and ≥3 for women identifies likely hazardous use; higher scores warrant the full AUDIT and a brief intervention.
Cadence: Annual screening in primary/behavioral care; more often when monitoring a change goal.
Limitations: A brief screen, not diagnostic; the full 10-item AUDIT adds dependence and harm items for a fuller picture.

C-SSRS — Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale

Measures: Severity of suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior.
Items: Structured interview or self-report; item count varies by version (screener vs. full).
Administration: Time varies — a few minutes for the screener, longer for the full scale.
Scoring: Not scored like a summed scale — rates ideation severity on a 1–5 scale and documents the presence and lethality of behaviors.
Cutoffs & bands: No single numeric cutoff; used to triage risk level. It is a screening/triage aid, not a prediction of future suicide, and always requires clinical judgment and safety planning.
Cadence: At intake and any time risk is suspected or status changes; re-administer to track shifts in risk.
Limitations: Depends on candid disclosure and clinical interpretation; does not replace a full risk assessment or safety plan.

OQ-45 — Outcome Questionnaire-45.2

Measures: General distress and global functioning across three domains — Symptom Distress, Interpersonal Relations, and Social Role.
Items: 45 items.
Administration: ~5 minutes; self-report.
Scoring: Total score 0–180 (each item rated 0–4).
Cutoffs & bands: Clinical cutoff of ~63 distinguishes clinical from non-clinical ranges; a Reliable Change Index of ~14 points marks meaningful change. Designed for session-by-session tracking.
Cadence: Every session — its purpose is to catch off-track cases early and signal alarm cases.
Limitations: Proprietary/licensed; requires purchase and scoring per the publisher’s materials.

BDI-II — Beck Depression Inventory-II

Measures: Depression severity.
Items: 21 items.
Administration: ~5–10 minutes; self-report.
Scoring: Total score 0–63 (each item rated 0–3 over the last two weeks).
Cutoffs & bands: 0–13 minimal · 14–19 mild · 20–28 moderate · 29–63 severe.
Cadence: Periodically to track depression response — e.g., at intake and at regular review points.
Limitations: Proprietary; requires licensing/purchase. Some somatic items overlap with medical illness.

BAI — Beck Anxiety Inventory

Measures: Anxiety severity, with emphasis on somatic symptoms.
Items: 21 items.
Administration: ~5–10 minutes; self-report.
Scoring: Total score 0–63 (each item rated 0–3 over the last week).
Cutoffs & bands: 0–7 minimal · 8–15 mild · 16–25 moderate · 26–63 severe.
Cadence: Periodically to track anxiety response across a course of treatment.
Limitations: Proprietary; requires licensing/purchase. Its somatic emphasis can overlap with medical conditions (e.g., cardiac or thyroid symptoms).

More tools on Meridian

Proprietary measures — the OQ-45, BDI-II, and BAI — require licensing or purchase and should be administered and scored per their respective manuals. The details here are orientation only, not a substitute for the official instruments and their scoring guidance.

You might also find helpful…

DSM-5 differential diagnosis guide

An interactive decision tree that walks the common differentials across the depression, anxiety, trauma, psychotic, and substance-related spectrums.

Open

Psychotropic medication reference

Common psych meds by class — SSRIs, SNRIs, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, stimulants — with dose ranges, side effects, black-box warnings, and monitoring. Searchable.

Open

Evidence-based practice cheat sheets

Quick-reference cards for CBT, DBT, EMDR, Motivational Interviewing, CPT, PE, and ACT — key concepts, session structure, and common interventions.

Open

Motivational interviewing pocket guide

OARS skills with examples, change talk vs. sustain talk, an interactive readiness ruler and decisional-balance worksheet, and rolling-with-resistance techniques.

Open