What is the SCL90R?

SCL90R is an acronym for the psychometric assessment called the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. It a test offered by Pearson’s Clinical and was developed by Dr. Leonard R. Derogatis, a highly recognised psychologist. Over the past several decades, Dr. Derogatis has authored and published more than a dozen psychological test instruments, and has created over 125 scientific papers. 

The SCL90R consists of 90 questions that helps assess the level/absence of distress in the following areas:

  1. SOM – Somatization
  2. O-C – Obsessive-Compulsive
  3. I-S – Interpersonal Sensitivity
  4. DEP – Depression
  5. ANX – Anxiety
  6. HOS – Hostility
  7. PHOB – Phobic Anxiety
  8. PAR – Paranoid Ideation
  9. PSY – Psychoticism

Why and When to take the SCL90R?

The test acts like a basic screener and is to be taken at the beginning and end of the counselling sessions. It helps in the following:

  1. Determining if your level of emotional distress is of a clinical level and if psychiatric/other assistance is needed along with counselling
  2. The areas where distress levels are the highest and using the scores to prioritise what needs to be worked upon first and then device a treatment plan accordingly
  3. Measure the improvement in symptoms post counselling sessions.

The test scores act as a basis to start the therapy process and to ensure that issues are being tackled with one at a time in a decreasing order of priority. 

Interpretation of the score

Having taken the SCL90R, you will receive a scatter plot similar to the one below:

In layman terms, the lower the dots are, the lesser is the distress level and vice-versa. As a rule of thumb, whenever the raw score pertaining to one of the symptoms has a value of 2 or higher, the symptom is then considered to be clinical in nature; meaning, assistance in addition to counselling is needed. It could be psychiatric intervention or alternative and more effective interventions like the Bach Flower Remedies.

Explaining the meaning of each of the symptoms in detail:

  • SOM – Somatization: 

Reflects distress arising from perceptions of bodily dysfunction. Complaints focus on cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, neurological and other systems with strong autonomic mediation. Pain and discomfort of the gross musculature and other somatic equivalents of anxiety are also possible components of Somatization.

  • O-C – Obsessive-Compulsive

This measure focuses on thoughts, impulses and actions that are experienced as irresistible and unremitting and that are of an ego-alien or unwanted nature. Behaviour and experiences reflecting a more general cognitive performance deficit also contribute to this measure.

  • I-S – Interpersonal Sensitivity

The Interpersonal Sensitivity measure focuses on feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, particularly in comparison to other people. Self-deprecation, self-doubt and marked discomfort during interpersonal interactions are characteristic manifestations of this syndrome. Self-consciousness and negative expectations about interpersonal relations are hallmark features of I-S.

  • DEP – Depression

The Depression dimension reflects a representative range of the manifestations of clinical depression. It comprises symptoms of dysphoric mood and affect, signs of withdrawal of life interest, lack of motivation and loss of vital energy. Feelings of hopelessness, thoughts of suicide and other cognitive and somatic correlates of clinical depression are included in this measure.

  • ANX – Anxiety

General signs of anxiety such as nervousness, tension and trembling are included in the domain definition, as are feelings of apprehension, dread, terror and panic. In addition, some somatic manifestations of anxiety are also reflected in the domain.

  • HOS – Hostility

The symptoms of the Hostility dimension include thoughts, feelings, and actions that are characteristic of the negative affect state of anger. Items reflect all three modalities of expression, and demonstrate qualities such as resentment, irritability, aggression and rage.

  • PHOB – Phobic Anxiety

The Phobic Anxiety dimension defines the syndrome as a persistent fear response to a specific person, place, object or situation, which is disproportionate to any actual threat, and leads to avoidance or escape behavior. Items overlap highly with DSM-IV Agoraphobia syndrome.

  • PAR – Paranoid Ideation

The Paranoid Ideation dimension represents paranoid behavior as fundamentally a disordered mode of thinking. The Items comprising P-l reflect the cardinal clinical features of projective thought, hostility, grandiosity, suspiciousness, centrality, and fear of loss of autonomy.

  • PSY – Psychoticism

Psychoticism was designed to represent the construct as a continuous dimension, from a withdrawn isolated lifestyle at one pole to demonstrable psychotic behavior at the other. The measure attempts to reflect a graduated continuum from mild social alienation to first-rank symptoms of psychosis.

IMPORTANT NOTE:-

The SCL90R is not a diagnostic tool and does not diagnose any particular disorder or mental health condition. It is only a basic screener meant to determine the future course of action for the therapist and/or the client.