PSC-17 Pediatric Symptom Checklist | Free Child Mental Health Screen | PsychKit™

PSC-17 Pediatric Symptom Checklist | Free Child Mental Health Screen | PsychKit™

PSC-17 Pediatric Symptom Checklist

Private autosave. Instant scoring for Total, Internalizing, Attention, and Externalizing.

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Educational and entertainment use only. Not medical advice. Screening is not a diagnosis. Only a licensed clinician can diagnose. Results stay on your device and you can save a link to your result.

About PSC-17

The PSC-17 is a brief screen for emotional, attention, and behavior concerns in children and teens. Caregivers answer 17 items for the past few weeks. Items score Never 0, Sometimes 1, Often 2. Total range 0 to 34. Subscales: Internalizing 5 items, Attention 5 items, Externalizing 7 items. Positive cutoffs: Total 15+, Internalizing 5+, Attention 7+, Externalizing 7+.

Answer each question

0 / 17

Think about the last few weeks. Choose one option per item.

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PSC-17 FAQ

What ages is PSC-17 for

Commonly used for ages 4 to 17 in primary care and schools. Use youth self-report for older children when appropriate.

How is PSC-17 scored

Each item: Never 0, Sometimes 1, Often 2. Total is the sum of all 17 items. Subscales use specific items. Positive cutoffs: Total 15+, Internalizing 5+, Attention 7+, Externalizing 7+.

Is a positive score a diagnosis

No. A positive screen suggests more evaluation is needed with a qualified clinician.

Who created PSC

Developed by Michael Jellinek and J. Michael Murphy at Massachusetts General Hospital. The PSC-17 short form was developed by Gardner, Kelleher, and colleagues.

Do you store answers

No. Answers are saved locally in your browser. The share link encodes your results in the URL hash on your device.

Can teachers use this

Yes, as a screen with caregiver consent. Share the printable summary with your care team when needed.

References and credits

  1. MGH Pediatric Symptom Checklist page with cutoffs and subscales. No endorsement implied. © Authors.
  2. UW and state program scoring sheets describing PSC-17 totals and cutoffs.
  3. Murphy JM et al. Pediatrics 2016. National sample supports three-factor structure and cutoffs.
  4. Gardner W et al. JAACAP 2007. Comparative performance and validated thresholds.
  5. Official PSC forms and youth version with the 17 items.

Copyright and license

© PsychKit™ / Joyful Psych™. The page layout, design, scripts, and compiled code are proprietary and licensed for use only on psychkit.org. Redistribution, copying, republishing, framing, or resale of the code or UI is prohibited without written permission. The PSC and PSC-17 items are © Jellinek and Murphy, Massachusetts General Hospital. The PSC-17 short form is credited to Gardner and Kelleher. Reproduced here for educational, noncommercial use with attribution as provided on the MGH PSC site. No MGH endorsement is implied. For permissions or takedowns, contact: legal@psychkit.org.