Clinical interviews for children and adolescents

McConaughy, S. H. (2005). Clinical interviews for children and adolescents: Assessment to Intervention. NewYork: Guilford Press.

Purpose of clinical interview (quoted verbatim):

• To establish rapport and mutual respect b/t the interviewer and the child.
• To learn the child’s perspective on his/her functioning.
• To identify which of the child’s current problems would be appropriate potential targets for intervention.
• To identify the child’s strengths and competencies that can be marshaled to bolsters interventions.
• To assess the child’s view of different intervention options.
• To directly observe the child’s behavior, affect, and interaction style. (14).

Beginning the interview (not verbatim):

1. Personal introductions.
2. Explain “the purpose of the interview...A good way to start is to ask children why they think they are being interviewed.”
3. Explain “the limits of confidentiality,” e.g., “This is a private talk. I won’t tell your parents or your teachers what you say unless you tell me it is OK. The only thing I would have to tell is if you said you were going to hurt yourself, hurt someone else, or someone has hurt you” (16).
4. Ask if they have any questions (17).

Concluding the interview (not verbatim):

1. You can “thank the child for participating and sharing his/her thoughts and feelings.”
2. “Then review statements regarding confidentiality and discuss how interview information will be shared w/ other people, such as parents and teachers” (30).
3. You can “summarize key aspects of what you learned about the child in the interview and then tell the child what general or specific issues you want to discuss w/ parents, teachers, and other important parties” (31).

The SCICA (Semistructured Clinical Interview for Children and Adolescents) covers five areas: “intrapersonal functioning, family relationships, peer relations, school adjustment, and community involvement” (33).

Topic Areas for Semistructured Child Clinical Interviews (copied verbatim)

1. Activities and interests
1. Favorite activities
2. Sports, hobbies, organizations
3. Job
2. School and homework
1. Best liked things about school
2. Least liked things about school
3. Grades
4. Attitudes toward school staff
5. Worries about school
6. School problems
7. Homework
3. Friendships and peer relations
1. Number of friends
2. Activities with friends
3. Peers liked and disliked
4. Social problems with peers (fights, being left out)
5. Social coping strategies
6. Dating, romances
4. Home situation and family relations
1. People in the family
2. Rules and punishments
3. Relationships with parents
4. Relationships with siblings
5. How parents get along
5. Self-awareness and feelings
1. Three wishes
2. Future goals
3. Wishes for changes at home
4. Feelings (happy, sad, mad, scared)
5. Worries
6. Strange thoughts or experiences
7. Suicidal ideation
6. Adolescent issues
1. Alcohol and drugs
2. Antisocial behavior and trouble with the law
3. Dating and romances (34)

http://www.aseba.org/forms/scicaprotocol.pdf

It’s good to begin w/ activities and interests >> good “warm-up” to establish rapport, “can also provide some insight into their perceptions of their competencies” (34).

See Appendices 4.1 and 4.2