Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children - Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL)

The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children - Present and Lifetime Version is a semi-structured diagnostic interview form developed by Kaufman and colleagues to assess current and past psychopathology in children and adolescents aged 6-18 years according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria.

In 2016, it was updated to align with DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and renewed as the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (6-18 Years) - Present and Lifetime Version, DSM-5 (K-SADS-PL-DSM-5).

In order to evaluate each symptom, a detailed psychiatric assessment is carried out with information obtained from all sources (child/adolescent, parent, school) through a face-to-face semi-structured interview conducted with both parents and the child/adolescent under the guidance of a clinician. If the information obtained from different sources shows inconsistency, the administrator uses his/her own clinical judgment.

In the first phase of the interview, a preliminary assessment is made with an “unstructured introductory interview” that includes questions about sociodemographic characteristics, neuromotor development history, general health status, general functioning at home/school, and complaints. In the second phase, a “diagnostic screening interview” is conducted in which current (within the last two months) and past numerous specific symptoms are questioned with screening questions. If positive responses are given to the screening questions for diagnosis, in the third phase, a detailed evaluation is performed using the supplement list to determine whether the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria are met. The information obtained from each source is synthesized separately and with the clinician’s observation, scored, and a diagnosis is made.

Major depressive disorder, dysthymia, mania, hypomania, cyclothymia, bipolar disorders, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, schizoaffective disorder, anxiety disorders, ADHD, OCD, conduct disorder, ASD, elimination disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, tic disorders, alcohol-substance abuse, and posttraumatic stress disorder are among the diagnoses that can be screened with the K-SADS. Among these, the diagnoses of ASD, social anxiety disorder/selective mutism, binge-eating disorder, and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder were added along with the DSM-5 changes.

Its Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted in 2019, and it was found to be valid and reliable in many diagnoses, including the new diagnoses added to the DSM-5 version.