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These five sit apart from the depression-and-anxiety screens because each answers a question a general instrument cannot. They are not a category so much as a set of specific tools for specific moments.

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What each one is for

EPDS — perinatal depression. The PHQ-9 is a poor fit in pregnancy and postpartum, because several of its items (sleep, appetite, fatigue) are confounded by the pregnancy itself. The EPDS was built to avoid exactly that. DERS-18 — emotion regulation. Six subscales covering awareness, clarity, non-acceptance, impulse control, goal-directed behaviour and access to strategies. The measure to reach for when the presenting problem is how a client responds to distress rather than how much of it there is. WAI-SR — the therapeutic alliance. Twelve client-rated items on task agreement, goal agreement and bond. The only measure here that is about you rather than the client, and the only one whose result you may not enjoy reading. MAAS — dispositional mindfulness. Present-moment attention as a trait. Useful as a pre/post around mindfulness-based work, and it uses an inverted response scale — read the scoring note before interpreting a high number. ASQ — suicide screen. NIMH’s brief four-item screen with an acute-risk follow-up. Short enough to use as a routine screen rather than only when you already suspect risk.

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The alliance measure is worth using more than it is

Of the five, the WAI-SR is the one most likely to change what you do next session, and the one most often skipped. A rupture usually shows up in the goal and task subscales before it shows up in the room.

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When a general measure will do instead

Do not reach here first. If the question is “how depressed is this client”, the PHQ-9 is the answer. If it is “how anxious”, the GAD-7. These five earn their place when the general instrument would be confounded, or would miss the thing you are actually tracking.

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The five measures

EPDS

Perinatal depression — validated through pregnancy and the first postpartum year.

DERS-18

Emotion-regulation difficulties across six subscales. The DBT tracking standard.

WAI-SR

The therapeutic alliance, rated by the client. Task, goal and bond.

MAAS

Dispositional mindfulness. Note the inverted response scale.

ASQ

NIMH’s four-item suicide screen, with an acute-risk follow-up.

What's in the library

All seventy-one templates, and how they are organised.

Crisis templates

Safety planning and protective factors, where risk is the presenting concern.