Brief Description
The Pediatric Symptom Checklist – 35 (PSC-35) is a 35 item psychosocial screening questionnaire designed to identify cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents aged 4 to 17 years. It helps clinicians recognize potential areas of concern that may warrant further evaluation for mental health or psychosocial difficulties. Developed by Jellinek, Murphy, and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital, the PSC-35 serves as a screening tool in pediatric and primary care, school, and behavioral health settings. It can be completed by a parent or caregiver, and self-report versions exist for older youth (typically 11 years and above). The measure can be used for routine screening, progress monitoring, or outcome evaluation over time.
Assessment Administration Type
Caregiver/Parent Report
Number of questions
35 (+ 2 questions related to services)
Age Range for Administration
Caregivers of children and adolescents aged 4-17
Recommended Frequency of Administration
No recommended standard frequency
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
The PSC-35 includes 35 items, each describing common psychosocial problems (e.g., “Fidgety, unable to sit still,” “Feels sad or unhappy,” “Acts as if driven by a motor”). Items are rated on a 3-point Likert scale "Never" (0), "Sometimes" (1), "Often" (2). Scores are summed across all 35 items to yield a total score (range: 0–70), with higher scores indicate greater levels of psychosocial impairment.
The recommended cutoff scores originate from validation studies conducted by the original developers at Massachusetts General Hospital and collaborating researchers. These cutoffs were established based on empirical analyses of sensitivity and specificity in detecting psychosocial dysfunction. A score above the cutoff indicates that a child may be at risk for psychosocial dysfunction and should be evaluated more thoroughly through clinical interview or other standardized assessments.
Age | Cut-Off Score | Categorization |
4-5 | ≥ 24 | At-Risk |
6-17 | ≥ 28 | Impaired |
The measure also provides subscale scores for:
Attention problems (e.g., restlessness, concentration)
Internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety, sadness)
Externalizing problems (e.g., aggression, rule-breaking)
Subscale | Cut-Off Score | Item Number (on Blueprint) |
Attention problems | ≥ 7 | 4, 7, 8, 9, 14 |
Internalizing problems | ≥ 5 | 11, 13, 19, 22, 27 |
Externalizing problems | ≥ 7 | 16, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 |
Note that the last two items (36 and 37) are not included in scoring.
Blueprint Adjustments
N/A
Clinical Considerations
Estimated time for completion: 5-10 minutes
Blueprint's library also includes the Spanish version of this measure (Pediatric Symptom Checklist Parent-Report Spanish, PSC-35-S).
The PSC-35 is not diagnostic, but a screening indicator for potential behavioral health issues.
It is sensitive to a wide range of emotional and behavioral problems, making it particularly useful in primary care, school-based mental health programs, and integrated behavioral health settings.
Citation
Jellinek, M. S., Murphy, J. M., & Burns, B. J. (1986). The Pediatric Symptom Checklist: Screening school-age children for psychosocial dysfunction. Journal of Pediatrics, 109(2), 371–378.
Relevant Articles + Further Resources
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