Mark A. Blais, PsyD, and Samuel Justin Sinclair, PhD
Purpose: Measures psychopathology quickly
Age Range: 18 years to 100 years
Admin Time: 15–20 minutes
Additional Details: Measure 12 Clinically Important Constructs in Adult Psychology
Qualification Level: A
The SPECTRA provides a quick hierarchical assessment of adult psychopathology. It can be used to evaluate individuals in a variety of clinical settings, such as inpatient and outpatient clinics, hospitals, schools, and forensic settings. Provides information relevant for intake, clinical diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring.
Features and benefits
- Developed using a rational-empirical method based on the three factor quantitative model.
- Can be used to evaluate individuals in a variety of clinical settings.
- Composed of 12 clinical scales: Depression (DEP), Anxiety (ANX), Social Anxiety (SOC), Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS), Alcohol Problems (ALC), Severe Aggression (AGG), Antisocial (ANTI), Drug Problems (DRG), Psychosis (PSY), Paranoid Ideation (PAR), Manic Activation (MAN), and Grandiose Ideation (GRA).
- The clinical scales are organised into three higher-order spectra:
Internalising: DEP, ANX, SOC, PTS.
Externalising: ALC, AGG, ANTI, DRG.
Reality-Impairing: PSY, PAR, MAN, GRA. - Also includes three supplemental scales: Cognitive Concerns (COG), Psychosocial Functioning (PF), and Suicidal Ideations (SUI).
- The spectra scores combine to provide a General Psychopathology
- Measures 12 clinically important constructs (depression, anxiety, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress, alcohol problems, severe aggression, antisocial behaviour, drug problems, psychosis, paranoid ideation, manic activation, and grandiose ideation).
- Constructs are organised into three higher-order psychopathology spectra (Internalising, Externalising, and Reality-Impairing).
- These spectra scores combine to provide a General Psychopathology Index (GPI) which measures the total burden of psychopathology.
- Maps on to DSM-5™ conditions and links assessment findings to quantitative model research literature.
- Learn about the development of the SPECTRA with authors Dr. Justin Sinclair and Dr. Mark Blais during an interview with Dr. Jeremy Sharp in PAR Training and in our blog.
- Learn about how the SPECTRA provides a hierarchical–dimensional assessment of psychopathology with our free hierarchical interpretation worksheet located in the resources section.
- The 12 clinical scales align with common DSM-5™ diagnoses.
