Specialist Mental Health Assessments
10 clinically validated specialist assessments — adult ADHD, borderline patterns, misophonia, psychosis screening, aggression, chronic pain, tinnitus, audiology dizziness, and domestic violence screening. Free in the Mindtalk app.
All 10 assessments
Each card opens the assessment in the Mindtalk app. Your results are saved privately and can be tracked over time.
HITS
HITS Domestic Violence Screening
Hurt-Insulted-Threatened-Screamed — short domestic violence screener. Crisis-adjacent; review CTA pattern with clinical team before public exposure.
SEPS
Subjective Experiences of Psychosis Scale
Ages 18+. Clinician-supervised recommended.
All 10 specialist assessments
ASRS — Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale ⭐ Highest search demand
WHO-developed 6-item ADHD screener for adults. Strong sensitivity for adult ADHD presentations. A score of 4+ on the cut-off items warrants comprehensive ADHD evaluation. Adult ADHD diagnosis is complex (requires developmental history, multi-domain assessment, ruling out alternative causes); the ASRS is the screening start, not the diagnosis. Takes 3-5 minutes.
BSL-23 — Borderline Symptom List (23-item)
Measures intensity of borderline-symptom experiences across emotion regulation, identity, relationships, self-image, and self-harm. Used clinically for screening and tracking severity during treatment. BPD diagnosis requires comprehensive personality disorder evaluation — many conditions (PTSD, mood disorders, ADHD, autism) produce overlapping presentations. Takes 10-15 minutes.
A-MISO-S — Amsterdam Misophonia Scale
Screens for misophonia — strong negative emotional reactions to specific sounds (typically chewing, breathing, repetitive sounds). Misophonia is increasingly recognised as a real clinical condition with distinct neurological patterns. Takes 5-10 minutes. Treatment includes CBT adapted for misophonia, exposure therapy, and sound-management strategies.
SEPS — Subjective Experiences of Psychosis Scale
Screens for psychotic-spectrum experiences — unusual perceptions, beliefs, thought patterns. Used for early identification and for understanding subjective experience in people with established psychotic disorders. Important — should be interpreted by a psychiatrist trained in psychotic disorders; many psychotic-spectrum experiences also occur in trauma, severe sleep deprivation, substance use, and other non-psychotic conditions. Takes 10-15 minutes.
BPAQ — Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire
Measures aggression across four dimensions — physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, hostility. Useful for self-reflection on aggression patterns or as part of clinical assessment for anger-management work. Takes 10-15 minutes.
HITS — Hurt-Insulted-Threatened-Screamed (Domestic Violence Screening)
Brief 4-item screening for domestic violence in current relationships. Designed for clinical settings; can be self-administered with caution. If you are in an abusive relationship, prioritise safety. Indian crisis resources — Women Helpline 181 (24/7), NCW 7827170170, Vandrevala 1860 2662 345. Takes 2-3 minutes. See the safety section below for additional guidance.
CPAQ-R — Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (Revised)
Measures psychological acceptance of chronic pain — how much you continue valued life activities despite pain, and your willingness to experience pain without trying to control it. ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) framework. Useful for chronic pain management; acceptance-based approaches improve quality of life independent of pain reduction. Takes 10-15 minutes.
THI — Tinnitus Handicap Inventory
Measures the impact of tinnitus on quality of life across functional, emotional, and catastrophic domains. Used in audiology and integrated tinnitus care. Useful for both initial assessment and tracking change with intervention. Takes 10-15 minutes.
TRQ — Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (Audiology)
Measures emotional reaction to tinnitus — how distressing the tinnitus is, regardless of its objective loudness. Complementary to THI; particularly useful for psychological intervention planning. Takes 10-15 minutes.
DHI — Audiology Dizziness Handicap Inventory
Measures the impact of dizziness on physical, emotional, and functional aspects of life. Used in vestibular/audiology care. Useful for patients with chronic dizziness whose mental health is affected by the condition. Takes 10-15 minutes.
Adult ADHD — notes on self-assessment
Adult ADHD has become increasingly recognised over the past decade, with significant social media awareness driving search demand. The ASRS is the standard screening tool, but adult ADHD diagnosis requires significantly more than a screener.
What proper ADHD assessment includes:
- Detailed developmental history (ADHD must have symptoms before age 12)
- Comprehensive current symptom assessment across multiple domains (work, relationships, daily functioning)
- Ruling out alternative causes — sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, thyroid dysfunction, substance use can all produce ADHD-like symptoms
- Often collateral information from family members about childhood and current functioning
- Sometimes formal neuropsychological testing
Common patterns of adult ADHD presentation:
- Inattentive subtype — difficulty sustaining attention, forgetfulness, disorganisation; often missed in women and in people who developed coping strategies
- Hyperactive-impulsive subtype — physical restlessness, impulsive decision-making, interrupting; more visible
- Combined subtype — both presentations
Adult ADHD treatment:
- Stimulant medication (methylphenidate, amphetamine compounds) — first-line; significant effect sizes in research
- Non-stimulant medication (atomoxetine) — alternative when stimulants are not tolerated or appropriate
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy adapted for ADHD — addresses organisation, time management, emotional regulation
- ADHD coaching — practical skill-building
- Combination treatment most effective for moderate-severe ADHD
For India-context ADHD considerations — diagnosis and stimulant medication access in India is more variable than Western contexts; major Indian cities have specialist services. Cadabams provides comprehensive adult ADHD assessment and treatment in Bengaluru and online across India. Filter the doctors directory for ADHD specialism.
When to take these assessments
| If… | Start with |
|---|---|
| General curiosity about ADHD | ASRS first-line; if elevated, clinical evaluation |
| Borderline patterns, chronic relationship and identity difficulties | BSL-23 for severity tracking; clinical evaluation essential |
| Sound-specific emotional reactions (chewing, breathing) | A-MISO-S; clinical pathway for treatment |
| Unusual perceptions or beliefs causing distress | SEPS; clinical evaluation important for differential diagnosis |
| Anger or aggression patterns | BPAQ; pair with anger-management therapy |
| Current relationship safety concerns | HITS — use only in safe environment; prioritise safety |
| Chronic pain affecting quality of life | CPAQ-R; pair with ACT-based chronic pain work |
| Tinnitus affecting quality of life | THI + TRQ; integrated audiology + mental health work |
| Chronic dizziness affecting life | DHI; coordinated vestibular + mental health support |
For all of these — screening identifies a starting point; clinical evaluation is the next step.
Domestic Violence Screening (HITS) — safety first
The HITS is a 4-item screening tool — Hurt, Insulted, Threatened, Screamed at. If you are currently in an abusive relationship, please prioritise safety over screening.
Immediate safety resources for India:
- Women Helpline (24/7): 1091 (also dial 181 in many states)
- National Commission for Women: 7827170170
- Vandrevala Foundation (24/7): 1860 2662 345
- Sneha India (24/7, all-India): +91 98330 52684
- Childline India (if children are at risk): 1098
Safety considerations before taking the HITS:
- Use a private device the abuser cannot access
- Take the screen in a safe location
- If you live with the abuser, consider what to do with results (delete, save to secure location, share only with a trusted person)
- A clinician trained in domestic violence can help with safety planning beyond the screen
The screen is not the help; the help comes from connecting with support. If HITS results indicate concerns, please reach out — to a Mindtalk clinician, a helpline, or a trusted person. The Relationship Healing Journey safety section lists additional DV-helpline resources.
ADHD dedicated page coming in Phase 4
Given ADHD's massive standalone search demand (~135K/month
globally, ~14.8K/month in India), a dedicated /assessments/adhd
page is planned for Phase 4 to capture head-term demand more
effectively. For now, the ASRS lives in this catch-all category.
Pair with related Mindtalk tools
- For BPD-adjacent emotion regulation, the Wellbeing & Resilience assessments include the DERS-16 emotion-regulation scale
- For chronic pain work, the 90-day Emotional Reset Journey provides the values and acceptance framework alongside the CPAQ-R
- For aggression and anger work, the Active Listening and Boundary Types worksheets pair with the BPAQ for behavioural-skill building
- The doctors directory lists Mindtalk clinicians across ADHD, BPD, audiology integration, and other specialist areas
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why are these assessments grouped together?
- These 10 assessments cover specialised mental health and adjacent topics that do not fit cleanly into the main categories (anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, etc.). They include conditions clinically managed in psychiatry but with distinctive presentations — ADHD, borderline personality patterns, misophonia, psychosis screening — as well as adjacent specialist areas like chronic pain acceptance, tinnitus reaction, audiology dizziness, and domestic violence screening. The grouping is for navigation purposes; clinically they are managed by different specialists.
- Which ADHD assessment is the most accurate for adults?
- The ASRS (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) included here is the 6-item screener developed by the WHO — widely used as a first-line ADHD screening tool globally. A high score warrants clinical evaluation by a psychiatrist or psychologist trained in adult ADHD assessment. Adult ADHD diagnosis requires comprehensive evaluation beyond a screener — typically including detailed developmental history, current symptom assessment across multiple domains, and ruling out other causes of similar symptoms (sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, thyroid dysfunction). The ASRS is the start, not the diagnosis.
- Can I diagnose myself with borderline personality disorder from the BSL-23?
- No. The BSL-23 (Borderline Symptom List, 23-item) is a screening and severity-tracking tool — it measures the intensity of borderline-symptom experiences. BPD diagnosis requires comprehensive clinical assessment by a clinician trained in personality disorder evaluation; many similar presentations (PTSD, mood disorders, ADHD, autism) can produce overlapping symptoms. Self-diagnosis from a screener is inaccurate and often distressing. Use the BSL-23 to understand your current symptom intensity; bring results to a clinician for evaluation.
- Is misophonia really a clinical condition?
- Yes, increasingly recognised. Misophonia — strong negative emotional reactions to specific sounds (typically chewing, breathing, repetitive sounds) — was historically dismissed but is now recognised as a real clinical condition. Research has shown distinct neurological patterns in misophonia. The Amsterdam Misophonia Scale (A-MISO-S) is one of the most widely used screening tools. Treatment includes CBT adapted for misophonia, exposure therapy, and sound-management strategies. The condition often causes significant relationship and workplace difficulty; clinical recognition has been a major improvement for patients.
- Why are tinnitus and dizziness assessments in a mental health category?
- Tinnitus (THI, TRQ) and dizziness (DHI) are primarily audiology/ENT conditions, but they have significant mental health dimensions — chronic tinnitus is strongly associated with depression, anxiety, and sleep disruption; vestibular dizziness similarly causes secondary mental health impact. The assessments measure the psychological impact of these physical conditions on quality of life. Useful for ENT/audiology patients who also need mental health support, and for psychiatrists working with patients whose mental health symptoms are tied to these physical conditions. Cadabams provides integrated care for these intersecting presentations.
Need a clinician's read on your results?
A high score is a signal, not a diagnosis. Mindtalk's psychiatrists and clinical psychologists can interpret your results and recommend next steps — same-day appointments available.