Methodology & Sources

Every clinical screen, every source, on one page

The full audit trail for every clinical screening instrument used on Mindshape. Each entry lists the original instrument, authors, publication of record, license status, our adaptation note, and current version stamp.

Clinical advisor program: onboarding

Mindshape is currently onboarding a named licensed clinical reviewer for ongoing review of every screening adaptation on this site. Until that arrangement is finalized and the reviewer's credentials are published here, treat every instrument-based screen as an educational adaptation of the source instrument cited below — useful for self-reflection, never as a clinical diagnosis. Source-instrument citations and adaptation version numbers are listed on each screen and in our full methodology.

How we think about clinical content

  • Educational, never diagnostic. No Mindshape screen produces a clinical diagnosis. Every screen explicitly says this. A positive screen suggests that a clinician-administered evaluation would be informative; it doesn't replace one.
  • Cite the original instrument every time. Each screen page lists the authors, year, and publication of record. This page is the master list.
  • Be transparent about license status. If we use a freely-licensed instrument, we say so. If we use an educational adaptation of a copyrighted instrument, we say so. If we have a known license-risk item on the roadmap, we publish that risk note here.
  • No affiliate routing on clinical screens. We don't take referral fees from therapy directories, mental-health apps, or telehealth platforms for surfacing them on these pages. The financial conflict is incompatible with the trust required to handle mental-health content responsibly.
  • Crisis-relevant content stays free. Hotlines, next-step resources, and find-support lists are never paywalled and never gated behind sign-up.

Full instrument list (31 screens)

Click any row to visit the screen, which carries the same citation in-context.

Trauma / PTSD Test

Free public-use

PCL-5PTSD Checklist for DSM-5

Weathers, F. W., Litz, B. T., Keane, T. M., Palmieri, P. A., Marx, B. P., & Schnurr, P. P. (2013). National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Uses the published PCL-5 self-report items distributed across the four DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters (intrusion, avoidance, negative cognitions/mood, arousal/reactivity). Educational adaptation — not a substitute for clinician-administered assessment.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /trauma-test

Anxiety Test

Free for clinical/educational

GAD-7Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale

Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B. W., & Löwe, B. (2006). Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092–1097.

Uses the 7-item GAD-7 self-report scale with the original 'over the last 2 weeks' framing and standard 0–3 frequency scoring (sum range 0–21). Free for public, clinical, and educational use.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /anxiety-test

Autism Spectrum Test

Free for clinical/educational

AQ-10Autism Spectrum Quotient — 10-item version

Allison, C., Auyeung, B., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2012). Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(2), 202–212.

Uses the published AQ-10 (Adult) 10-item screening instrument designed by the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit. Free for educational and clinical use; original AQ-10 © Cambridge University. Screening only — not diagnostic.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /autism-test

Burnout Test

⚠️ Commercially licensed (educational adaptation)

MBI / MBI-GSMaslach Burnout Inventory (educational adaptation)

Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E.; Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). Journal of Occupational Behaviour; later MBI-GS (1996), Consulting Psychologists Press / Mind Garden.

Educational adaptation across the three Maslach dimensions (Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization/Cynicism using MBI-GS phrasing, Personal Accomplishment). The published MBI is owned by Mind Garden, Inc. and requires a paid license for commercial use — we are evaluating migration to the freely-licensed Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) or Copenhagen Burnout Inventory.

Adaptation v1.2 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /burnout-test

License-risk note: MBI is commercially licensed (Mind Garden, Inc.). Mindshape's adaptation paraphrases / restructures items and provides educational scoring, but full migration to OLBI (Demerouti et al., 2003) or CBI (Kristensen et al., 2005) is on the roadmap to eliminate licensing exposure.

Adult ADHD Test

Free public-use

ASRS-v1.1Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, World Health Organization

Kessler, R. C., Adler, L., Ames, M., Demler, O., Faraone, S., Hiripi, E., Howes, M. J., Jin, R., Secnik, K., Spencer, T., Ustun, T. B., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Psychological Medicine, 35(2), 245–256 — developed in collaboration with the WHO and Harvard Medical School.

Uses the ASRS-v1.1 framework with the 6-item screener as the primary signal and the full 18-item structure covering DSM inattention + hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom clusters. Free public-use screening instrument — not diagnostic.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /adhd-test

Bipolar Spectrum Test

Free for clinical/educational

MDQMood Disorder Questionnaire

Hirschfeld, R. M. A., Williams, J. B. W., Spitzer, R. L., Calabrese, J. R., Flynn, L., Keck, P. E., Lewis, L., McElroy, S. L., Post, R. M., Rapport, D. J., Russell, J. M., Sachs, G. S., & Zajecka, J. (2000). American Journal of Psychiatry, 157(11), 1873–1875.

Uses the MDQ structure — 13 hypomanic/manic symptom items plus the 'co-occurrence' and 'functional impairment' qualifiers required for a positive screen. Screening only — not diagnostic of Bipolar I, II, or related disorders.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /bipolar-test

OCD Screening Test

Free for non-commercial research

OCI-RObsessive-Compulsive Inventory — Revised

Foa, E. B., Huppert, J. D., Leiberg, S., Langner, R., Kichic, R., Hajcak, G., & Salkovskis, P. M. (2002). Psychological Assessment, 14(4), 485–496.

Educational adaptation of the OCI-R 18-item structure across washing, checking, ordering, obsessing, hoarding, and neutralizing subscales. Screening only — full Y-BOCS clinician-administered interview is the diagnostic standard.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /ocd-test

Eating Disorder Screening

Free for clinical/educational

EAT-26 + SCOFFEating Attitudes Test (26-item) plus SCOFF behavioural items

Garner, D. M., Olmsted, M. P., Bohr, Y., & Garfinkel, P. E.; Morgan, J. F., Reid, F., & Lacey, J. H. (1982). Psychological Medicine, 12(4), 871–878 (EAT-26); BMJ, 319(7223), 1467–1468 (SCOFF, 1999).

Two-phase screen combining EAT-26 attitudinal items with SCOFF-style behavioural questions. EAT-26 free for educational/clinical use with citation; SCOFF is free public-use. Screening only — not diagnostic.

Adaptation v1.2 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /eating-disorder-test

Adverse Childhood Experiences Test

Public domain

ACEAdverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire

Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258 (the original ACE Study).

Uses the original 10 ACE binary items unmodified. Public domain. The ACE score (0–10) is a research-validated index of cumulative childhood adversity, not a measure of present-day psychopathology.

Adaptation v1.0 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /ace-score-test

Complex PTSD Test

Free public-use

ITQInternational Trauma Questionnaire

Cloitre, M., Shevlin, M., Brewin, C. R., Bisson, J. I., Roberts, N. P., Maercker, A., Karatzias, T., & Hyland, P. (2018). Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 138(6), 536–546.

Uses the ITQ framework covering both ICD-11 PTSD and Disturbances in Self-Organisation (DSO: affective dysregulation, negative self-concept, disturbances in relationships) clusters used to differentiate Complex PTSD from PTSD. Screening only.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /cptsd-test

Childhood Trauma Test

⚠️ Commercially licensed (educational adaptation)

CTQ-SFChildhood Trauma Questionnaire — Short Form

Bernstein, D. P., Stein, J. A., Newcomb, M. D., Walker, E., Pogge, D., Ahluvalia, T., Stokes, J., Handelsman, L., Medrano, M., Desmond, D., & Zule, W. (2003). Child Abuse & Neglect, 27(2), 169–190.

Educational adaptation across the five CTQ subscales (emotional, physical, sexual abuse; emotional and physical neglect). The published CTQ-SF is licensed by Pearson/NCS — Mindshape uses a paraphrased educational version with original scoring structure. Screening only.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /childhood-trauma-test

License-risk note: CTQ-SF is commercially licensed (Pearson). Mindshape's adaptation paraphrases items; full migration to a freely-licensed equivalent is on the roadmap.

Dark Triad Personality Test

Free for non-commercial research

SD3Short Dark Triad

Jones, D. N., & Paulhus, D. L. (2014). Assessment, 21(1), 28–41 — building on Paulhus & Williams (2002), Journal of Research in Personality, 36, 556–563.

Uses the SD3 27-item structure covering Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy subscales. Self-report research instrument — informative for self-reflection, never appropriate for third-party labelling or clinical diagnosis.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /dark-triad-test

Impostor Syndrome Test

Free for clinical/educational

CIPSClance Impostor Phenomenon Scale

Clance, P. R. (1985). The Impostor Phenomenon: Overcoming the Fear that Haunts Your Success (Peachtree Publishers).

Uses the 20-item CIPS framework with the standard 5-point Likert scoring (range 20–100). Most widely-used impostor phenomenon measure. Self-reflection instrument — impostor phenomenon is not a DSM disorder.

Adaptation v1.0 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /imposter-syndrome-test

Empath / High-Sensitivity Test

Free for non-commercial research

IRI + HSP-derivedInterpersonal Reactivity Index plus Highly Sensitive Person framework

Davis, M. H. (IRI); Aron, E. N., & Aron, A. (HSP) (1980). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44(1), 113–126 (Davis IRI); Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(2), 345–368 (Aron & Aron, 1997).

Educational adaptation combining empathic concern + perspective taking (IRI dimensions) with sensory processing sensitivity (HSP). 'Empath' is not a clinical category — this is a self-understanding instrument, not a diagnostic one.

Adaptation v1.0 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /empath-test

Introvert / Extravert Spectrum Test

Free for non-commercial research

EPQ-derivedEysenck Personality Questionnaire tradition + Big Five Extraversion

Eysenck, H. J., & Eysenck, S. B. G.; Costa, P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1975). Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Hodder & Stoughton, 1975); NEO-PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992).

Educational adaptation locating respondents on the introversion–extraversion spectrum using items derived from the Eysenck tradition and Big Five Extraversion facet structure. Self-reflection instrument.

Adaptation v1.0 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /introvert-test

Emotional Intelligence Test

Free for non-commercial research

EQ-i-derivedEducational adaptation of the EQ-i model + ability EI literature

Bar-On, R.; Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (1997). Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (Multi-Health Systems, 1997); MSCEIT (Mayer, Salovey, Caruso, 2002).

Educational adaptation covering self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. The full Bar-On EQ-i and MSCEIT are commercially licensed proprietary instruments — Mindshape's version is for self-reflection, not assessment.

Adaptation v1.0 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /emotional-intelligence-test

Borderline Personality Disorder Screening

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 BPD criteria (educational adaptation)Borderline Personality Disorder DSM-5 criteria — educational adaptation

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5).

Educational adaptation of the 9 DSM-5 criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder. Not a substitute for the validated SCID-5-PD or PAI-BOR diagnostic interviews. A positive screen indicates that a clinician-administered assessment would be informative — it is not a diagnosis.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /borderline-personality-disorder-test

Antisocial Personality Disorder Screening

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 ASPD criteria (educational adaptation)Antisocial Personality Disorder DSM-5 criteria — educational adaptation

American Psychiatric Association (2013). DSM-5.

Educational adaptation of the DSM-5 criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder (Cluster B). Not diagnostic — formal assessment requires a clinician, evidence of conduct-disorder symptoms before age 15, and rule-out of other conditions per DSM-5 Criterion C.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /antisocial-personality-disorder-test

Avoidant Personality Disorder Screening

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 AvPD criteria (educational adaptation)Avoidant Personality Disorder DSM-5 criteria — educational adaptation

American Psychiatric Association (2013). DSM-5.

Educational adaptation of the 7 DSM-5 criteria for Avoidant Personality Disorder (Cluster C). The clinical distinction between AvPD and social anxiety disorder requires evaluation by a trained clinician.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /avoidant-personality-disorder-test

Narcissistic Personality Screening

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 NPD criteria + NPI-derivedNarcissistic Personality Disorder DSM-5 criteria with Narcissistic Personality Inventory framing

American Psychiatric Association; Raskin, R., & Terry, H. (NPI-40) (2013). DSM-5; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(5), 890–902 (NPI, 1988).

Educational adaptation across DSM-5 NPD criteria and the Raskin & Terry NPI-derived grandiosity/exhibitionism dimensions. Self-screening instrument — subclinical narcissistic traits are common in the general population and not in themselves pathological.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /narcissistic-personality-test

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Screening

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 OCPD criteria (educational adaptation)Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder DSM-5 criteria — educational adaptation

American Psychiatric Association (2013). DSM-5.

Educational adaptation of the 8 DSM-5 criteria for OCPD (Cluster C). OCPD is distinct from OCD — OCPD is ego-syntonic (perfectionism feels right), OCD involves ego-dystonic intrusive obsessions. A diagnosis requires a clinician familiar with the distinction.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /obsessive-compulsive-personality-disorder-test

Schizoid Personality Disorder Screening

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 SchizoidPD criteria (educational adaptation)Schizoid Personality Disorder DSM-5 criteria — educational adaptation

American Psychiatric Association (2013). DSM-5.

Educational adaptation of the 7 DSM-5 criteria for Schizoid Personality Disorder (Cluster A). Schizoid Personality Disorder is distinct from autism, social anxiety, and avoidant personality disorder; clinician differentiation is required.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /schizoid-personality-disorder-test

Schizotypal Personality Disorder Screening

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 SchizotypalPD criteria (educational adaptation)Schizotypal Personality Disorder DSM-5 criteria — educational adaptation

American Psychiatric Association (2013). DSM-5.

Educational adaptation of the 9 DSM-5 criteria for Schizotypal Personality Disorder (Cluster A). The schizotypal–schizophrenia spectrum relationship requires careful clinical differentiation; this is a screening prompt only.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /schizotypal-personality-disorder-test

Histrionic Personality Disorder Screening

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 HistrionicPD criteria (educational adaptation)Histrionic Personality Disorder DSM-5 criteria — educational adaptation

American Psychiatric Association (2013). DSM-5.

Educational adaptation of the 8 DSM-5 criteria for Histrionic Personality Disorder (Cluster B). Cultural and gender expectations significantly affect HPD diagnosis; clinical interpretation should be culturally informed.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /histrionic-personality-disorder-test

Paranoid Personality Disorder Screening

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 PPD criteria (educational adaptation)Paranoid Personality Disorder DSM-5 criteria — educational adaptation

American Psychiatric Association (2013). DSM-5.

Educational adaptation of the 7 DSM-5 criteria for Paranoid Personality Disorder (Cluster A). PPD must be differentiated from delusional disorder, psychotic disorders, and trauma-related vigilance — diagnosis requires clinical assessment.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /paranoid-personality-disorder-test

Dependent Personality Disorder Screening

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 DepPD criteria (educational adaptation)Dependent Personality Disorder DSM-5 criteria — educational adaptation

American Psychiatric Association (2013). DSM-5.

Educational adaptation of the 8 DSM-5 criteria for Dependent Personality Disorder (Cluster C). Cultural norms around interdependence vary significantly and affect interpretation; clinical context matters.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /dependent-personality-disorder-test

Personality Disorder Screening (10-type overview)

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 Personality Disorders chapter (educational overview)DSM-5 Section II Personality Disorders chapter — educational adaptation

American Psychiatric Association (2013). DSM-5.

Educational overview screen across the 10 DSM-5 personality disorders organized into Clusters A (odd/eccentric), B (dramatic/erratic), and C (anxious/fearful). Indicates which deeper screens may be informative — never a substitute for the SCID-5-PD or clinician interview.

Adaptation v1.1 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /personality-disorder-test

Codependency Test

Free for non-commercial research

Educational adaptation (Whitfield / Beattie framework)Codependency assessment drawing on Whitfield and Beattie literature

Whitfield, C. L.; Beattie, M. (1991). Co-Dependence: Healing the Human Condition (Whitfield, 1991); Codependent No More (Beattie, 1986).

Educational adaptation — 'codependency' is a clinical-adjacent concept, not a DSM disorder. Items cover compulsive caretaking, identity diffusion, boundary blurring, and external locus of control. Self-reflection instrument.

Adaptation v1.0 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /codependency-test

Karpman Drama Triangle Assessment

Public domain

Karpman Drama Triangle (conceptual model)Karpman's Drama Triangle — Transactional Analysis framework

Karpman, S. (1968). Transactional Analysis Bulletin, 7(26), 39–43.

Educational instrument identifying default roles in unhealthy interpersonal dynamics (Victim, Rescuer, Persecutor) based on the original Karpman conceptual model. Self-reflection tool, not a clinical measure.

Adaptation v1.0 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /karpman-drama-triangle

Toxic Relationship Quiz

Free for clinical/educational

Educational adaptation (Gottman + IPV literature)Educational adaptation drawing on Gottman's Four Horsemen + intimate-partner-violence screening principles

Gottman, J. M. (1999). The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work (Crown, 1999); Gottman Institute relationship research.

Self-reflection screen for corrosive relationship patterns — criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling, coercion. Not an intimate-partner-violence screening tool; if you are in physical danger see the crisis resources linked on the page.

Adaptation v1.0 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /toxic-relationship-quiz

BPD vs Complex PTSD — Differential Screen

Educational adaptation of DSM-5 criteria

DSM-5 BPD criteria + ITQ (combined)Educational adaptation combining DSM-5 Borderline Personality Disorder criteria with the International Trauma Questionnaire (CPTSD subscale)

American Psychiatric Association; Cloitre, M., Shevlin, M., Brewin, C. R., Bisson, J. I., Roberts, N. P., Maercker, A., Karatzias, T., & Hyland, P. (2018). DSM-5 (APA, 2013); Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 138(6), 536–546 (ITQ).

Educational differential screen — BPD and Complex PTSD share substantial symptom overlap (emotional dysregulation, relational instability, negative self-concept) but have different aetiological and treatment implications. Differential diagnosis requires a clinician.

Adaptation v1.0 · last reviewed 2026-05-23 · slug /bpd-vs-cptsd

What we don't do

  • Provide clinical diagnoses. No screen on this site is diagnostic.
  • Route clinical-screen users to commercial therapy directories for affiliate revenue.
  • Sell or share individual screen responses to advertisers, marketers, or third parties.
  • Claim our adaptations are equivalent to clinician-administered validated assessments.
  • Use 'AI therapist' framing or any language implying our content can replace professional care.

Adaptation versioning policy

We track an adaptation version per screen. The version increments when any of the following change: question wording, scoring algorithm, severity-band cutoffs, recommended next-step framing, or crisis-resource integration. Each version's last-reviewed date is the date the named clinical advisor (when active) signed off on the version; until the advisor is active, the date reflects internal content review.

We deliberately do not bump the version for cosmetic page changes, internal-link updates, or copy-edits to the screen's educational framing. Those changes are logged in version control but don't reset the clinical-review clock.

For clinicians, researchers & regulators

If you have questions about a specific instrument, a license concern, or you'd like to engage Mindshape as a licensed clinical advisor, please reach out via the contact page.

We respond to license-holder concerns within 48 hours and act on legitimate cease-and-desist requests promptly.

Who we are, what we won't do, and how we run the platform.

Browse every personality and screening test on Mindshape.