Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 10, 2025
Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
Systematic review of assessment instruments measuring outcomes in psychological interventions for pediatric
Barbara Zuro Jakovac1, David Hevey1, Phillip Coey1,2
1Department of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Objective:
This systematic review focused on identifying and evaluating assessment tools used to measure outcomes of psychological interventions for pediatric functional neurological disorder (FND).
Method:
A comprehensive search was conducted on September 24, 2024, across Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Medline. Studies were included if they involved individuals under 18 with FND diagnosis, utilized a psychological intervention, and assessed treatment outcomes using validated measures. Sixteen studies qualified for inclusion, and 26 different assessment instruments were identified. These were assessed against the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials framework, covering symptoms, life impact, and resource utilization. The psychometric characteristics of these assessment tools were examined through further searches which concentrated on reliability, validity, and factorial invariance. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools were used to evaluate the risk of bias. Findings were synthesized narratively due to the descriptive and exploratory nature of the research aims.
Results:
No outcome assessment tools designed specifically for pediatric FND populations were identified. Most studies employed measures targeting mental health symptoms and life impact, however, none of these tools were validated with FND samples, and several lacked validation in pediatric populations.
Conclusions:
This review highlights significant gaps, including the need for psychometric assessment of tools and validation studies on FND samples. The current evidence does not support recommending FND-specific measures due to their limited development and validation. Instead, using existing questionnaires validated on broader pediatric populations is recommended. Research should prioritize the validation of measures in FND populations to establish more robust, standardized tools for clinical and research use.
