A psychosocial screening tool for ambulatory health care clients: a pilot study of validity

This study tested the concurrent validity of a psychosocial screening tool, the Assessment of Life Conditions Scale (ALC), a brief checklist developed at Kaiser Permanente Health Maintenance Organization. It was found to be a significant predictor of a client's score on two longer valid and reliable psychosocial screening tools, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale and the Heimler Scale of Social Functioning. Clients' ALC scores were significantly correlated with their perception of their current and usual health status. Their ALC score was also associated with their perception of how they felt a nurse could be most helpful to them during their clinic visit. This brief screening tool has potential usefulness for guiding mental health referrals for ambulatory health care clients and for planning nursing care.