Camberwell Assessment of Need – Short Appraisal

What it measures

A standardised assessment of met and unmet needs in people with severe mental illness across 22 need domains. Completed by clinician (staff version) and/or service user (patient version). Widely used in mental health services research and recovery-oriented practice to guide care planning.

Response format

3-level rating (0=no need, 1=met need, 2=unmet need) per need domain; total met needs and unmet needs counted

Representative items

• Accommodation — does the person have a place to live? (0=no need/1=met need/2=unmet need)
• Psychotic symptoms — does the person have problems with hallucinations, delusions? (0/1/2)
• Psychological distress — is the person stressed or distressed? (0/1/2)
• Safety to self — does the person pose a risk to themselves? (0/1/2)
• Social contact — does the person have contact with friends or family? (0/1/2)

Usage notes & scoring

Freely available from Martin Slade (mentalhealth.iop.kcl.ac.uk). Unmet needs count is the primary outcome. Can be rated by clinician only, by patient only, or from both perspectives simultaneously. Particularly used in community mental health, early intervention, and recovery services research.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Phelan, M., Slade, M., Thornicroft, G., Dunn, G., Holloway, F., Wykes, T., Strathdee, G., Loftus, L., McCrone, P., & Hayward, P. (1995). The Camberwell Assessment of Need: The validity and reliability of an instrument to assess the needs of people with severe mental illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 167(5), 589–595.

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