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.

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)

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.