Copyrighted Diagnostic Self-Reported Questionnaires

The following questionnaires are copyrighted, requiring permission or licensing for use, especially for commercial purposes or modifications:
1. Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS):
• Purpose: Assesses medication adherence, commonly used for chronic conditions like hypertension or diabetes. Variants include the MMAS-4 (4 items) and MMAS-8 (8 items).
• Copyright Status: The Morisky Scales are copyrighted by Donald E. Morisky and licensed through MMAR, LLC. Use requires permission and often a licensing fee, even for non-commercial research. The MMAS-8, for example, is explicitly noted as requiring a license for use, with restrictions on reproduction, translation, or adaptation without approval.
• Conditions: Contact MMAR, LLC (via their website or authorized distributors like ePROVIDE by Mapi Research Trust) for licensing agreements. Fees may apply, and unauthorized use can lead to legal consequences. Proper citation to Morisky et al. is required.
2. Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale (CUDOS):
• Purpose: A brief self-report scale (18 items) assessing depressive symptoms over the past week, covering DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder. It takes less than 3 minutes to complete and is sensitive to change in clinical settings.
• Copyright Status: Developed by Zimmerman et al. as part of the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project, CUDOS is copyrighted. Permission is required for use, particularly for commercial purposes or modifications. It is available through specific publishers or the authors, often with licensing terms.
• Conditions: Contact the authors (e.g., via the Rhode Island Hospital or related publications) or check with distributors like NP Psych Navigator for access. Use in research may require permission, and fees may apply for commercial use. Proper citation to Zimmerman et al. (2008) is necessary.
3. Clinically Useful Anxiety Outcome Scale (CUXOS):
• Purpose: A self-report scale assessing anxiety symptoms, designed to be brief and clinically useful, similar to CUDOS. It covers DSM-IV anxiety disorder criteria and is used in clinical and research settings.
• Copyright Status: Like CUDOS, CUXOS is copyrighted by Zimmerman et al. and part of the MIDAS project. Permission is required for use, reproduction, or adaptation, especially for commercial purposes. Access may be facilitated through publishers or the authors.
• Conditions: Contact the authors or check with authorized distributors for licensing. Use in non-commercial research may be permitted with permission, but commercial use or modifications require explicit approval. Cite Zimmerman et al. for ethical use.
4. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9):
• Purpose: Screens for depression severity (9 items).
• Copyright Status: Copyrighted but freely available for non-commercial use by Pfizer. No permission is needed for clinical, research, or educational purposes, provided the tool is not altered.
• Conditions: Modifications or commercial use require permission from the copyright holder (e.g., Department of Medical Social Sciences for related tools). Cite Kroenke et al. (2001).
5. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7):
• Purpose: Screens for generalized anxiety disorder (7 items).
• Copyright Status: Copyrighted but freely available for non-commercial use by Pfizer. No permission is required for standard use, but modifications or commercial applications need approval.
• Conditions: Use as published and cite Spitzer et al. (2006).
6. Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE):
• Purpose: Assesses cognitive impairment.
• Copyright Status: Originally public domain (published 1975 without notice), but copyrighted since 2000 by MiniMental, LLC, and licensed to Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR), Inc. Use requires permission and often fees.
• Conditions: Contact PAR, Inc. for licensing. Unauthorized use risks legal action.
7. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II):
• Purpose: Measures depression severity (21 items).
• Copyright Status: Copyrighted by Pearson, with strict licensing requirements. Use typically involves per-administration fees or licenses.
• Conditions: Obtain permission from Pearson and cite Beck et al. (1996).
Public Domain Diagnostic Self-Reported Questionnaires
These questionnaires are free from copyright restrictions and can be used without permission, though citation is required for ethical use:
1. Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC):
• Purpose: Screens for depression in children/adolescents (ages 6–17).
• Copyright Status: Public domain, with no copyright restrictions noted. Freely available for use with proper citation.
• Conditions: Cite Radloff (1977). No permission needed.
2. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire:
• Purpose: Assesses childhood trauma (10 items).
• Copyright Status: Public domain, developed for the ACE study. Freely available for use.
• Conditions: Cite the original study (Felitti et al., 1998). No permission required.
3. International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) Scales:
• Purpose: Measures personality traits (analogs to commercial scales).
• Copyright Status: Explicitly public domain, developed by Lew Goldberg. Free for use in research and education.
• Conditions: Cite IPIP and Goldberg. No permission needed.
4. WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0):
• Purpose: Measures health-related disability across six domains.
• Copyright Status: Developed by the World Health Organization, freely available without copyright restrictions for non-commercial use.
• Conditions: Cite WHO. No permission required.
5. Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale:
• Purpose: Assesses depression severity.
• Copyright Status: Published in 1965, often considered public domain due to age and lack of active copyright enforcement, but users should verify. Widely used without permission in research.
• Conditions: Confirm status and cite Zung (1965).