1. What is the Voice DISC?

The Voice DISC (Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children) is a comprehensive mental health assessment for 9- to 17-year-olds. Youth who take the DISC are asked questions voiced to them through headphones while they read along and answer the question prompts on a computer.

The Voice DISC is able to provisionally assess over 30 separate disorders. Each site can modify the DISC to assess the disorders relevant to its needs.

The program follows the DSM-IV criteria, the nationally accepted psychiatric guidelines for diagnosing mental health disorders. It generates provisional diagnoses.

Research shows young people are more likely to answer sensitive questions honestly (i.e., substance abuse, suicidal ideation/attempts) in a self-administered interview than when an interviewer asks them the same questions.

Continuously updated and enhanced over the past 20 years, the DISC is the most thoroughly researched comprehensive structured psychiatric assessment for youth.

2. How long does the Voice DISC take to administer?

Typically it takes 60 to 90 minutes, depending upon how many modules are administered, and how many problems the youth endorses. Administering the Voice DISC to multiple youths simultaneously yields additional staff and time savings.

3. What kind of staff commitment is needed for administration?

Direct staff involvement is only required for the first 15 minutes to explain how the software works. The Voice DISC is intended to be administered by non-clinical staff.

4. What equipment do I need to run the Voice DISC software?

a. IBM compatible. The DISC program is not Apple compatible.
b. Windows 95 or later
c. 486 processor
d. 64 megabytes of RAM
e. 1 gigabyte of free memory
f. 570K free conventional DOS memory
g. 800 X 600 screen resolution
h. CD-ROM drive
i. Floppy Disk drive
j. Sound card
k. Headphones.

5. How has the Voice DISC been validated in a juvenile justice population?

Youth taking the Voice DISC report disorders and suicidal ideation/attempts at rates that are comparable to prior studies with interviewers. The proportion of youths reporting suicide attempts is almost identical to that reported by facility directors in OJJDP’s Conditions of Confinement report.

Juveniles with substance-related offenses report Substance Use Disorder diagnoses.

Link to our prevalence paper.