Why do we always want to know about impact as well as about symptoms?

Practically all children have some symptoms. It is unusual to find children who are free of all fears and worries, who are never sad or irritable, and who always behave and concentrate well. Most children are only 100% angelic when they are asleep! And since most children have some symptoms, that makes it harder to draw a line between children who have a "normal" level of symptoms, and children who have "real" problems. Asking about the number and severity of symptoms helps, but the best guide is whether or not the symptoms have a serious impact. Are the symptoms really upsetting the child? Are they seriously interfering with the child's everyday life? Are they a real nuisance as far as other people are concerned? That is why you will be asking about impact every time the respondent has told you about definite symptoms.

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Last modified : 05/09/09