31st January 2024

Screening questionnaire

Like most psychiatric conditions, there is a lack of screening questionnaires, severity scores and other useful tools. The only useful screening tool is the SCOFF questionnaire, indicative of Bulimia Nervosa, where the score is >2. Someone with anorexia should also score at least 2, and is recommended for use in screening for anorexia by NICE. However, it has a very low sensitivity. It can be useful to quote in making referrals to psychiatric liaison teams or distinguishing between differentials, but should not be used as a diagnosis or an alternative to a full psychiatric assessment:

Do you make yourself SICK because you feel uncomfortably full?

Do you worry you have lost CONTROL over how much you eat?

Have you lost more than ONE stone in a 3-month period?

Do you believe yourself to be FAT when others say you are too thin?

Would you say that FOOD dominates your life?