Which would I use instead of the NEO if I had a 12+ year old to assess?

• A. PHQ-9
• B. MMPI
• C. BDI
• D. NEO PI 3

Answer: (D)

When you’re assessing personality in someone who is 12 or older, you want an instrument that is appropriate for that age and focuses on broad personality traits rather than mood or clinical symptoms. The NEO PI-3 fits this need because it’s designed to be readable for adolescents around age 12 and up and it measures the Five Factor Model: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. This provides a structured personality profile, which is exactly what you’re after when you want to understand an individual’s characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

The other options target different constructs. The PHQ-9 and the Beck Depression Inventory are mood/depression screens, not comprehensive personality assessments. The MMPI is a broad clinical personality measure designed primarily for adults (with different forms for adolescents, but the standard MMPI is not the best fit for a typical 12-year-old). So for a 12+ year-old needing a personality-focused assessment, the NEO PI-3 is the best match.