The Structured and Scaled Interview to Assess Maladjustment (SSIAM) is described, together with its rationale and development. The SSIAM contains questions by which a trained interviewer gathers evidence of maladjustment, and corresponding scales on which to rate this evidence. The interview, which takes about half an hour, has 45 items to assess deviant behavior, friction with others, and subjective distress, within five fields of maladjustment: work, social, family, marriage, and sex. A further 15 items cover the degree of environmental stress, prognostic issues, and aspects of positive mental health.