Self-administered questionnaire for structured psychosocial screening in pediatrics

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Screening for psychosocial risk factors is crucial for identifying parents at risk of dysfunctional parenting.
• Current methods often lack a structured approach, limiting their effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of self-administered questionnaires versus routine medical history for screening psychosocial risk factors.
• To assess the effectiveness in an urban pediatric clinic setting.

Main Methods:

• A self-administered questionnaire was offered to English-speaking parents in a waiting room.
• The questionnaire included demographic, medical, and specific screening tools for substance abuse, depression, self-esteem, social support, domestic violence, homelessness, and parental history of child abuse.
• Medical records were reviewed separately for comparison.

Main Results:

• The questionnaire achieved a response rate of over 85% for sensitive questions.
• Significantly more mothers were identified with potential substance abuse, depression, low self-esteem, and a history of child abuse using the questionnaire compared to medical records (P < .01).

Conclusions:

• Self-administered questionnaires provide substantially more information on psychosocial risk factors than routine medical records.
• Routine psychosocial screening using such questionnaires is recommended for clinics serving high-risk populations.