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Screening child psychiatric inpatients for communication disorders: a pilot study
L Scahill1, J F Jekel, L S Schilling
1Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
Archives of Psychiatric Nursing
|February 1, 1991
Summary
A new screening method identified speech and language delays in 82% of child psychiatric inpatients, significantly higher than standard clinical practice (39%). This highlights potential underdiagnosis of communication disorders in this vulnerable population.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychiatry
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Child psychiatric inpatients often experience speech and language disorders.
- Existing clinical practices may not adequately identify these communication disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prevalence of speech and language delays in child psychiatric inpatients.
- To compare the effectiveness of a new screening method against standard clinical practice.
Main Methods:
- Screened 22 consecutively admitted child psychiatric inpatients for speech and language delays.
- Conducted a chart review of 128 admissions over a 2-year period for speech clinic referrals and findings.
- Calculated prevalence rates and compared findings using statistical analysis (chi-squared test).
Main Results:
- Nine out of 22 inpatients (40.9%) were diagnosed with speech or language delay using the new screening.
- Previous chart review indicated a 19.5% prevalence (25 of 128) referred to the speech clinic.
- The new screening method demonstrated higher sensitivity (82%) compared to standard clinical practice (39%).
Conclusions:
- A significant difference in prevalence was observed between the screening method and standard practice.
- Standard clinical practice may miss a substantial number of children with communication disorders.
- The new screening method shows promise for improving the detection of speech and language delays in child psychiatric inpatients.