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Psychosocial screening in pediatric practice: identifying high-risk children
W O Walker1, R G LaGrone, A W Atkinson
1Exceptional Family Member Department, 97th General Hospital, U.S. Army, Europe.
Insights
The Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) effectively screens for psychosocial issues in children. This study validates the PSC as a reliable tool for pediatric mental health assessment in diverse populations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Psychosocial Assessment
- Child Mental Health Screening
Background:
- The Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) is a tool used for screening psychosocial problems in children.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of screening tools is crucial for early intervention in pediatric mental health.
Observation:
- 212 children (ages 6-12) at a military clinic were screened using the PSC.
- High-risk and not-high-risk children were interviewed and rated on the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS).
- Mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for each child.
Findings:
- The PSC demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity when compared to CGAS and CBCL.
- Results indicate the PSC is a valid screening instrument for multiethnic pediatric populations.
- The PSC's performance was consistent with previous research findings.
Implications:
- The PSC can be reliably used in diverse pediatric settings for early identification of psychosocial concerns.
- Validated screening tools like the PSC support timely and appropriate mental health interventions for children.
- This study reinforces the utility of the PSC in routine pediatric care.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) as a psychosocial screening instrument. Using the PSC, the researchers screened 212 patients, ages 6-12 years, at a military outpatient pediatric clinic. Twenty-one children with scores in the "high-risk" range were randomly selected and matched with children scoring in the normal, "not-high-risk" range. Two trained interviewers, blind to individual PSC scores, independently interviewed and rated each subject's level of psychosocial functioning on the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS). The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), a standardized psychosocial measure, was also completed by each subject's mother. PSC scores were compared to the CGAS and CBCL scores in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Additional analyses compared data from the study sample with that of previous studies. Results suggest that the PSC is a valid pediatric psychosocial screening instrument for multiethnic patient populations.