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Screening for psychosocial disorders in pediatric practice.
1Child Psychiatry Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
American Journal of Diseases of Children (1960)
|November 1, 1988
Summary
Pediatricians can now screen school-aged children for psychosocial dysfunction using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC). This brief, parent-completed tool aids in identifying children who may need further clinical evaluation for mental health concerns.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare
- Child psychology
- Mental health screening
Background:
- Screening procedures are vital in pediatric health maintenance for prevention and early recognition.
- A gap exists in psychosocial screening for school-aged children despite high psychiatric disorder prevalence.
- Current pediatric practices lack a dedicated tool for identifying psychosocial dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) as a novel screening tool.
- To provide pediatricians with a method for identifying children with potential psychosocial dysfunction.
- To facilitate early clinical evaluation for at-risk children.
Main Methods:
- Development of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), a 35-item parent-completed questionnaire.
- Administration of the PSC during routine health maintenance visits in the pediatric waiting room.
- Rapid scoring of the PSC, completable in under five minutes.
Main Results:
- The PSC is a concise, one-page screening instrument.
- The questionnaire effectively screens school-age children for psychosocial dysfunction.
- The tool is designed for quick completion and scoring by parents.
Conclusions:
- The Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) offers a practical solution for psychosocial screening in pediatric settings.
- The PSC assists pediatricians in identifying children who may require further mental health assessment.
- This screening tool supports timely intervention and clinical evaluation for pediatric psychosocial issues.