The relevance of the multiple criterion screen to an adolescent population

The 4th- and 5th-year pupils of four large comprehensive schools, which were broadly typical of the schools serving an urban population, were screened using a multiple criterion approach. The screen results were compared with those found in a younger population drawn from the same area, and a similar rate of efficiency was found. However, in the adolescent age group the screen was more accurate at detecting true negative cases (specificity) but less able to identify true positive cases (sensitivity). Overall, the multiple criterion screen proved more efficient than a variety of single screen criteria, and the findings also suggest that certain screen measures used in adolescence may be more effective at identifying disturbed girls while others are more effective at identifying disturbed boys. This confirms the principle that the choice of screening instruments must be made with reference to their proposed use.