Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences in Adolescents Using the Bright Futures Previsit Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Pediatric primary care
• Childhood trauma
• Public health

Background:

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) significantly impact child health.
• Existing practice tools may streamline ACE screening in pediatric settings.
• The Bright Futures Previsit Questionnaire (PVQ) is a potential tool for integrated screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the utility of the adolescent PVQ for screening Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
• To map PVQ items against established categories of ACEs.
• To identify limitations of the PVQ in comprehensive ACE assessment.

Main Methods:

• Content analysis of adolescent Bright Futures Previsit Questionnaires (PVQs).
• Mapping of PVQ items to conventional and expanded Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) categories.
• Evaluation of the PVQ's coverage and effectiveness for ACE identification.

Main Results:

• The adolescent PVQ effectively mapped to nine ACE categories, including emotional neglect, physical neglect, and various forms of violence.
• Universal ACE screening is feasible using adolescent PVQs.
• Limitations exist in the reliability, validity, and scope of ACEs assessed by the PVQ.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent PVQs offer a practical method for screening multiple ACEs in pediatric primary care.
• Further research is needed to confirm the reliability and validity of PVQ-based ACE screening.
• The PVQ does not comprehensively assess all potential ACEs.