Screening for Depression in Caregivers of Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Screening for depression in caregivers of children with developmental disabilities is not routine, representing missed opportunities for support.

A quality improvement project was initiated in our pediatric clinic. Root causes of limited screening included unclear guidelines for support, caregiver perception that help is unavailable, and lack of a quick screening tool. A clinical pathway was constructed and integrated into existing practice using quality improvement methodology.

Baseline screening rate was 5%-10%. During the 12-week pilot, weekly rates ranged from 46.0% to 91.0% (mean 70.2%). Monthly rates subsequently averaged 55.0%. Approximately 20% had a positive screen; over half were caregivers of children with autism. About 5% had moderate depression, of whom 40% required referral to social workers.

Structured depression screening of caregivers of children with developmental disabilities is feasible and sustainable in a busy clinic. Further research is needed to measure the impact on child and family outcomes.