title: Mental health screening of adolescents in pediatric practice.
abstract: This study examines routine computerized mental health screening for adolescents scheduled for a routine physical examination in a group pediatric practice. Medical records of adolescents aged 13 to 17 who were offered screening (n = 483) were reviewed. Approximately 44.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 40.3-49.2) were screened, and 13.9% (95% CI 9.3-18.5) were identified as being at risk. Screening was associated with significantly increased odds of receiving either pediatric mental health care or a referral for specialty mental health care (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.6 95% CI 1.2-5.6). Among patients who received either mental health intervention, those who were screened were significantly more likely to be referred to specialty care (AOR: 15.9 95% CI 2.5-100.4), though they were less likely to receive pediatric mental health care (AOR: 0.10 95% CI 0.02-0.54). The findings support the feasibility of routine mental health screening in pediatric practice. Screening is acceptable to many parents and adolescents, and it is associated with referral for specialized mental health care rather than care from the pediatrician.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University and TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University, 1775 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, USA. huskym@childpsych.columbia.edu
authors.forename: Mathilde M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Husky
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olfson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008603:Mental Health; D009819:Office Visits; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010372:Pediatrics; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014922:Wisconsin