title: Does screening high school students for psychological distress, deliberate self-harm, or suicidal ideation cause distress--and is it acceptable? An Australian-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Programs designed to detect students at risk of depression and suicidality have shown success (Shaffer et al., 2004).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study sought to examine whether or not such a program was acceptable to participants and whether or not it caused distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were boys aged 14 to 16. Participants were assessed using an on-line questionnaire; acceptability was measured via postal questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 272 participants, 31 (11.4%) were considered at-risk; 13 required ongoing support, 8 of whom had not previously sought help. Overall screening did not appear to cause significant undue distress, although some differences were evident between at-risk and not at-risk students. All participants found the program acceptable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When conducted carefully, early detection programs can be an effective and acceptable method of identifying at-risk adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, Vic. 3052, Australia. jr@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Hok
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan Yuen
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Ally
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Gennady N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Baksheev
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: Swagata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bapat
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwass
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McGorry
authors.forename: Alison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Yung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology