title: Screening for depression in urban Latino adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Investigations were conducted on whether screening for adolescent depression was feasible and acceptable to patients in low-income, urban, predominantly Latino clinics. Further investigations were undertaken for provider acceptance of such screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescents aged between 13 and 20 years presenting to 3 pediatric and adolescent primary care practices affiliated with an academic medical center in New York City were screened for depressive symptoms using the Columbia Depression Scale. Providers were surveyed pre- and postimplementation of the screening regarding their attitudes and practices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The vast majority (92%) of those approached accepted the screening. Twelve percent of those screened were referred for mental health treatment. Providers reported satisfaction with the screening tool and a desire to continue to use it. Screening was limited to 24% of eligible participants, and only 10% of screens were at sick visits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Columbia Depression Scale seems acceptable to adolescent providers and patients in the mostly Latino study population. It may prove to be a helpful tool in evaluating adolescents presenting to primary care for depression. Further study will be required in other Spanish-speaking and minority populations. New methods will also be required to reach a greater proportion of patients, particularly those presenting for sick visits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. jr2163@columbia.edu
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rausch
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hametz
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zuckerbrot
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rausch
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Soren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D009519:New York City; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011203:Poverty; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014504:Urban Health; D055815:Young Adult