Screening for psychological difficulties in young children in crisis: complementary cross-cultural validation.
BACKGROUND
Detection of children's psychological difficulties in crises and low resource settings is challenged by the lack of a validated, rapid and simple tool. We present the results of two confirmatory validations of the Psychological Screening for Young Children aged 3 to 6 years (PSYCa 3-6) scale.


METHODS
We performed cross-cultural validations, assessing the performance of the scale in different contexts. These were conducted in Mathare, Nairobi, Kenya and Buenaventura, Colombia between December 2009 and February 2012. External validity was assessed comparing the PSYCa 3-6 against a clinical interview and the Clinical Global Impression Severity scale (CGI).


RESULTS
A total of 160 mothers or caregivers of children 3 to 6 years old in Mathare and 148 in Buenaventura were included in the study. Both demonstrated good concurrent validity (Buenaventura ρ=0.49, p<0.0001; Mathare ρ=0.41, p<0.0001). Inter-rater reliability was found to be acceptable in Buenaventura (intraclass correlation [ICC]=0.69 [0.4-0.84]) and high in Mathare (0.87 [0.75-0.94]).


CONCLUSIONS
As shown by its validation in diverse contexts, use in other populations may help improve the delivery of mental health care to children in crises and low-resource settings. Additional research on the design and delivery of intervention models for crises remains essential.
Epicentre, Nairobi, Kenya Laboratoire de Psychologie Clinique et Psychopathologie (EA 4056), Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Psychologie, Paris, France caroline.marquer@gmail.com.
Caroline
C
Marquer
Laboratoire de Psychologie Clinique et Psychopathologie (EA 4056), Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Psychologie, Paris, France.
Caroline
C
Barry
Université Paris-Sud et Université Paris Descartes, Inserm U669, Paris, France Université Paris 13, Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Paris Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Inserm U669, AP-HP, Bobigny, France.
Yoram
Y
Mouchenik
Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France.
Douma M
DM
Djibo
National Mental Health Program, Ministry of Health, Niamey, Niger.
Mahamane L
ML
Manzo
Regional Department of Public Health, Maradi, Niger.
Elena Maria
EM
Trujillo Maza
Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia.
Sandra
S
Githaiga
Regional Department of Public Health, Maradi, Niger.
German
G
Casas
Kenya Psychological Association, Nairobi, Kenya.
Béatrice W
BW
Kirubi
Médecins Sans Frontières, Nairobi, Kenya.
Héloïse
H
Marichez
Laboratoire de Psychologie Clinique et Psychopathologie (EA 4056), Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Psychologie, Paris, France.
Bruno
B
Falissard
Laboratoire de Psychologie Clinique et Psychopathologie (EA 4056), Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Psychologie, Paris, France Médecins Sans Frontières, Paris, France Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Cochin, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, France.
Marie-Rose
MR
Moro
Epicentre, Paris, France.
Rebecca F
RF
Grais
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D065246:Culturally Competent Care; D003906:Developing Countries; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D009035:Mothers; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis*
Children; Cross cultural validation; Humanitarian emergency; Intervention; Mental health; Screening tool