Primary care providers are often the first line of treatment for children and adolescents experiencing mental health symptoms. The longitudinal care associated with pediatrics and family medicine allows for providers to develop trusting relationships with their patients and families. These relationships offer providers an opportunity to intervene with patients and families through education and anticipatory guidance around mental health concerns or emerging symptoms. This is especially true now during the pandemic, when use of emergency room visits increased for children and adolescents with mental health issues.
Routine assessment of mental health issues in children and adolescents is recommended by both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Rates of mental conditions in youth range from 13% to 20% in any given year. Untreated mental health issues in children and adolescents impacts academic performance and social relationships. There also have been links to increased risk of substance use, risk taking behaviors and poor outcomes into adulthood.
Implementing systematic screening using evidenced-based tools increases the efficiency and effectiveness of the health encounter. Use of a broad screening tool, such as the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), as well as more specific tools, such as the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS), offers the best way to ensure early identification of mental health issues in patients.
The Illinois DocAssist website offers a curated list of free, evidence-based screening tools to assist primary care providers in identifying mental health issues in children and adolescents. Visit our YouTube page for brief videos on anxiety, depression and suicide risk in pediatrics and the impact of COVID-19.
C I T A T I O N S:
Foy JM, Green CM, Earls MF , AAP COMMITTEE ON PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH LEADERSHIP WORK GROUP. Mental Health Competencies for Pediatric Practice. Pediatrics. 2019; 144(5):e20192757
Parkhurst JT, and Friedland S. Screening for Mental Health Problems in Pediatric Primary Care. Pediatric Annals, vol. 49, no. 10, SLACK INCORPORATED, 2020, pp. e421–e425, doi:10.3928/19382359-20200921-01.
Leeb RT, Bitsko RH, Radhakrishnan L, Martinez P, Njai R, Holland KM. Mental Health–Related Emergency Department Visits Among Children Aged <18 Years During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 1–October 17, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:1675–1680. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6945a3external icon.
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Contact Illinois DocAssist to schedule a virtual event in your practice setting to learn more about screening and treating pediatric mental health issues.
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