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Screening for Psychosocial Disorders in Pediatric Practice FREE

Michael S. Jellinek, MD; J. Michael Murphy, EdD
[+] Author Affiliations

Accepted for publication June 8, 1988.

Reprint requests to Child Psychiatry Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, 15 Parkman St, ACC 625, Boston, MA 02114 (Dr Jellinek).


Am J Dis Child. 1988;142(11):1153-1157. doi:10.1001/archpedi.1988.02150110031013.
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• Pediatricians have traditionally placed a high value on screening procedures. Screening tests are a routine part of health maintenance visits and serve the dual function of prevention and early recognition. However, despite the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders, there is no psychosocial screening procedure available. We present the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), a one-page, 35-item, parent-completed questionnaire that screens school-age children for psychosocial dysfunction. The PSC is administered in the waiting room and can be completed and scored in under five minutes. The PSC is not diagnostic of specific psychiatric disorders but is designed to help the pediatrician select which children may benefit from further clinical evaluation.

(AJDC 1988;142:1153-1157)

REFERENCES

Schwartz-Gould M, Wunsch-Hitzig MA, Dohrenwend B:  Estimating the prevalence of childhood psychopathology: A critical review . J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 1981;;20:462-476.
Link to Article
Goldberg I, Roghmann KJ, Mclnerny TK, et al:  Mental health problems among children seen in pediatric practice: Prevalence and management . Pediatrics 1984;;73:278-293.
Starfield BH, Gross E, Wood M, et al:  Psychosocial and psychosomatic diagnoses in primary care of children . Pediatrics 1980;;66:159-167.
Costello EJ:  Primary care pediatrics and child psychopathology: A review of diagnostic, treatment, and referral practices . Pediatrics 1986;;78:1044-1051.
Jellinek M:  Present status of child psychiatry in pediatrics . N Engl J Med 1982;;306:1227-1230.
Link to Article
Division of Biometry and Applied Sciences: Psychosocial Screening of School-age Children in Pediatric Settings: Report of an Invitational Conference. Rockville, Md, National Institute of Mental Health, 1987.
Murphy JM: Psychiatric Instrument Development for Primary Care Research: Patient Self-Report Questionnaires . National Institute of Mental Health Contract 80M014280101D. Rockville, Md, Division of Biometry and Epidemiology, National Institute of Mental Health, 1987;.
National Institute of Mental Health: The Assessment of Psychopathology and Behavioral Problems in Children: A Review of Scales Suitable for Epidemiological and Clinical Research (1967-1969) . DHHS Publication No. (ADM) 83-1037, Series AN No. 1. Washington, DC, US Government Printing Office, 1983;.
Humphries LE, Ciminero AR:  Parent report measures of child behavior: A review . J Clin Child Psychol , 1979;, pp 56-63.
Murphy JM, Jellinek M: Development of a Brief Psychosocial Screening Instrument for Pediatric Practice . Final report: NIMH contract #84M0213612. Rockville, Md, National Institute for Mental Health, 1985;.
Achenbach TM:  The classification of children's psychiatric symptoms: A factor analytic study . Psychol Med Monogr Suppl 1966;;80:7, Whole No. 615.
Achenbach TM, Edelbrock CS:  Behavioral problems and competencies reported by parents of normal and disturbed children aged 4 through 16 . Monogr Soc Res Child Devel 1981;;46:1, Serial No. 188.
Link to Article
Conners CK:  Symptom patterns in hyperkinetic, neurotic, and normal children . Child Devel 1970;;41:667-682.
Link to Article
Goyette CH, Conners CK, Ulrich RF:  Normative data on revised Conners parent and teacher rating scales . J Abnorm Child Psychol 1978;;6:221-226.
Link to Article
Miller LC: Louisville Behavior Checklist Manual . Los Angeles, Western Psychological Services, 1977;.
Lessing EE, Beiser H, Krause MS, et al:  Differentiating children's symptom checklist items on the basis of judged severity of psychopathology . Genet Psychol Monogr 1973;;88:329-350.
Quay HC, Peterson DR: Manual for the Behavior Problem Checklist . Champaign, Ill, Children's Research Center, University of Illinois, 1967;.
Rutter M, Tizard J, Whitmore K: Education, Health, and Behaviour . London, Longmans, 1970;.
Jellinek M, Murphy JM, Burns B:  Brief psychosocial screening in outpatient pediatric practice . J Pediatr 1986;;109:371-378.
Link to Article
Kashani JH, Orvashel H, Burk JP, et al:  Informant variance: The issue of parent-child disagreement . J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 1985;;24:437-441.
Link to Article
Beichtman JH, Raman S, Carlson J:  The development and validation of the children's self-report rating scale . J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 1985;;24:413-428.
Link to Article
Cohen P, O'Connor P, Lewis S, et al:  Comparison of DISC and K-SADS-P interviews of an epidemiological sample of children . J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1987;;26:662-667.
Link to Article
Wallerstein JS, Kelly JB: Surviving the Breakup: How Children and Parents Cope With Divorce . New York, Basic Books Inc, 1980;.
Wimberger RC, Gregory RJ:  A behavior checklist for use in child psychiatry clinics . J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 1968;;7:677-681.
Link to Article
Jellinek M, Evans N, Knight RB:  Use of a behavior checklist on a pediatric inpatient unit . J Pediatr 1979;;94:156-158.
Link to Article
American Psychiatric Association, Committee on Nomenclature and Statistics: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , ed 3. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 1980;.
Campbell DT, Fiske DW:  Convergent and discriminant validation by the multi-trait multimethod matrix . Psych Bull 1956;;56:81-105.
Link to Article
Spitzer RL:  Psychiatric diagnosis: Are clinicians still necessary? Compr Psychiatry 1983;;24:399-411.
Link to Article
Schaffer D, Gould MS, Brasic J, et al:  A Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1983;;40:1228-1231.
Link to Article
Steinhausen HC:  Global assessment of child psychopathology . J Am Acad Child Psych 1987;;26:203-206.
Link to Article
Herjanic B, Reich W:  Development of a structured psychiatric interview for children: Agreement between child and parent . J Abnorm Child Psych 1982;;10:307-324.
Link to Article
Coddington RD:  The significance of life events as etiological factors in diseases of children . J Psychosom Res 1972;;16:7-18.
Link to Article
Jellinek M, Murphy JM, Robinson J, et al:  Pediatric Symptom Checklist: Screening school-age children for psychosocial dysfunction . J Pediatr 1987;;112:201-209.
Murphy JM, Jellinek MS:  Psychosocial screening for economically disadvantaged and minority group children: Further validation of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist . Am J Orthopsychiatry 1988;;58:450-456.
Link to Article
Murphy JM, Jellinek M, Lamb S, et al: Further Development of a Brief Psychosocial Screening Instrument for Pediatric Practice . Final report: NIMH contract #86M043901D. Rockville, Md, National Institute of Mental Health, 1986;.
Task Force on Pediatric Education: The Future of Pediatric Education . Evanston, Ill, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1978;.
Katon W:  Depression: Somatic symptoms and medical disorders in primary care . Compr Psychiatry 1982;;23:274-287.
Link to Article

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References

Schwartz-Gould M, Wunsch-Hitzig MA, Dohrenwend B:  Estimating the prevalence of childhood psychopathology: A critical review . J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 1981;;20:462-476.
Link to Article
Goldberg I, Roghmann KJ, Mclnerny TK, et al:  Mental health problems among children seen in pediatric practice: Prevalence and management . Pediatrics 1984;;73:278-293.
Starfield BH, Gross E, Wood M, et al:  Psychosocial and psychosomatic diagnoses in primary care of children . Pediatrics 1980;;66:159-167.
Costello EJ:  Primary care pediatrics and child psychopathology: A review of diagnostic, treatment, and referral practices . Pediatrics 1986;;78:1044-1051.
Jellinek M:  Present status of child psychiatry in pediatrics . N Engl J Med 1982;;306:1227-1230.
Link to Article
Division of Biometry and Applied Sciences: Psychosocial Screening of School-age Children in Pediatric Settings: Report of an Invitational Conference. Rockville, Md, National Institute of Mental Health, 1987.
Murphy JM: Psychiatric Instrument Development for Primary Care Research: Patient Self-Report Questionnaires . National Institute of Mental Health Contract 80M014280101D. Rockville, Md, Division of Biometry and Epidemiology, National Institute of Mental Health, 1987;.
National Institute of Mental Health: The Assessment of Psychopathology and Behavioral Problems in Children: A Review of Scales Suitable for Epidemiological and Clinical Research (1967-1969) . DHHS Publication No. (ADM) 83-1037, Series AN No. 1. Washington, DC, US Government Printing Office, 1983;.
Humphries LE, Ciminero AR:  Parent report measures of child behavior: A review . J Clin Child Psychol , 1979;, pp 56-63.
Murphy JM, Jellinek M: Development of a Brief Psychosocial Screening Instrument for Pediatric Practice . Final report: NIMH contract #84M0213612. Rockville, Md, National Institute for Mental Health, 1985;.
Achenbach TM:  The classification of children's psychiatric symptoms: A factor analytic study . Psychol Med Monogr Suppl 1966;;80:7, Whole No. 615.
Achenbach TM, Edelbrock CS:  Behavioral problems and competencies reported by parents of normal and disturbed children aged 4 through 16 . Monogr Soc Res Child Devel 1981;;46:1, Serial No. 188.
Link to Article
Conners CK:  Symptom patterns in hyperkinetic, neurotic, and normal children . Child Devel 1970;;41:667-682.
Link to Article
Goyette CH, Conners CK, Ulrich RF:  Normative data on revised Conners parent and teacher rating scales . J Abnorm Child Psychol 1978;;6:221-226.
Link to Article
Miller LC: Louisville Behavior Checklist Manual . Los Angeles, Western Psychological Services, 1977;.
Lessing EE, Beiser H, Krause MS, et al:  Differentiating children's symptom checklist items on the basis of judged severity of psychopathology . Genet Psychol Monogr 1973;;88:329-350.
Quay HC, Peterson DR: Manual for the Behavior Problem Checklist . Champaign, Ill, Children's Research Center, University of Illinois, 1967;.
Rutter M, Tizard J, Whitmore K: Education, Health, and Behaviour . London, Longmans, 1970;.
Jellinek M, Murphy JM, Burns B:  Brief psychosocial screening in outpatient pediatric practice . J Pediatr 1986;;109:371-378.
Link to Article
Kashani JH, Orvashel H, Burk JP, et al:  Informant variance: The issue of parent-child disagreement . J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 1985;;24:437-441.
Link to Article
Beichtman JH, Raman S, Carlson J:  The development and validation of the children's self-report rating scale . J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 1985;;24:413-428.
Link to Article
Cohen P, O'Connor P, Lewis S, et al:  Comparison of DISC and K-SADS-P interviews of an epidemiological sample of children . J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1987;;26:662-667.
Link to Article
Wallerstein JS, Kelly JB: Surviving the Breakup: How Children and Parents Cope With Divorce . New York, Basic Books Inc, 1980;.
Wimberger RC, Gregory RJ:  A behavior checklist for use in child psychiatry clinics . J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 1968;;7:677-681.
Link to Article
Jellinek M, Evans N, Knight RB:  Use of a behavior checklist on a pediatric inpatient unit . J Pediatr 1979;;94:156-158.
Link to Article
American Psychiatric Association, Committee on Nomenclature and Statistics: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , ed 3. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 1980;.
Campbell DT, Fiske DW:  Convergent and discriminant validation by the multi-trait multimethod matrix . Psych Bull 1956;;56:81-105.
Link to Article
Spitzer RL:  Psychiatric diagnosis: Are clinicians still necessary? Compr Psychiatry 1983;;24:399-411.
Link to Article
Schaffer D, Gould MS, Brasic J, et al:  A Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1983;;40:1228-1231.
Link to Article
Steinhausen HC:  Global assessment of child psychopathology . J Am Acad Child Psych 1987;;26:203-206.
Link to Article
Herjanic B, Reich W:  Development of a structured psychiatric interview for children: Agreement between child and parent . J Abnorm Child Psych 1982;;10:307-324.
Link to Article
Coddington RD:  The significance of life events as etiological factors in diseases of children . J Psychosom Res 1972;;16:7-18.
Link to Article
Jellinek M, Murphy JM, Robinson J, et al:  Pediatric Symptom Checklist: Screening school-age children for psychosocial dysfunction . J Pediatr 1987;;112:201-209.
Murphy JM, Jellinek MS:  Psychosocial screening for economically disadvantaged and minority group children: Further validation of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist . Am J Orthopsychiatry 1988;;58:450-456.
Link to Article
Murphy JM, Jellinek M, Lamb S, et al: Further Development of a Brief Psychosocial Screening Instrument for Pediatric Practice . Final report: NIMH contract #86M043901D. Rockville, Md, National Institute of Mental Health, 1986;.
Task Force on Pediatric Education: The Future of Pediatric Education . Evanston, Ill, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1978;.
Katon W:  Depression: Somatic symptoms and medical disorders in primary care . Compr Psychiatry 1982;;23:274-287.
Link to Article

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