Identifying and responding to depression in adolescents in primary care: A quality improvement response
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends adolescent depression screening and subsequent follow-up for those scoring at-risk. The current study assessed the outcomes of a Quality Improvement (QI) project that implemented these guidelines during annual well-child visits in a network of pedi...
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Published in | Clinical child psychology and psychiatry Vol. 28; no. 2; pp. 623 - 636 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London, England
SAGE Publications
01.04.2023
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends adolescent depression screening and subsequent follow-up for those scoring at-risk. The current study assessed the outcomes of a Quality Improvement (QI) project that implemented these guidelines during annual well-child visits in a network of pediatric practices. This project used a two-stage screening process. First, adolescents were screened with the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17). Second, adolescents who screened at-risk on the PSC-17 were asked to complete the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). QI-participating providers received training on how to categorize the severity of their patient’s depression based on PHQ-9 cut-off scores and clinical interview, and to implement and document appropriate options for follow-up. Patients in the QI group were significantly more likely to be screened with both the PSC-17 (93.8% vs. 89.1%, p < .001) and the PHQ-9 (54.8% vs. 16.4%, p < .001) compared to those in the non-QI group. Of the 80 adolescents in the QI group at-risk on the PSC-17 and with a completed PHQ-9, 65 (81.3%) received at least one type of referral for mental health, ranging from behavioral health services to lifestyle interventions. Findings support the feasibility of adolescent depression screening and referrals within pediatric primary care. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 1359-1045 1461-7021 |
DOI: | 10.1177/13591045221105198 |