From Brown U: Emergency Department Screening for Adolescent Mental Health Disorders: The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How It Could and Should Be Done

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23682241

Clin Pediatr Emerg Med. 2013 Mar 1;14(1):3-11.

Emergency Department Screening for Adolescent Mental Health Disorders: The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How It Could and Should Be Done.

Chun TH, Duffy SJ, Linakis JG.

Source

Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, The Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.

Abstract

Mental health problems are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among pediatric populations. Screening for these problems can result in earlier identification and increase treatment and improve outcomes for these children and adolescents. The emergency department (ED) is an ideal site for such screening. Pediatric ED patients are known to be at higher risk for mental health problems. For many, an ED visit is one of the few opportunities to identify and intervene with these children and adolescents. A number of brief, efficient screening instruments have been developed for the ED setting. Screening for mental health problems is both feasible and acceptable to ED patients, parents, and caregivers.