Screening for psychosocial disorders in pediatric practice
M. S. Jellinek and J. M. Murphy
Child Psychiatry Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
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.
