Socioemotional developmental surveillance in young children: monitoring and screening best identify young children that require mental health treatment.

Abstract

Widely recommended socioemotional developmental surveillance methods include monitoring and development screening techniques. Currently, very little research has compared the effectiveness of monitoring and screening together, and existing research primarily focuses on the relationship between surveillance techniques and referrals or receipt of early intervention (EI). This study investigates the relationship between monitoring and screening and mental health treatment receipt in 3-5year olds. The authors conducted logistic regression analyses on data from the National Surveys of Children's Health (NSCH; 2007) and NSCH (2011/2012) on the odds of mental health treatment receipt in children aged 3-5years of age who either received (a) screening only, (b) monitoring only, (c) both monitoring and screening, or (d) no monitoring or screening. Sociodemographic control variables were also considered. In both 2007 and 2011/2012 datasets, monitoring and screening together was the best predictor of mental health treatment receipt. Neither screening alone nor monitoring alone was associated with mental health treatment receipt. Children who received monitoring and screening together had the greatest odds of treatment receipt compared with children receiving screening only, monitoring only, or no monitoring or screening.