Screening For Depression In Adolescents Research Articles

The effect of the US Child Tax Credit advance payments in 2021 on adolescent mental health: Changes in depression symptoms and suicidality

ObjectiveChild poverty is associated with poor adolescent mental health. Changes to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in 2021 in the U.S. were historic and introduced a new model of distributing the credit in advance of tax filing, providing families with stable, supplemental monthly income. This policy shift offers a unique opportunity to examine the mental health effects for adolescents. MethodsWe use electronic health record data from a large pediatric primary care network in Columbus, Ohio, which collected adolescent depression screening scores in real time as the CTC advance payments were introduced. We utilized differences in age of eligibility for the CTC to examine the changes in the probability of depression screening outcomes (positive depression screen, any depression symptom, any suicidal ideation), for adolescents eligible for the credit (turned 18 first quarter of 2022), relative to those not eligible (turned 18 last quarter of 2021) (n = 1,423). ResultsWe did not observe a significant association between the policy change and study outcomes in the overall sample. However, the percentage of adolescents with a positive depression screen significantly declined for Non-Hispanic Black (13.4 percentage point reduction, p = 0.01) and publicly insured (9.7 percentage point reduction, p = 0.04) adolescents. ConclusionsOur findings suggest reductions in depression symptoms for subgroups of adolescents who were age-eligible for the CTC compared to their counterparts who were not eligible. The CTC advance payments were a brief experiment in universal basic income and may offer a policy solution for addressing both poverty and a growing adolescent mental health crisis.

Real-World Depression Screening Practices Among Primary Care Providers Across Patient-Level and Provider-Level Characteristics.

This study examined primary care provider (PCP) alignment with guideline-based care for adolescent depression screening and identified factors associated with post-screening responses. A retrospective chart review was conducted across 17 primary care clinics. Logistical regressions were estimated across provider specialties, sociodemographic factors, and patient clinical histories. Significant differences in follow-up and identification of depression were found among patients with more severe depression presentation. Follow-up screening was also more likely to be completed among patients with private insurance and less likely to occur among Black patients. Patients with significant mental health history of a mood concern, history of being prescribed psychotropic medication, were currently on medications at the time of the screening, or had a history of an internal mental health referral had a higher predicted probability of being identified as depressed on the patient problem list.

510 Anxiety and depression screening in adolescents with cystic fibrosis before and after elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor initiation: a retrospective review

510 Anxiety and depression screening in adolescents with cystic fibrosis before and after elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor initiation: a retrospective review

Screening for depression and suicide risk in children and adolescents

Screening for depression and suicide risk in children and adolescents

Adolescent Depression Symptom Trajectories Detected Via Universal Screening in Pediatric Primary Care.

Unique trajectories of adolescent depression symptoms have been identified, yet less is known about whether such patterns translate to real-world clinical settings. Because annual adolescent depression screening is becoming more prevalent in primary care, we examined whether longitudinal patterns of depression symptoms documented in the developmental psychopathology literature can also be detected via routine screening in primary care and explored how membership in the identified trajectories varied based on concurrent suicide risk and sociodemographic factors. A total of 1,359 adolescents aged 12-16 years old at the first timepoint were included in the current analyses. These adolescents completed three depression screeners during their well-visits in a large pediatric primary care network between November 15, 2017 and February 1, 2020. Retrospective electronic health record data were extracted, including sociodemographic variables and depression screening results. Dynamic functional time series clustering results indicated the optimal number of clusters was five. The five depression symptom trajectories were: (1) A-Shaped (i.e., relatively low depression symptoms at Time 1, a substantial increase in symptoms at Time 2, and a return to low symptoms at Time 3), (2) Increasing, (3) Low-Stable, (4) High-Decreasing, and (5) Low-Decreasing. Cluster differences in suicide risk largely mapped onto depression symptom levels at each assessment. We found cluster differences based on practice location, insurance type, and adolescent race. The symptom trajectories observed in this study resemble those found in the developmental psychopathology literature, though some key differences were noted. Findings can inform future research and symptom monitoring in primary care.

Preferences and experiences of pediatricians on implementing national guidelines on universal routine screening of adolescents for major depressive disorder: A qualitative study

BackgroundTo explore the preferences of pediatricians for key factors around the implementation of universal routine screening guidelines for major depressive disorder in adolescent patients in a primary care setting. MethodSemi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with U.S. pediatricians. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling and snowball sampling. Qualitive data were summarized using thematic analysis to identify themes relevant to preferences around implementing screening strategies for adolescent patients. Recruitment ended upon reaching thematic saturation when no new themes were revealed. ResultsOf the 14 participants, 11 identified as female, 3 male, 10 white, and 4 Asian. Top themes among pediatrician participants were around the screening modality (14/14 participants), screening validity (14/14), time barriers (14/14), and confidentiality barriers (12/14). Less frequently mentioned themes by pediatricians were workplace coordination and logistics (7/14), alternative starting ages for screening (7/14), more frequent screenings than annual screenings (3/14), and additional clinical training regarding depression diagnosis and treatment (2/14). LimitationsPool of interviewed participants was limited by diversity in terms of geography, race/ethnicity, or practice settings. ConclusionsTo promote the uptake of universal routine screening of adolescent major depression, pediatricians expressed it was important to address key implementation factors regarding the screening modality, screening validity, time constraints, and confidential care concerns in a primary care delivery context. Findings could be used to inform the development of implementation strategies to facilitate depression screening in primary care. Future research is needed to quantitively assess decisions and tradeoffs that pediatricians make when implementing universal screening to support adolescent mental health.

Testing Multiple Methods to Effectively Promote Use of a Knowledge Portal to Health Policy Makers: Quasi-Experimental Evaluation.

Health policy makers and advocates increasingly utilize online resources for policy-relevant knowledge. Knowledge brokering is one potential mechanism to encourage the use of research evidence in policy making, but the mechanisms of knowledge brokerage in online spaces are understudied. This work looks at knowledge brokerage through the launch of Project ASPEN, an online knowledge portal developed in response to a New Jersey legislative act that established a pilot program for adolescent depression screening for young adults in grades 7-12. This study compares the ability to drive policy brief downloads by policy makers and advocates from the Project ASPEN knowledge portal using a variety of online methods to promote the knowledge portal. The knowledge portal was launched on February 1, 2022, and a Google Ad campaign was run between February 27, 2022, and March 26, 2022. Subsequently, a targeted social media campaign, an email campaign, and tailored research presentations were used to promote the website. Promotional activities ended on May 31, 2022. Website analytics were used to track a variety of actions including new users coming to the website, page views, and policy brief downloads. Statistical analysis was used to assess the efficacy of different approaches. The campaign generated 2837 unique user visits to the knowledge portal and 4713 page views. In addition, the campaign generated 6.5 policy web page views/day and 0.7 policy brief downloads/day compared with 1.8 views/day and 0.5 downloads/day in the month following the campaign. The rate of policy brief page view conversions was significantly higher for Google Ads compared with other channels such as email (16.0 vs 5.4; P<.001) and tailored research presentations (16.0 vs 0.8; P<.001). The download conversion rate for Google Ads was significantly higher compared with social media (1.2 vs 0.1; P<.001) and knowledge brokering activities (1.2 vs 0.2; P<.001). By contrast, the download conversion rate for the email campaign was significantly higher than that for social media (1.0 vs 0.1; P<.001) and tailored research presentations (1.0 vs 0.2; P<.001). While Google Ads for this campaign cost an average of US $2.09 per click, the cost per conversion was US $11 per conversion to drive targeted policy web page views and US $147 per conversion to drive policy brief downloads. While other approaches drove less traffic, those approaches were more targeted and cost-effective. Four tactics were tested to drive user engagement with policy briefs on the Project ASPEN knowledge portal. Google Ads was shown to be effective in driving a high volume of policy web page views but was ineffective in terms of relative costs. More targeted approaches such as email campaigns and tailored research presentations given to policy makers and advocates to promote the use of research evidence on the knowledge portal website are likely to be more effective when balancing goals and cost-effectiveness.

The Usability Evaluation of Adolescent Depression Screening Model Using Cognitive Walkthrough

This study focuses on evaluating the usability of a newly developed model for depression screening. The model was designed to address the issue of adolescent motivation during the gamification-based depression screening. Depression causes adolescent to experience emotional changes including hopelessness, lack of self-confidence and a sense of worthlessness which ultimately makes them unmotivated to undergo a face-to-face depression screening in medical institution. In this regard, the model applied gamification elements comprises game mechanics and components, extrinsic and intrinsic motivational elements, and types of user. A prototype was developed to validate the generated model. Subsequently, the prototype was evaluated using the cognitive walkthrough method which examines its usability. Five respondents with expertise in the field of adolescent counselling and human-computer interaction were involved in the evaluation. The analysis found that the model has a high level of usability, as all respondents have given positive feedback on the sets of task provided. These findings validated the model in diagnosing depression through the inspection testing. It can be concluded that the model could be adopted as a guideline in developing an actual depression screening system. The model has also undergone some improvements, specifically by providing clearer details on every gamification design element involved.

Screening for Adolescent Depression and Suicide Risk

Screening for Adolescent Depression and Suicide Risk

Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

135-LB: Implementation of Depression Screening in a Pediatric Diabetes Clinic with Limited Mental Health Support

Objective: Depression is common in adolescents with type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) , and for those with T1D, is associated with suboptimal health outcomes, including higher A1c levels and increased rates of hospitalizations. The ADA standards of care recommend integration of depression screening into routine medical care, but follow-up for positive screens is challenging in settings with limited mental health support. Here, we describe our latest PDSA cycle results from a quality improvement (QI) project for implementing depression screening in adolescents with diabetes. Methods: This QI project took place in a pediatric diabetes center without access to mental health support as part of routine diabetes care. Our goals were to 1) increase depression screening via the PHQ-9 from 0% to 80% over 2 years in all patients with T1D or T2D &amp;gt;11 yrs old and 2) refer 100% of patients who screened positive to behavioral health by the end of the 2-year period (Dec 2019-Dec 2021) . Our QI project included 4 Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles ranging from trialing PHQ-9 screening with a single provider (Cycle 1) to implementing screening across all providers (Cycle 4) . This abstract focuses on the last 6 months of PDSA Cycle 4 (previous cycles were presented at 2021 ADA Scientific Sessions) . Results: From July-Dec. 2021, a total of 68% of eligible patients completed PHQ-9 screening. Screening rates ranged from 46-90% across 5 different providers; 2 providers achieved screen rate goal of &amp;gt;80%. Of the 68%, 28% screened positive and 86% of them were referred to behavioral health. Referral rates for positive screens ranged from 83-100% per provider; 2 providers achieved refer rate goal of 100%. Conclusions: Although we did not achieve our PHQ-9 screen rate goal of 80% or our behavioral health refer rate goal of 100% by the end of 2 years, we found a major discrepancy in rates among providers. This prompted us to add an additional PDSA Cycle 5, which focuses on improving screening and refer rates for all providers. Disclosure S. Gurnurkar: None. A. Y. Kulasingham: None. J. Pierce: None.

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 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.

We Must Continue Screening Youth For Suicide Risk

We Must Continue Screening Youth For Suicide Risk

USPSTF recommends anxiety screening for ages 8 to 18

Observing adequate evidence that treatment of anxiety with psychotherapy is associated with a moderate magnitude of benefit (e.g., treatment response, disease remission or resolution) for children and adolescents ages 8 to 18, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on April 12 posted draft recommendation statements on screening for depression and suicide risk in children and adolescents. The task force recommends screening children 12 and older for depression and, for the first time, is recommending screening children ages 8 and older for anxiety.

Improving Primary Care Adolescent Depression Screening and Initial Management: A Quality Improvement Study.

Introduction:Although recommended, adolescent depression screening with appropriate initial management is challenging. This project aimed to improve adolescent depression screening rates during preventive care visits in 12 primary care clinics from 65.4% to 80%, increase the proportion of documented initial management for those with a positive screen from 69.5% to 85%, then sustain improvements for 12 months.Methods:This quality improvement project involved 12 urban primary care clinics serving >120,000 mostly Medicaid-enrolled patients and targeted adolescents 12–17 years. Interventions included standardized depression screening using tablets with electronic health record (EHR) capture and automated scoring, embedding screening results and initial management actions into the EHR, provider education, and individual clinician and clinic performance feedback.Results:After standardizing the approach to screening, the process mean depression screening rate was 91.9%. However, after adopting tablets into the clinic flow, there was an unexpected initial decrease in proportion with appropriately documented initial management plans, from 89.7% to 67.6%. In response to this special cause variation, there was additional provider feedback and education, and a redesign of the EHR flow related to the presentation of results and prompts for action after a positive screen. As a result, the proportion with appropriately documented initial management was 87.3% by project completion.Conclusions:Tablet-based screening with EHR scoring capture effectively increased depression screening rates but required significant additional work to improve initial management after a positive screen. A full system approach, including EHR modification, clinician education, and performance feedback, is needed to make meaningful, sustained improvements in comprehensive adolescent depression screening.

Depression Screening in Adolescents: Implications for PCNPs

Depression Screening in Adolescents: Implications for PCNPs

Depression Screening in Adolescents: Implications for Primary Care Nurse Practitioners

The majority of all mental health disorders, including depression, emerge before the age of 24. However, many symptoms go undetected and thus untreated. Primary care nurse practitioners are well positioned to recognize high-risk situations, routinely screen for depression, and provide first-line evidence-based treatment as appropriate in their adolescent patients.

Universal Depression Screening in Adolescents in Primary Care: Evaluating Effectiveness and Preferences using Health Decision Modeling

Universal Depression Screening in Adolescents in Primary Care: Evaluating Effectiveness and Preferences using Health Decision Modeling

Adolescent depression screening in primary care: Who is screened and who is at risk?

BackgroundLimited research has simultaneously focused on sociodemographic differences in who receives recommended adolescent depression screening in primary care and who endorses elevated depression and suicide risk on these screeners. We describe screening and risk rates in a large pediatric primary care network in the United States after the network expanded its universal depression screening guideline to cover all well-visits (i.e., annual medical checkups) for adolescents ages 12 and older. MethodsBetween November 15, 2017 and February 1, 2020, there were 122,682 well-visits for adolescents ages 12–17 (82,531 unique patients). The Patient Health Questionnaire – Modified for Teens (PHQ-9-M) was administered to screen for depression. ResultsA total of 99,961 PHQ-9-Ms were administered (screening rate=81.48%). The likelihood of screening was higher among adolescents who were female, 12–14 years of age at their first well-visit during the study, White, Hispanic/Latino, or publicly-insured (i.e., Medicaid-insured). Additionally, 5.92% of adolescents scored in the threshold range for depression symptoms and 7.19% endorsed suicidality. Heightened depression and suicide risk were observed among adolescents who were female, 15–17 years of age at their first well-visit during the study, Black, Hispanic/Latino, attending urban primary care practices, or Medicaid-insured. Odds of endorsing suicidality were also higher among teens who identified as other races. LimitationsLimitations related to data available in the electronic health record and reliance on data from a single hospital system are noted. ConclusionsFindings highlight misalignments in screening and risk status that are important to address to ensure more equitable screening implementation and health outcomes.

Integration of behavioral health services and adolescent depression screening in primary care.

Integration of behavioral health services and adolescent depression screening in primary care.