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Screening for Depression in Pediatric Primary Care

  • Psychiatry in Primary Care (BN Gaynes, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Psychiatry Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

To review the clinical practice guideline landscape for depression screening in pediatric primary care and to identify current gaps in knowledge.

Recent Findings

Various organizations have recommendations that support screening for depression in pediatric primary care, although some differ based on the age of the child. To date, guidelines have been made based on indirect evidence of efficacy. For example, indirect evidence shows that several screening tools exist for use in primary care, and various primary care-administered or referred treatments for childhood depression have some evidence of efficacy (particularly among adolescents). In addition to determining the applicability of this evidence to younger children, more research is needed on the direct net benefits of screening and to identify factors that facilitate its effective implementation.

Summary

Indirect evidence supports the benefits of screening for depression in pediatric primary care; most organizations that publish screening guidelines recommend its use.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. RTI, International, 3040 W Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA

    Valerie L. Forman-Hoffman & Meera Viswanathan

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  1. Valerie L. Forman-Hoffman
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  2. Meera Viswanathan
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Correspondence to Valerie L. Forman-Hoffman.

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Conflict of Interest

Valerie L. Forman-Hoffman and Meera Viswanathan each have a contract from AHRQ to RTI International to conduct a topic refinement and possibly a systematic review on treatments for pediatric depression to inform the creation of AACAP’s updated guidelines on the topic.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Psychiatry in Primary Care

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Forman-Hoffman, V.L., Viswanathan, M. Screening for Depression in Pediatric Primary Care. Curr Psychiatry Rep 20, 62 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0926-7

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