says Deepa Sekhar, associate professor of pediatrics.
While the United States Preventative Services Task Force recommends universal depression screening for 12- to 18-year-olds in primary care, less than half of U.S. adolescents have regular physician check-ups, and even fewer are screened.
To identify barriers to student academic success, schools are currently conducting vision and hearing screening. However, the study states that depression may likewise also affect academic success.
Depression Screening
The three-year study was had a larger sample
size of more than 12,000 students in 9th through 12th grade, from 14 Pennsylvania public high schools across the 2018-19 and 2019-20 academic years.
The students were predominantly minority, from urban and rural districts, and many were from low socioeconomic backgrounds. They were screened for depressive symptoms through an established questionnaire.
It was discovered that universal school-based screening for depressive symptoms increased both identification and treatment initiation for adolescent depression, with greater identification among females and minority students.
Overall, it was also seen that students who received universal screening were twice as likely to initiate treatment. The study further emphasized the high need for screening given the growing incidence of unmet mental health needs among school students.
“Looking at the results. We want to focus next on what school districts, nationally, need to implement a universal screening program. We know support from administrators will be key, along with clear policies and procedures for screening and follow-up. It is also important to emphasize to schools and families that screening simply identifies symptoms, and does not diagnose depression or any other mental health conditions,” says Sekhar.
Source: Medindia
