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Review indicates reliable mental health screening tools for Latino children

To improve mental health care for Latino children and bridge barriers, a recent literature review identified several mental health screening tools validated for Spanish and use in individuals with limited English proficiency.

“The Latino population in this nation will only keep growing, and with that reality, physicians need to be aware of the population-specific barriers to health care. Latinos statistically have a poorer health status compared to whites due to lack of access to health care, fear of going to the doctor if they’re undocumented and an inability to communicate health needs due to language barriers,” study researcher Tania Caballero, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, said in a press release.

To assess Spanish-language validity and implementation of Bright Futures pre-visit mental health screening tools and models of care for Latino children, researchers reviewed studies published between 2005 and 2015 that reported screening results for Latino or Spanish-speaking population.

Bright Futures pre-visit screeners included the Pediatric Symptom Checklist, including pictorial versions (PSC-35), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Early Childhood Screening Assessment, Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social Emotional (ASQ-SE), and CRAFFT (substance abuse screener). Age at assessment ranged from 6 months to 17 years.

Researchers found limited data supporting the use of existing mental health screeners. However, research indicated that even imperfect screening provided the opportunity to discuss mental health problems and identify some at-risk children.

The few studies on PSC and SDQ indicated retention of adequate validity in Spanish and utility in individuals with limited English proficiency.

As a result, researchers recommended use of PSC and SDQ in primary care, as they are validated in Spanish and freely accessible.

The pictorial PSC-35 was also validated in Spanish and may be useful to address limited literacy.

“It’s important to remember that in younger children, the screener is completed by the parent, not the child. Parents answer these questions about their children, which adds an extra layer of complexity because parents have different definitions of what counts as regular behavior and what constitutes a mental health problem,” Caballero said in the release. “At the very least, screening starts the conversation about mental health issues, which is a critical first step.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.