Journal Article

Universal Child Mental Health Screening for Parents: a Systematic Review of the Evidence

Hawes, David J., Northam, Jaimie C., Dadds, Mark R., Brinley, Shona K., Carl, Talia, McLean, Rebecca K., Cowan, Caitlin S. M., Tully, Lucy A.

2024

Overview

Childhood represents a critical window for the emergence and treatment of mental health disorders, yet many are not being identified, or are identified too late to receive adequate intervention. This systematic review (Prospero registration: CRD42022299560) aimed to determine the effectiveness and acceptability of parent reported universal mental health screening (UMHS) to improve the early identification of children at-risk of mental health difficulties, and to identify barriers and enablers that may influence parental engagement. Six databases were searched in February 2022 for peer-reviewed, primary research. Studies conducted in targeted populations, evaluating psychometric properties, or focused on screening non-psychological problems were excluded. Ten studies examined parent reported ( n  = 3,464 parents) UMHS for children from birth to 18 years, suggesting an overall scarcity of research. Findings are presented in a table of study characteristics and a narrative summary of acceptability, effectiveness, barriers, and enablers. Quantitative findings indicated that parents generally support and accept UMHS. Research assessing effectiveness was limited, although two studies indicated increased referrals and referral adherence following positive screens. Confidentiality and stigma were commonly identified barriers. Quality assessment using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool indicated that studies varied in quality, meeting four to seven of the seven quality criteria. Understanding and addressing parent attitudes to UMHS across settings is necessary for the successful implementation of screening and improvement of child mental health outcomes. More high-quality research studies, including randomized controlled trials are therefore needed to examine the acceptability and effectiveness of UMHS for parents and their children.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Acceptability / Adolescent / Barriers / Child / Child & adolescent mental health / Child and School Psychology / Child Development / Child Health / Child, Preschool / Childhood / Children / Childrens Attitudes / Childrens health / Clinical trials / College Faculty / College Science / Confidentiality / Disorders / Effectiveness / Evidence Based Practice / Health Psychology / Health status / Humans / Mass Screening / Medical referrals / Medical research / Medical screening / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mental disorders / Mental Disorders - diagnosis / Mental Disorders - prevention & control / Mental Health / Mental health services / Meta Analysis / Outcomes of Treatment / Parent attitudes / Parent Participation / Parent-child relations / Parental influence / Parents & parenting / Parents - psychology / Property / Psychological assessment / Psychological problems / Public Health / Quality assessment / Quantitative psychology / Referral / Referrals / Registration / Scarcity / School Attitudes / Screening Tests / Stigma / Systematic review / Tests