Before you begin

To help paediatricians and other child health care providers recognize and diagnose mental health problems, the Canadian Paediatric Society has compiled a list of screening tools and rating scales for a number of different symptoms and suspected conditions.

To find these resources, paediatric experts were asked what screening tools and rating scales they use on a regular basis. Members of the CPS Mental Health Task Force then considered dozens of these different tools. Each instrument was rated on a series of criteria, including the age range to which it applies, the time required to complete it, who completes the questionnaire, accuracy, cost and whether or not the tool allows for the identification of co-morbidities. These lists will be updated regularly and others added as appropriate. Should you have a screening or rating tool that you find particularly useful in your practice, e-mail info@cps.ca. The Mental Health Task Force will be pleased to review it for consideration.

The tool(s) you choose will depend on your clinical setting, your practice support, and the nature of your patients. Some of the tools and scales are also designed to monitor certain conditions rather than diagnose them. The CPS has selected only tools that should be most efficient and usable for paediatricians. As you become more comfortable with these tools, you should be able to extract much information from them.  This will help you either select an appropriate treatment or facilitate appropriate consultations. It is well worth the time to download those that are applicable in your practice and choose those that work for you and your patient population.  

Behavioural and General Developmental Screening Tools

The tools in this section allow paediatricians and child health care providers to incorporate developmental surveillance and screening into their regular health care visits. They can facilitate anticipatory guidance to families about supporting their child’s development.

These screening tools measure general behaviour and development and provide information on functioning in multiple domains, which can alert a health care professional to a potential mental health condition.

Preliminary Mental Health Screening Tools

The tools in this section are particularly important in providing a starting point to investigate suspected mental health conditions and to help focus further assessment. They are also helpful in screening for co-morbidities, but less helpful in making a diagnosis of a specific condition. Because they screen for a wide range of mental health conditions, they tend to be quite lengthy.

Condition-specific Screening Tools and Rating Scales

These are screening tools. They aid in diagnosis, but do not provide a diagnosis per se. A careful history of the symptoms and their impact on functioning must be included in any diagnostic assessment.

• Anxiety
• Attention deficit/hyperactivity
• Autism and Asperger’s syndrome
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Language and learning disabilities

Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Dr. Stacey Bélanger, a paediatrician at Hôpital Sainte-Justine in Montreal, and Dr. Janet Grabowski, a community paediatrician in Winnipeg, for their careful review of these instruments.

These pages are provided as a service to CPS members. The CPS does not endorse any of these instruments.

 

Updated: May 2008