Primary care providers are often the first to identify concerns for autism through routine screening in the first 2 years of life. However, most children do not receive a diagnosis until years later resulting in delays accessing appropriate intervention. Delays in diagnosis disproportionately impact those who are otherwise disadvantaged by society…

Objective: To validate the 17-item version of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17) as a screen for common pediatric mental disorders in primary care. Method: Patients were 269 children and adolescents (8-15 years old) whose parents completed the PSC-17 in primary care waiting rooms. Children were later assessed using the Schedule for Affective…

Objective: Childhood depression is widely underrecognized in primary health care settings. This phenomenon appears to increase with younger age. Evidence has been provided for a valid depressive syndrome among preschool children. Based on the need for the earliest possible identification of depression, the development of a brief screening measure…