The Value of Mental Health Screening for Adolescents Attending School-Based Health Centers

Although 65% of school-based health centers (SBHCs) offer mental health services, at-risk youth are commonly overlooked or do not follow up when referrals are made. Universal screenings may increase identification of those in need of mental health support. We examined the number of youth at three SBHCs referred for mental health consultations. Comparisons were made between provider referrals and those with elevated scores on the Youth Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (Y-PSC-17). Of the 585 patients in this study, 37 (6.32%) were referred solely by their Y-PSC-17 score, 36 (6.15%) youth were singularly referred by providers, and 19 (3.25%) were referred by both modalities. Almost three-quarters ( n = 67; 72.8%) of identified youth elected to receive psychotherapeutic services. Approximately half of the youth referred by providers ( n = 19; 52.8%) received individual services, while 36.11% ( n = 13) received group services. Smaller proportions of youth with elevated Y-PSC-17 scores received individual ( n = 7; 18.9%) and group services ( n = 11; 29.7%). Youth referred solely by a medical provider had significantly lower scores than those identified through an elevated Y-PSC-17 score. Findings highlight the necessity of universal screening in pediatric settings in addition to physician referrals to provide a supplemental layer of prevention and early identification of behavioral health concerns. In this study, 40% referrals would have been missed if both modalities were not in place. Educating medical providers on youth mental health concerns may enhance identification of those in need of mental health supports and in turn improve long-term outcomes.