An Assessment of Voluntary Adolescent Mental Health Screening and Referral in a Children's Hospital Emergency Department

An Assessment of Voluntary Adolescent Mental Health Screening and Referral in a Children's Hospital Emergency Department

The purpose of this study is to compare the TeenScreen intervention to usual care for adolescents who screen positive for mental health problems in a pediatric emergency department. It is anticipated that adolescents receiving the TeenScreen intervention will be more likely to attend a first session of outpatient mental health services within 60 days of the initial screening than those receiving the usual care.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients between 11 and 17 years old
• Medically stable and presenting with a non-psychiatric complaint
• English speaking
• Parent/guardian present for consent
• Insurance coverage by Medicaid
• Hamilton County residents
• Not currently receiving mental health treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Less than 11 years or greater than 17 years old
• Parent/guardian not present at time of visit
• Medically unstable
• Non-English speaking
• Insurance other than Medicaid
• Presenting complaint is a mental health problem
• Currently receiving mental health treatment