➡ From Child Welfare Information Gateway NJ:
US: Depression screening tools not accurate for children and adolescents
Medical News Today – August 04, 2016
In Canada and the U.S., doctors are increasingly being encouraged to try to identify depression in children and adolescents – even if they do not have obvious indications of the disease. In order to do so, the physicians often use short questionnaires that ask about symptoms of depression. But, according to new research, there is insufficient evidence to show that any of these questionnaires accurately screen 6- to 18-year-olds for the disease. The researchers believe that this calls into question the use of these assessment tools for this group and raises worries about possible misdiagnosis of the disease in this age range. Information Gateway resource: Tips and Tools for Parents and Caregivers of Teens: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/youth/development/understanding/tips/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/312103.php