Depression Screening and Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Overview

Journal Can J Psychiatry

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2017 Aug 31

PMID 28851234

Citations 11

Authors

Michelle Roseman

Nazanin Saadat

Kira E Riehm

Lorie A Kloda

Jill Boruff

Abel Ickowicz

Franziska Baltzer

Laurence Y Katz

Scott B Patten

Cecile Rousseau

Brett D Thombs

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: Depression screening among children and adolescents is controversial. In 2009, the United States Preventive Services Task Force first recommended routine depression screening for adolescents, and this recommendation was reiterated in 2016. However, no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of screening were identified in the original 2009 systematic review or in an updated review through February 2015. The objective of this systematic review was to provide a current evaluation to determine whether there is evidence from RCTs that depression screening in childhood and adolescence improves depression outcomes.

Method: Data sources included the MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL and LILACS databases searched February 2, 2017. Eligible studies had to be RCTs that compared depression outcomes between children or adolescents aged 6 to 18 years who underwent depression screening and those who did not.

Results: Of 552 unique title/abstracts, none received full-text review. No RCTs that investigated the effects of screening on depression outcomes in children or adolescents were identified.

Conclusions: There is no direct RCT evidence that supports depression screening among children and adolescents. Groups that consider recommending screening should carefully consider potential harms, as well as the use of scarce health resources, that would occur with the implementation of screening programs.

Citing Articles

Potential mental health-related harms associated with the universal screening of anxiety and depressive symptoms in Australian secondary schools.

Braund T, Baker S, Subotic-Kerry M, Tillman G, Evans N, Mackinnon A Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2024; 18(1):46.

PMID: 38566202 PMC: 10985850. DOI: 10.1186/s13034-024-00734-y.

Screening for depression in children and adolescents in primary care or non-mental health settings: a systematic review update.

Beck A, Dryburgh N, Bennett A, Shaver N, Esmaeilisaraji L, Skidmore B Syst Rev. 2024; 13(1):48.

PMID: 38291528 PMC: 10829174. DOI: 10.1186/s13643-023-02447-3.

Can the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Be Used to Screen for Depression in Children and Adolescents? An Updated Systematic Review.

Park S, Kwon Y Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2023; .

PMID: 37354303 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01553-6.

Diagnoses and Treatment After Depression Screening in Primary Care Among Youth.

Riehm K, Brignone E, Stuart E, Gallo J, Mojtabai R Am J Prev Med. 2021; 62(4):511-518.

PMID: 34801332 PMC: 8940608. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.09.008.

Screening for depression in children and adolescents: a protocol for a systematic review update.

Beck A, LeBlanc J, Morissette K, Hamel C, Skidmore B, Colquhoun H Syst Rev. 2021; 10(1):24.

PMID: 33436094 PMC: 7802305. DOI: 10.1186/s13643-020-01568-3.

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