Cutting a Long Story Short? The Clinical Relevance of Asking Parents, Nurses, and Young Children Themselves to Identify Children’s Mental Health Problems by One or Two Questions

Background and Aims. Assessing young children’s mental health is a crucial and challenging task. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical relevance of asking parents, nurses, and young children themselves to identify children’s mental health problems by only one or two questions. Methods. In regular health check-ups of 4- to 9-year-old children (n=2682), parents and public health nurses assessed by one question whether the child had any emotional or behavioral difficulties. The child completed a self-evaluation enquiry on his/her emotional well-being. A stratified proportion of the participating parents were invited to a diagnostic interview. Results. Sensitivities were fairly good for the parents’ (68%), nurses’ (65%), and their combined (79%) one-question screens. Difficulties identified by parents and nurses were major risks (OR 10–14) for any child psychiatric disorders (P<0.001). The child’s self-evaluation was related to 2-fold to 3-fold risks (P<0.05) for any psychiatric diagnosis, for any emotional diagnosis, and for negative situational factors. Conclusion. The one-question screen for parents and public health nurses together quite adequately identified the young children with mental health problems. The child’s self-evaluation provided relevant and complementary information on his/her mental health and especially emotional problems

One or Two Questions

Background and Aims. Assessing young children&apos;s mental health is a crucial and challenging task. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical relevance of asking parents, nurses, and young children themselves to identify children&apos;s mental health problems by only one or two questions. Methods. In regular health check-ups of 4-to 9-year-old children ( = 2682), parents and public health nurses assessed by one question whether the child had any emotional or behavioral difficulties. The child completed a self-evaluation enquiry on his/her emotional well-being. A stratified proportion of the participating parents were invited to a diagnostic interview. Results. Sensitivities were fairly good for the parents&apos; (68%), nurses&apos; (65%), and their combined (79%) onequestion screens. Difficulties identified by parents and nurses were major risks (OR 10-14) for any child psychiatric disorders ( &lt; 0.001). The child&apos;s self-evaluation was related to 2-fold to 3-fold risks ( &lt; 0.05) for any psychiatric diagnosis, for any emotional diagnosis, and for negative situational factors. Conclusion. The one-question screen for parents and public health nurses together quite adequately identified the young children with mental health problems. The child&apos;s self-evaluation provided relevant and complementary information on his/her mental health and especially emotional problems

The Impact of an Early Eclectic Rehabilitative Intervention on Symptoms in First Episode Depression among Employed People

Peer reviewe

Early Environment and Neurobehavioral Development Predict Adult Temperament Clusters

Peer reviewe

Temperament Clusters in a Normal Population : Implications for Health and Disease

Peer reviewe

Psychological symptoms undermine the effect of patient education and social support from nurses - A structural equation modelling of coronary artery bypass grafting patients in Finland

Background: Coronary artery bypass grafting patients often suffer from persistent fears, anxiety and depression after surgery, but no studies are available to show how these psychological symptoms are linked to each other and affect the perceived social support. Objectives: We developed and estimated a hypothetical model to assess the relations of anxiety, fears and depression on perceived social support and the quality of patient education among coronary artery bypass grafting patients. Design and methods: The sample consisted of 171 coronary artery bypass grafting patients three months after surgery. The State Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale were used to assess anxiety and depression. Fear was measured using the Bypass Grafting Fear Scale. Support received from nurses and the quality of patient education was measured using the Social Support from Nursing Staff scale and the Quality of Basic Cardiac Information scale. The proposed model was assessed using structural equation modelling. Results: The fears, anxiety and depressiveness were associated with patients’ feelings about perceived support from the nurses and the quality of patient education. Patients’ fear and anxiety increased depressiveness, leading to situations in which it is more difficult for a patient to receive emotional, informational and tangible support and patient education in general. Conclusions: Psychological symptoms of CABG patients undermine the effects of patient education and social support from nurses. Key words: anxiety ; coronary artery bypass grafting; depression; fear; patient education; social support; structural equation modelin