Validation of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist in HIV-Infected Batswana

Objective—To determine the validity of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), a brief measure of psychosocial health, for screening HIV+ Batswana children. Method—Setswana versions of the parent and child PSC were administered to 509 HIV+ Batswana children (age 8–16) and their parents/guardians. Test properties were evaluated and cutoff scores were derived using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Scores on the parent-completed PSC and the child-completed PSC-Y were compared to parental and clinic staff reports of concern about the child’s psychosocial health and to scores on the Children’s Depression Inventory and the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale. Results—The Setswana PSC has high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.87 for the parent-completed version). Comparing PSC scores to parental reports of concern and childreported depression symptoms, a cut-off score of 20 on the PSC and PSC-Y maximised the sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions—The PSC performed well in Setswana-speaking children and is a promising screening tool for paediatric psychosocial problems in busy clinical settings. Screening with the PSC may allow for early detection and treatment of psychosocial problems. This is likely to be of particular value for HIV+ children for whom HIV treatment non-adherence may result from untreated psychosocial dysfunction

Research PaperValidation of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist in HIV-infected Batswana

Objective: To determine the validity of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), a brief measure of psychosocial health, for screening HIV+ Batswana children.Method: Setswana versions of the parent and child PSC were administered to 509 HIV+ Batswana children (age 8–16) and their parents/guardians. Test properties were evaluated and cut-off scores were derived using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Scores on the parent-completed PSC and the child-completed PSC-Y were compared to parental and clinic staff reports of concern about the child’s psychosocial health and to scores on the Children’s Depression Inventory and the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale.Results: The Setswana PSC has high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.87 for the parentcompleted version). Comparing PSC scores to parental reports of concern and child-reported depression symptoms, a cut-off score of 20 on the PSC and PSC-Y maximised the sensitivity and specificity.Conclusions: The PSC performed well in Setswana-speaking children and is a promising screening tool for paediatric psychosocial problems in busy clinical settings. Screening with the PSC may allow for early detection and treatment of psychosocial problems. This is likely to be of particular value for HIV+ children for whom HIV treatment non-adherence may result from untreated psychosocial dysfunction.Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2011, 23(1): 17–2

Preparing for Disaster: a Cross-Sectional Study of Social Connection and Gun Violence

Living in communities with persistent gun violence is associated with negative social, behavioral, and health outcomes, analogous to those of a natural disaster. Taking a disaster-preparedness approach may identify targets for community-based action to respond to on-going gun violence. We assessed the relevance of adapting a disaster-preparedness approach to gun violence and, specifically, the relationship between perceived collective efficacy, its subscales of social cohesion and informal social control, and exposure to gun violence. In 2014, we conducted a cross-sectional study using a community-based participatory research approach in two neighborhoods in New Haven, CT, with high violent crime rates. Participants were ≥18 years of age and English speaking. We measured exposure to gun violence by adapting the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods Exposure to Violence Scale. We examined the association between perceived collective efficacy, measured by the Sampson Collective Efficacy Scale, and exposure to gun violence using multivariate modeling. We obtained 153 surveys (51% response rate, 14% refusal rate, and 35% non-response rate). Ninety-five percent reported hearing gunfire, 58% had friend or family member killed by gun violence, and 33% were physically present during a shooting. In the fully adjusted model, one standard deviation higher perceived collective efficacy was associated with lower reported exposure to gun violence (β = -0.91, p \u3c 0.001). We demonstrated that it is possible to activate community members and local officials to engage in gun violence research. A novel, community-based approach adapted from disaster-preparedness literature may be an effective framework for mitigating exposure to gun violence in communities with persistent gun violence