Evaluation of a Routine Psychosocial Screening for Patients Receiving Inpatient Specialist Palliative Care: Feasibility and Outcomes.

This prospective one-year cohort study aimed to assess the feasibility and outcomes of a routine psychosocial screening at patients' admittance to specialist inpatient palliative care. Patients admitted to an academic palliative care ward were routinely screened for self-reported distress and psychological morbidity, psychosocial stress factors, and subjective need for help from psychosocial professions. Cognitive impairments were the most common patient barrier to screening. Screenings were completed in 138 of 428 patients (32%). Based on established cutoffs, distress was indicated in 89%, depression in 51%, and anxiety in 50% of these patients. The burden on next-of-kin emerged as the most prevalent stress factor (73%). One-half of the patients disclosed a subjective need for help (53%). Possible depression (p = .023), anxiety (p < .001), and subjective need for help (p < .001) correlated positively with a higher amount of time spent by psychologists and creative arts-based therapists with small to moderate effects. Patients who completed the screening were attributed with a higher amount of time by social workers than patients who did not (p = .004), but there were no relationships between screening results and social work. Results suggest the potential of screenings for the allocation of specialist psychosocial care during specialist palliative care; however, barriers to screening do exist.

Convergent Validity of Myheartsmap: A Pediatric Psychosocial Health Screening Tool.

Recognition of pediatric mental health concerns often depends on assessment by parents, educators, and primary care professionals. Therefore, a psychosocial screening instrument suitable for routine use in schools and primary care is needed. The Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) are widely used for screening but lack adolescent-specific mental health measures. MyHEARTSMAP is an instrument assessing aspects of youth psychosocial health via four domains: Psychiatry, Function, Social, and Youth Health. We evaluated MyHEARTSMAP convergent validity with PedsQL and SDQ among 122 child-parent dyads participating in a larger concussion study. Convergent validity was assessed via correlations: MyHEARTSMAP Psychiatry and Function domains correlated strongly (r ≥ 0.44) and Social domain correlated weakly (r ≤ 0.25) to corresponding PedsQL and SDQ subscales, while Youth Health domain correlated moderately (r ≥ 0.31) to the tools' total scales. In conclusion, MyHEARTSMAP converges with PedsQL and SDQ, and benefits from the inclusion of adolescent-specific psychosocial measures.

Patient and Provider Views on Psychosocial Screening in a Comprehensive Diabetes Center.

Guidelines recommend routinely screening adults with diabetes for psychological concerns, but few diabetes clinics have adopted screening procedures. This study assessed patient and provider perspectives regarding the role of mental health in diabetes care, psychosocial screening procedures, and patients' support needs. Patients with diabetes (n = 15; 73.3% type 2) and their medical providers (n = 11) participated in qualitative interviews. Thematic content analysis was used to categorize results. Participants believed that mental health was important to address within comprehensive diabetes care. Patients expressed positive or neutral opinions about psychosocial screening. Providers had mixed reactions; many thought that screening would be too time-consuming. Both groups emphasized that screening must include referral procedures to direct patients to mental health services. Patients and providers interviewed in this study viewed psychosocial screening as compatible with diabetes care. Including a mental health professional on the treatment team could reduce potential burden on other team members.

Missingness patterns in a comprehensive instrument identifying psychosocial and substance use risk in antenatal care.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial vulnerabilities (e.g. inadequate social support, financial insecurity, stress) and substance use elevate risks for adverse perinatal outcomes and maternal mental health morbidities. However, various barriers, including paucity of validated, simple and usable comprehensive instruments, impede execution of the recommendations to screen for such vulnerabilities in the first antenatal care visit. The current study presents findings from a newly implemented self-report tool created to overcome screening barriers in outpatient antenatal clinics. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart-review of 904 women who completed the Profile for Maternal & Obstetric Treatment Effectiveness (PROMOTE) during their first antenatal visit between June and December 2019. The PROMOTE includes the 4-item NIDA Quick Screen and 15 additional items that each assess a different psychosocial vulnerability. Statistical analysis included evaluation of missing data, and exploration of missing data patterns using univariate correlations and hierarchical clustering. RESULTS: Three quarters of women (70.0%) had no missing items. In the entire sample, all but four PROMOTE items (opioid use, planned pregnancy, educational level, and financial state) had < 5% missing values, suggesting good acceptability and feasibility. Several respondent-related characteristics such as lower education, less family support, and greater stress were associated with greater likelihood of missing items. Instrument-related characteristics associated with missing values were completing the PROMOTE in Spanish or question positioning at the end of the instrument. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Conducting a comprehensive screening of theoretically and clinically meaningful vulnerabilities in an outpatient setting is feasible. Study findings will inform modifications of the PROMOTE and subsequent digitisation.

Early trajectory of psychosocial risk in families of children and adolescents newly diagnosed with cancer.

We explored early trajectories of psychosocial risk levels (i.e., Universal, Targeted, or Clinical) in families of children and adolescents newly diagnosed with cancer using the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) in secondary analysis of data from a randomized trial assessing the effects of psychosocial screening. Families were allocated to an intervention group (IG, PAT summary provided to patient treating team) or a control group (CG, no PAT summary provided to treating team) in two pediatric cancer centers. Primary caregivers (N = 122) of newly diagnosed children and adolescents completed the PAT along with outcome measures for the trial at 2-4 weeks post-diagnosis (T1) and 6 months post-diagnosis (T2). The CG and IG were not significantly different, in terms of PAT risk levels at T1 and T2, but at T1, the PAT total and parent stress scores were higher in the CG (p's < .05). The distribution of families across PAT risk levels did not differ significantly between T1 and T2 (p > .05) with 63% of families remaining within the same PAT risk level at T2. A subgroup of families in the Targeted risk level at T1 moved to the Universal (34%) or Clinical (13%) levels of risk at T2 (p's < .01). Another subgroup with Universal risk at T1 trended to Targeted (28%) or Clinical (2%) at T2. While psychosocial risk remained relatively consistent for the majority of families, a smaller number of families experienced changes in risk level over time. Further investigation of these exploratory trends in psychosocial trajectories is needed to guide psychosocial support during child's cancer treatment.Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT02788604 (registered with ClinicalTrials.gov).

Applying machine learning methods to psychosocial screening data to improve identification of prenatal depression: Implications for clinical practice and research.

We utilized machine learning (ML) methods on data from the PROMOTE, a novel psychosocial screening tool, to quantify risk for prenatal depression for individual patients and identify contributing factors that impart greater risk for depression. Random forest algorithms were used to predict likelihood for being at high risk for prenatal depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; EPDS ≥ 13 and/or positive self-injury item) using data from 1715 patients who completed the PROMOTE. Performance matrices were calculated to assess the ability of the PROMOTE to accurately classify patients. Probability for depression was calculated for individual patients. Finally, recursive feature elimination was used to evaluate the importance of each PROMOTE item in the classification of depression risk. PROMOTE data were successfully used to predict depression with acceptable performance matrices (accuracy = 0.80; sensitivity = 0.75; specificity = 0.81; positive predictive value = 0.79; negative predictive value = 0.97). Perceived stress, emotional problems, family support, age, major life events, partner support, unplanned pregnancy, current employment, lifetime abuse, and financial state were the most important PROMOTE items in the classification of depression risk. Results affirm the value of the PROMOTE as a psychosocial screening tool for prenatal depression and the benefit of using it in conjunction with ML methods. Using such methods can help detect underreported outcomes and identify what in patients' lives makes them more vulnerable, thus paving the way for effective individually tailored precision medicine.

Increased behavioral health needs and continued psychosocial stress among children with medical complexity and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Children with medical complexity (CMC) and their caregivers are at increased risk for multiple psychosocial stressors that can impact child and family well-being and health outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to supports diminished, psychosocial screening and integrated behavioral health (IBH) services in the primary care setting were crucial in identifying and addressing the unique needs of this population METHODS: Universal screening to identify psychosocial needs was implemented in a primary care clinic for CMC that includes IBH services. Data on the prevalence of psychosocial screening and IBH services for young children and their caregivers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were evaluated RESULTS: Psychosocial screening levels remained stable during the pandemic. Psychosocial needs were identified for 36% of screeners prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and 33% during the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for IBH services increased during the COVID-19 time period resulting in a significant increase in IBH services CONCLUSIONS: For CMC and their caregivers, psychosocial needs identified through psychosocial screening remained high during the pandemic, demonstrating the importance of screening for this population. The need for IBH services during the COVID-19 pandemic increased, underscoring the value and demand for these services particularly during an unprecedented time.

Objetivo: Los niños con complejidades médicas (CMC) y quienes les cuidan están bajo un riesgo en aumento sobre múltiples factores sicosociales de estrés que pueden causar impacto en el bienestar y resultados de salud del niño y la familia. Durante la pandemia COVID-19, cuando disminuyó el acceso al apoyo, los servicios de detección sicosocial y la integrada salud del comportamiento (IBH) en escenarios de cuidado primario fueron cruciales para identificar y manejar las necesidades típicas de esta población. Métodos: La detección universal para identificar necesidades sicosociales se implementó en una clínica de cuidado primario para CMC que incluye servicios IBH. Se evaluó la información acerca de la prevalencia de los servicios de la detección sicosocial e IBH para niños pequeños y quienes les cuidaban antes y durante la pandemia COVID-19. Resultados: Los niveles de detección sicosocial se mantuvieron estables durante la pandemia. Se identificaron las necesidades sicosociales para el 36% de los examinados antes de la pandemia del COVID-19 y 33% durante la pandemia COVID-19. La necesidad de servicios IBH aumentó durante el período de tiempo del COVID-19, lo cual resultó en un aumento significativo en servicios IBH. Conclusiones: Para niños CMC y quienes les cuidan, las necesidades sicosociales identificadas a través de la detección sicosocial se mantuvieron altas durante la pandemia, lo que demuestra lo importante de la detección para este grupo de población. La necesidad de servicios IBH durante la pandemia COVID-19 aumentó, subrayando el valor y demanda de estos servicios en particular durante un momento sin precedente.

Objectif: Les Enfants avec une Complexité Médicale (abrégé ici en français ECM) et les personnes qui prennent soin d'eux sont à un risque plus élevé de facteurs de stress psychosociaux multiples qui peuvent impacter le bien-être de l'enfant et de la famille ainsi que la santé. Durant la pandémie du COVID-19, lorsque l'accès aux soutiens a diminué le dépistage psychosocial et les services de santé comportementale intégrée (SCI) dans les contextes de soins primaires se sont avérés cruciaux pour l'identification et la prise en charge des besoins uniques de cette population. Méthodes: Le dépistage universel afin d'identifier les besoins psychosociaux a été mis en place dans une clinique de soin primaire pour les ECM qui comporte des services SCI. Les données sur la prévalence du dépistage psychosocial et les services SCI pour les jeunes enfants et les personnes prenant soin d'eux avant et après la pandémie du COVID-19 ont été évalués. Résultats: Les niveaux de dépistage psychosocial sont restés stables durant la pandémie. Des besoins psychosociaux ont été identifiés pour 36% des dépistés avant la pandémie du COVID-19 et 33% durant la pandémie du COVID-19. Le besoin de services SCI a augmenté durant la période, résultant en une augmentation importante des services SCI. Conclusions: Pour les ECM et les personnes prenant soin d'eux, les besoins psychosociaux identifiés à travers le dépistage psychosocial est resté élevé pendant la pandémie, démontrant l'importance du dépistage pour cette population. Le besoin de services SCI durant la pandémie du COVID-19 a augmenté, ce qui souligne la valeur et le besoin de ces services surtout durant ces temps sans précédents.

Family factors and health-related quality of life within 6 months of completion of childhood cancer treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The transition from active cancer treatment to survivorship represents a period of uncertainty for youth and their families, but factors associated with adaptation during this period are understudied. We evaluated associations among cancer and treatment-related variables, family factors (family functioning, caregiver health-related quality of life [HRQL], and caregiver distress), and patient HRQL after treatment completion. We assessed the indirect effects of neurocognitive difficulties on youth HRQL through family factors. METHODS: One hundred fifty-four caregivers (of patients' ages 0-18 years) and 52 youth (ages 7-18 years) completed questionnaires assessing family factors, neurocognitive difficulties, and HRQL for patients within 6 months following treatment completion. Electronic health records were reviewed for cancer and treatment-related information. Bootstrapping analyses assessed whether neurocognitive function had indirect effects on HRQL through family factors. RESULTS: Family factors were associated with self- and caregiver reports of children's HRQL. Controlling for demographic, cancer, and treatment covariates, caregiver reports of their child's neurocognitive difficulties had an indirect effect on their reports of child physical HRQL through family functioning. Caregiver reports of their child's neurocognitive difficulties indirectly related to caregiver reports of child psychosocial HRQL through family functioning and caregiver HRQL. Indirect effects for self-reported neurocognitive difficulties and HRQL were not supported. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the need for routine psychosocial screening for youth and caregiver reports of family adjustment and HRQL during the transition off treatment. Providers are encouraged to offer interventions matched to specific needs for families at risk for poor family functioning to improve patient outcomes as they transition off treatment.

Towards the targeted assessment of relevant problems: Optimization of the distress Thermometer for adult neuro-oncological patients.

OBJECTIVE: Generic psychosocial screening tools may not reflect the unique symptom profile of brain tumour patients (BTPs). The aim was to adapt the problem list of the distress thermometer (DT) for BTPs. METHODS: First, items of low relevance for BTPs were identified on basis of retrospective analyses. Second, relevant yet missing problems were identified via an extensive literature search, qualitative interviews with BTPs and experts, as well as an online expert survey. The resulting raw version of the adapted problem list in BTPs was subsequently pretested. RESULTS: In the first part, data of n = 657 BTPs were analysed. Twelve items (20%) were excluded in this step as they proved to be less relevant for BTPs (i.e., items were endorsed by less than 10% and without significant correlations to patients' DT score). In the second part, qualitative interviews and the online survey with 102 professionals led to the addition of 21 new and the modification and condensation of 17 relevant problems specific for BTPs. This adapted list was than successfully pretested in n = 19 patients, leading to the 'distress thermometer brain tumour problem list' (DT-BT), consisting of 42 relevant problems. CONCLUSION: The adapted problem list for the DT particularly reflects the neurological and psychosocial burden of an intracranial tumour and allows for the targeted assessment of the specific burdens and needs of BTPs. Our revised version of the DTs problem list (DT-BT) should in the next step be widely validated in multinational samples.

Quality of life in pediatric oncology patients, caregivers and siblings after psychosocial screening: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated whether conducting psychosocial screening using a validated measure (the Psychosocial Assessment Tool, PAT) and providing a summary of PAT results to the patient's treating team improves quality of life (QOL) in newly diagnosed patients with cancer, their caregivers and siblings, in general, and in relation to the initial family psychosocial risk. METHODS: Families were randomly allocated to an intervention (IG, treating team received PAT summary describing low, medium, or high psychosocial risk) or control group (CG, no summary provided to treating team) in two Canadian pediatric cancer centers. Caregivers (N = 122) of children newly diagnosed with cancer, patients (n = 36), and siblings (n = 25) completed QOL assessments at 2-4 weeks (T1) and 6 months post-diagnosis (T2). Caregivers also completed PAT and proxy QOL for patient and sibling. RESULTS: In general, patient-proxy total QOL improved in IG compared to CG over time but only for high psychosocial risk patients (p < .05). Patient proxy cancer-related QOL improved over time regardless of group allocation; caregiver QOL also improved over time (ps < .05). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the benefits of psychosocial screening results only on proxy patient QOL outcomes with high psychosocial risk near diagnosis. Evaluating QOL benefits in pediatric oncology patients is critical for establishing the clinical value of psychosocial screening. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02788604 (REGISTERED WITH HTTPS://CLINICALTRIALS.GOV/CT2/SHOW/NCT02788604 ).

Psychosocial difficulties identified by health care providers as they predict pain-related quality of life in children with cancer.

This study examined the predictive validity of the Psychosocial Care Checklist (PCCL), a psychosocial screener completed by a pediatric cancer health care provider (HCP), on child pain-related and nausea-related quality of life (QOL), and whether these associations are moderated by family psychosocial risk (Psychosocial Assessment Tool, PAT). Caregivers (N = 122) of children newly diagnosed with cancer and 62 HCPs (11 social workers, 17 nurses, 34 oncologists) at two Canadian sites participated. Near diagnosis (T1) and six months later (T2), caregivers reported on child QOL and family psychosocial risk, which was categorized as universal (typical distress), targeted (targetable distress), or clinical (severe distress). HCPs completed the PCCL at T1 and T2. HCP identification of more psychosocial problems in PCCL at T1 predicted reduced child pain-related (but not nausea-related) QOL at T2 among children with universal risk. The PCCL scores did not predict pain-related QOL in families with higher psychosocial needs (i.e., targeted and clinical). HCPs may have difficulty identifying psychosocial problems among families with high risk in a manner that predicts child's pain-related QOL. A hybrid model of psychosocial screening that includes both HCP and caregiver reports is recommended to best match family problems and interventions to improve QOL.

Special Considerations in the Systematic Psychosocial Screening of Youth with Type 1 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The American Diabetes Association recommends psychosocial screening for individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The purpose of this study is to present (a) several high priority decisions that program developers may encounter when building a new psychosocial screening program and (b) both the screening development process and results of one mental health screening program within a multidisciplinary pediatric diabetes clinic, with particular emphasis on parent-youth screening agreement and changes to elevation status over time. METHODS: Youth with T1D ages 12-17 and parents of youth with T1D ages 8-17 were administered mental health screeners as a part of outpatient diabetes visits over a 1-year period. Youth depression and anxiety were screened using self- and parent proxy-report versions of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). RESULTS: Youth (n = 154) and parents (n = 211) completed mental health screening measures, such that 228 youth were screened. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between youth- and parent proxy-report agreement were good for the measures of depression (ICC = .787) and anxiety (ICC = .781), with parent proxy-reports significantly higher than youth self-reports of anxiety (p < .01). Of the 93 youth with follow-up screening data and no youth- or parent proxy-reported elevation on the initial screener, 16.1% had at least one elevated screener within 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that questions of who to screen and how often to screen may deserve increased scrutiny, as this screening program's data suggest that there may be benefit to obtaining both youth- and parent report more often than annually.

Patient-Reported and Parent Proxy-Reported Outcomes in Pediatric Medical Specialty Clinical Settings: A Systematic Review of Implementation.

OBJECTIVE: Youth with chronic illness are at higher risk for psychosocial difficulties, leading to a call for screening via patient-reported outcomes (PROs). The purpose of the current review is to summarize PRO implementation in pediatric medical specialty settings. A literature review of PRO implementation in these settings, conceptual issues, value and approach, legal and ethical concerns, as well as a case example of PROA in type 1 diabetes are presented. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to identify relevant articles published since the most recent Journal of Pediatric Psychology Special Issue on Evidence-Based Assessment in Pediatric Psychology (2008). RESULTS: Thirty-two articles were identified and reviewed. The majority of studies reported that PROA was feasible, did not disrupt clinic flow, identified psychosocial issues warranting intervention, and was acceptable to families and providers. Response to elevated scores and impact on behavioral health referrals varied. CONCLUSION: While many evidenced-based assessment measures are well-validated within pediatric chronic illness groups, the literature regarding implementation of PROs is still emerging. Research findings are promising, with PROs being feasible, acceptable, and leading to increased discussion of psychosocial issues when integrated into pediatric medical settings. Additional research is needed to evaluate the longitudinal impact of PROs and the optimal manner of responding to assessment data, particularly when clinically-elevated. Ultimately, identifying psychosocial issues in pediatric medical settings can promote optimal health and well-being of youth with chronic illness and their families.

Diabetes care: addressing psychosocial well-being in young adults with a newly developed assessment tool.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial assessment should be part of clinic visits for people with diabetes mellitus (DM). AIMS: To assess the usage and acceptance of a diabetes psychosocial assessment tool (DPAT) and to profile the clinical and psychosocial characteristics of young people with diabetes. METHODS: Over a 12-month period, young adults (18-25 years) attending diabetes clinic were offered DPAT. The tool embeds validated screening tools including the Problem Areas in Diabetes 20 (PAID-20) questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) and the World Health Organization Well-Being Index-5 (WHO-5). Baseline clinical data were collected and questions regarding social support, body image, eating concerns, hypoglycaemia and finances were included. RESULTS: Over the 12 month, the form was offered to 155 participants (64.6% of eligible attendees). The majority (96.1%) had type 1 DM with a mean duration of 10.5 (±5.3 SD) years. Average glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was 8.7% (±1.5 SD) (or 71.2 mmol/mol ±16.5 SD). Severe diabetes-related distress (PAID-20 ≥ 40) was found in 19.4%. Low WHO-5 scores (28-50 points) were seen in 14.8%. PHQ-4 identified 25.8% with anxiety and 16.1% with depression. Significant weight, shape and eating concerns were identified in 27.1, 26.6 and 28.4%, respectively. Serious hypoglycaemia concerns were raised by 4.5%. CONCLUSION: DPAT revealed a high prevalence of psychosocial stress among young adults with DM. The tool was easy to use and accepted by patients and may aid streamlining referrals to relevant members of a multidisciplinary team.

Need for Routine Screening of Health-Related Quality of Life in Families of Young Children with Complex Congenital Heart Disease.

OBJECTIVES: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in families of young children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD), and identify the demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors that place these children and their mothers at greater risk of vulnerability. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study took place from June 2015 to October 2016 at The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network Cardiac Service, Australia. Mothers of a child aged 1-5 years with either single ventricle CHD or CHD requiring neonatal biventricular repair were invited to participate. Eighty-seven mothers completed a suite of validated measures, including the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, which assessed the outcomes of child and maternal HRQOL. RESULTS: Sixty percent of children with single ventricle CHD and 25% of children with biventricular repair had total Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory scores within the at-risk range. Lower child HRQOL was strongly associated with single ventricle CHD (ß = -0.38; P < .001), physical comorbidity (ß = -0.32; P = .001), feeding difficulties (ß = -0.26; P = .008), and greater maternal psychological stress (ß = -0.18; P = .045), accounting for 52% of the variance in child HRQOL. Lower maternal HRQOL was strongly associated with poorer family functioning (ß = 0.61; P < .001), greater maternal psychological stress (ß = -0.23; P = .004), child physical comorbidity (ß = -0.17; P = .01), and a 'difficult' child temperament (ß = -0.14; P = .01), accounting for 73% of the variance in maternal HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Lower HRQOL is common in young children with complex CHD, particularly single ventricle CHD. Several predictors of HRQOL are potentially modifiable, offering possible pathways for prevention and early intervention. Routine screening is a necessary first step toward developing models of care to improve HRQOL in this population.

Health-Related Quality of Life Predicts Psychology Referral in Youth with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

PURPOSE: The current study sought to explore psychosocial data gathered from routine screening within an interdisciplinary IBD program, with two-fold aims: 1) to examine parent-child agreement across health-related quality of life domains and 2) to evaluate the differential predictive value of child and parent ratings of health-related quality of life domains on referrals for psychological services. DESIGN AND METHODS: A convenience sample of 92 youth (ages 8-18) and their parents completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. RESULTS: Children and parents showed moderate to good agreement across health-related quality of life domains. Additionally, regression analyses revealed that child and parent-proxy reports of emotional difficulties, parent report of school difficulties, and child report of physical symptoms were significantly predictive of psychology referral status. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings suggest moderate to good agreement among child and parent-proxy reporters and support the shared value of both child and parent ratings of health-related quality of life in predicting psychology referrals in youth with IBD. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Routine psychosocial screening among youth with IBD can promote the early identification of emotional and behavioral needs, and family receipt of appropriate, evidence-based intervention.

Identifying Psychosocial Problems Among Children and Youth in the Child Welfare System Using the PSC-17: Exploring Convergent and Discriminant Validity with Multiple Informants.

Youth who enter foster care are at risk of mental health need, but questions arise as to the validity of their self-reported symptomatology. This study examines the screening validity of the youth-report version of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (PSC-17) in a child welfare population. Data come from 2389 youth who completed a version of the PSC-17 adapted for youth report, and their biological and foster parents who completed the parent-report version. Youth also completed a shortened version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED). Convergent and discriminant validity of the PSC-17 was assessed using multi-trait multi-method matrices. The PSC-17's internalizing subscale was strongly correlated, attention subscale was moderately correlated, and externalizing subscale was weakly correlated with the SCARED's anxiety and PTSD subscales. Comparing youth and foster parent scores, the PSC-17 had moderate convergent validity and weak/fair discriminant validity. Comparing youth, foster parent, and biological parent scores, the PSC-17 had moderate convergent validity and weak/fair discriminant validity. The current study provides some support for the validity of the PSC-17 for the population of youth in foster care.

Development, implementation, and initial results of the UC San Diego Health Moores Cancer Center Wellbeing Screening Tool.

OBJECTIVE: All accredited cancer institutions are required to screen patients for psychosocial distress. This paper describes the development, implementation, and preliminary outcomes of the University of California San Diego Health Moores Cancer Center Wellbeing Screening Program. METHOD: Essential steps learned in a formal National Cancer Institute-funded training workshop entitled "Implementing Comprehensive Biopsychosocial Screening" were followed to ensure successful program implementation. These steps included identification of stakeholders; formation of a working committee; establishment of a vision, process, and implementation timeline; creation of a screening tool; development of patient educational material; tool integration into an electronic medical record system; staff training and pilot testing of tool administration; and education about tool results and appropriate follow-up actions. Screening data were collected and analyzed retrospectively for preliminary results and rapid cycle improvement of the wellbeing screening process. RESULTS: Over an 8-month implementation and assessment period, the screening tool was administered 5,610 times of 7,664 expected administrations (73.2%.) to 2,394 unique patients. Visits in which the questionnaire was administered averaged 39.6 ± 14.8 minutes, compared with 40.3 ± 15.2 minutes for visits in which the questionnaire was not administered (t = -1.76, df = 7,662, p = 0.079). SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: This program provides a process and a tool for successful implementation of distress screening in cancer centers, in a meaningful way for patients and providers, while meeting accreditation standards. Further, meaningful data about patient distress and tool performance were able to be collected and utilized.

Psychosocial functioning in pediatric heart transplant recipients and their families.

Across pediatric organ transplant populations, patient and family psychosocial functioning is associated with important health-related outcomes. Research has suggested that pediatric heart transplant recipients and their families are at increased risk for adverse psychosocial outcomes; however, recent investigation of psychosocial functioning in this population is lacking. This study aimed to provide a contemporary characterization of psychosocial functioning in pediatric heart transplant recipients and their families. Associations between psychosocial function, demographic variables, and transplant-related variables were investigated. Fifty-six parents/guardians of pediatric heart transplant recipients completed a comprehensive psychosocial screening measure during transplant follow-up clinic visits. Descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and independent samples t tests were performed. Forty percent of pediatric heart transplant recipients and their families endorsed clinically meaningful levels of total psychosocial risk. One-third of patients presented with clinically significant psychological problems per parent report. Psychosocial risk was unassociated with demographic or transplant-related factors. Despite notable improvements in the survival of pediatric heart transplant recipients over the past decade, patients and families present with sustained psychosocial risks well beyond the immediate post-transplant period, necessitating mental health intervention to mitigate adverse impact on health-related outcomes.