Child Mental Health Treatment Outcomes Measures

Increasing the access to mental health care for children has long been a national priority. This includes providing services for low-income families in primary care settings. As a result, several standardized measures have been developed to track child mental health treatment outcomes. Many are also used internationally. However, it is important to select measures that have a proven reliability and validity. False positives can lead to inappropriate treatment. In addition, clinicians need to choose a measure with sufficient testing with diverse populations.

 

To identify child mental health measures that are widely used, the US Department of Health and Human Services conducted a study. The study focused on children with ADHD, conduct disorder, and anxiety disorders. It also evaluated the comorbidity of these conditions. One of the goals of the research was to determine whether these sub-groups of children received different levels of care. Another goal was to assess the feasibility of implementing a guided cognitive behavior therapy for childhood anxiety disorders. If you want the best Meridian Mental Health Services, visit this page.

 

Ten measures were identified and investigated. Among these, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was the most commonly used measure. Four other measures were used in the U.S., and four were used internationally. These were the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS), the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) questionnaire, the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Dysregulation Profile (SDQ-D).

 

To investigate the psychometric properties of these measures, a literature scan was conducted. A survey of the directors of county behavioral health agencies in California was also performed. Each study sample was analyzed for differences in reliability and validity according to gender and race. Additionally, the degree of testing for reliability and validity varied.

 

For most of the measures, the follow-up intervals varied widely. Over one-third of the studies administered the measure only at intake, while another third administered the measure only at the end of treatment. Only six of the measures were tested with all populations. Those that were tested with all populations had broad testing and were applied to a wide range of conditions. Those that were not tested with diverse populations had limited testing.  Get more info about Meridian Healthcare Counseling on this link.

 

Other child mental health measures that were investigated included the Pediatric Symptom Checklist, which was used to evaluate pediatric thought problems and psychotic symptoms. The Child Behavior Checklist was also tested with both Caucasian and African American youth. The CGI was tested with both Spanish-speaking and English-speaking children.

 

Several studies have evaluated the reliability of the Child and Adolescent Needs And Strengths (CANS) questionnaire. In these studies, the CANS was used with children in treatment, children enrolled in residential treatment, and adolescents residing in foster care. Some of the researchers involved in these studies are Robert Sheldrick, R. C.; John Murphy, M. P.; Paula Jensen, P. S.; Ted Clark, T. C.; Jellinek, M.; Laurent, J.; Jean-Paul Laurent, J.; John Best, E.; and Jonathan Laurent, J. They have published numerous articles on children's mental health issues.