Clinical Pediatrics: Open Access
Open Access
ISSN: 2572-0775
ISSN: 2572-0775
Chelsea Cruz, Alicia Rossiter and Catherine G Ling
University of South Florida, USA
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Clin Pediatr
When an adolescent is facing a mental illness or attempting suicide, it prevents our military members both state side and deployed from completing their missions adequately. Adolescent patients who are presently seen at a military healthcare facility for primary care are screened using the Patient Health Questionnaire- 2 (PHQ-2). The PHQ-2 is not required to be completed at all visits with the physician. In the absence of a routine comprehensive screening 50% of adolescent depression cases are being overlooked. The PHQ-2 presently promoted by military pediatric primary care providers is not identifying over half of adolescent military beneficiaries at risk and/or presently suffering from symptoms of depression. This study will explore the use of a standardized comprehensive depression screening tool (PHQ-9 modified) among military adolescents for initial suggestive diagnosis. A voluntary anonymous online survey will be available for parents of military adolescent beneficiaries who are stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Evaluation of the survey results will reveal a comprehensive screening assessment tool�s ability to support initial diagnosis of military adolescents at risk for depression. This will be reflected through supported data of the comprehensive screening questions derived from the PHQ-9 modified identifying more individual military adolescents scoring at risk for depression that were not found at risk using questions derived from the PHQ-2. Despite numerous supporting studies, practice guidelines have not wavered and continue to diagnose less than 50% of adolescents with depression prior to adulthood, with less being diagnosed within the military adolescent population. Our goal is to identify and support the need for a routine comprehensive screening tool. With this study�s support, education initiatives will be provided to not only to clinical staff at MacDill Air Force Base but also to the United States Military�s health care providers across the nation and worldwide so that not only the adolescents at MacDill are screened properly, but those overseas as well.