Use of the pediatric symptom checklist in the pediatric neurology population

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) as a mental health screening instrument in a busy pediatric neurology population in comparison with more lengthy, time-consuming assessment methods. One hundred two children were screened using the PSC. PSC results were compared with scores on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), results from structured interviews, and ratings of adaptive functioning using the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS). Thirty-nine of the patients (38%) scored 63 or above on the CBCL, indicating psychosocial impairment. Using a cutoff score of 22, the PSC correctly identified 35 of these 39 positive cases (sensitivity 89.7) and 48 of the 63 children with CBCL scores below 63 (specificity 76.2). CGAS scores were significantly negatively correlated with PSC scores ( r = −0.60, P