Validity of screening tools for emotional problems in school children

BACKGROUND: Emotional problems in school children may result in low level of scholastic performance. The recognition of these disorders needs effective screening tools. The choice lies between self assessment tools or observation based tools. Majority of studies use screening tools based on parental or teachers' observation. AIM: This study was designed to compare a self-assessment based screening tool (general health questionnaire; GHQ) with a parental observation based screening tool (CPMS-Childhood Psychopathology Measurement Schedule). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and eighteen school children were selected through multistage random sampling. The study was conducted in three stages. In the first stage, all the students were administered six-item version of GHQ to screen for emotional problems. Raven's Progressive Matrices was administered to evaluate IQ. In the second stage, parents assessed their child's behavior using CPMS. In the third stage, all students were subjected for detailed clinical work-up. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Criterion validity of the tools used and their comparison. RESULT: GHQ had high sensitivity and specificity compared to CPMS in relation to clinical interview. CONCLUSION: It is found that GHQ is a better screening tool than CPMS in children aged between 13 and 14 years.