Screening for substance use and mental health problems in a cross-sectoral sample of Canadian youth

BACKGROUND: This project examines the substance use and mental health concerns of a cross-sectoral, national, service-seeking sample of adolescents and emerging adults using an extended version of the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs-Short Screener (GSS). It also aims to provide incremental evidence of the psychometric properties of the GSS. METHODS: A sample of 2313 youth aged 12–24 years who presented for service participated in the project. Youth were recruited from 89 participating services across Canada representing eight major clinical and non-clinical sectors. Participants completed the GSS and provided sociodemographic data. RESULTS: The majority of youth presenting for services endorsed concerns on the GSS and would be likely to meet diagnostic criteria for a disorder in a full diagnostic assessment according to the norms for the scale, while many endorsed multiple concerns. This was true in both clinical and non-clinical settings. Externalizing concerns and suicidality were significantly more common in younger participants, while substance use was significantly more common in older youth. Females were more likely to endorse internalizing and suicidality concerns, while males endorsed more substance use and crime/violence concerns. Internalizing and suicidality concerns were also more common in Canada’s northerly regions. The reliability of the GSS was confirmed, however the factor structure revealed problems. CONCLUSIONS: Youth presenting across clinical and non-clinical service sectors endorse high levels of need, supporting the importance of universal, cross-sectoral screening. The GSS is a practical tool that service providers across sectors can employ to identify the addiction and mental health service needs of youth, although further psychometric work is warranted. Implications for screening and treatment in community contexts are discussed.