Robust Parental Preferences in Mental Health Screening in Youth From a Multinational Online Survey

IMPORTANCE. Screening youth for mental disorders may assist in prevention, promote early identification, and reduce related lifetime impairment and distress. OBJECTIVE. The goal was to survey parents about their comfort and preferences for pediatric mental health screening, as well as factors associated with these preferences. DESIGN. The online survey was available July 11-14, 2021 on Prolific Academic. Analyses were conducted from November 2021 to November 2022. SETTING. Online survey. PARTICIPANTS. The survey was administered to English-speaking parents with at least one 5-21-year old child at home. The sample included 972 parents, aged 21 and older, from the United States (n=265), United Kingdom (n=282), Canada (n=171), and Other Countries (n=254). EXPOSURE(S). None. MAIN OUTCOME(S)/MEASURE(S). Parental preferences regarding the screening content, implementation preferences, and screener reviewing preferences of pediatric mental health screening were assessed in a novel survey. Mixed effects logistic models were employed to evaluate factors that influence parental comfort levels. RESULTS. Parents, aged 21 to 65 (M=39.4; 62.3% female), supported annual mental health screening for their child and preferred reviewing the screening results with professional staff (e.g., physicians). Parents preferred parent-report over child self-reports, though they were generally comfortable with both options. Despite slight variations based on country of residence, screening topic, and child’s age, parents were generally comfortable discussing all 21 topics. The greatest comfort was with sleep problems; the least comfort was with firearms, gender identity, suicidality, and substance use/abuse. CONCLUSIONS/RELEVANCE. Our data indicated that parents support annual parent- and child self-report mental health screening in primary care settings, but comfort levels differ according to various factors, such as screening topic. Parents preferred screening to occur in the healthcare office and to discuss screening results with professional staff. In addition to parental need for expert guidance, the growing awareness of child mental health needs highlights the importance of addressing mental health concerns early via regular mental health screenings.