Pediatrics
For Children and Adolescents:
- The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (ACAP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and Children’s Hospital Association (CHA)have declared a national emergency for children and adolescent mental health.1
- Rates of childhood mental health concerns and suicide rose steadily between 2010 and 2020, and by 2018, suicide has become the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24.1
For Postpartum Mothers:
- Nationally, about 1 in 8 women experience symptoms of postpartum depression. Rates vary by state, and can be as high as 1 in 5 women.2
- Tragically, 10% of postpartum psychosis cases result in suicide or infanticide. 3
Recommendations
All Adolescents
- The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Children’s Hospital Association (CHA), and American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) recommend that children aged 12-18 should be screened for depression.4
Adolescent Females
- The Women’s Preventive Services Initiative (WPSI) recommends screening for anxiety in women (including pregnant and postpartum) and adolescent females 13 and older who are not currently diagnosed with anxiety disorders.5
Postpartum Mothers
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorses routine screening for postpartum depression using a validated tool, such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen (EPDS), at the 1-month, 2-month, 4-month, and 6-month well visits.6
Barriers to Pediatric Screening of Depression & Anxiety
❌ AAP guidelines were released in 2018, so not all pediatric practices have adopted the standard.
❌ Distribution, scoring, and assessment of mental health surveys adds administrative burden to busy practices.
❌ Lack of child and adolescent mental health resources make it difficult for patients to find treatment requiring a psychiatrist or therapist.
The Good News Is…
Mind Bend’s Pediatric & Postpartum Mental Health Program is designed to address the specific issues that pediatric offices face in detecting child, adolescent, and postpartum depression and anxiety.
Get Started
1. Kuntz, Leah. Child and Adolescent Mental Health: A National Emergency. (n.d.). Psychiatric Times. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-a-national-emergency
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Depression Among Women. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/depression/index.htm#Postpartum
3. Statistics on Postpartum Depression – Postpartum Depression Resources. (n.d.). PostpartumDepression.org. https://www.postpartumdepression.org/resources/statistics/#:~:text=Tragically%2C%2010%25%20of%20postpartum%20psychosis
4. Screening for Depression in Children and Adolescents: Recommendation Statement. (2016). American family physician, 93(6), 506–508.
5. Gregory, K. D., Chelmow, D., Nelson, H. D., Van Niel, M. S., Conry, J. A., Garcia, F., Kendig, S. M., O’Reilly, N., Qaseem, A., Ramos, D., Salganicoff, A., Son, S., Wood, J. K., & Zahn, C. (2020). Screening for Anxiety in Adolescent and Adult Women: A Recommendation From the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative. Annals of Internal Medicine, 173(1), 48–56. https://doi.org/10.7326/m20-0580
6. Rafferty J, Mattson G, Earls MF, Yogman MW; Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health. Incorporating recognition and management of perinatal depression into pediatric practice. Pediatrics. 2019;143(1):e20183260