ABSTRACT
With the increased recognition of the importance of behavioral health difficulties among youth, the role of the pediatric primary care practice has taken on increased importance. Children and adolescents typically have a longstanding relationship with their pediatric providers and look to them for assistance for issues in their lives that extend beyond their physical well-being. To that end, there are increased expectations that such practices will routinely assess their patients and families for ongoing behavioral health difficulties. For this purpose, screening instruments that are quick and easily to administer, but are both valid and reliable, have emerged to assist in this global assessment effort. The present chapter discusses the most commonly used screening and broadband assessment instruments useful for such screening in primary care settings. It details the most commonly used and well-validated instruments for global screening: the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), ASBEA Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and related forms, and the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC).
