TY - JOUR
AU - C. Weitzman
AU - J. Guevara
AU - M. Curtin
AU - M. Macias
A1 - 
AB - Rates of mental health, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) problems in the United States continue to rise, with current estimates of 13% to 20% of children having an MEB disorder and an additional 19% with problems causing impairment or distress that do not meet diagnostic criteria for a specific disorder. This clinical report incorporates and expands on recommendations from the 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement "Mental Health Competencies for Pediatric Practice" as well as "Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care." It addresses the rising MEB needs of youth since the previous clinical report, "Promoting Optimal Development: Screening for Behavioral and Emotional Problems," was published in 2015. This report outlines specific guidance for MEB screening, identification, and care of children in pediatric primary care. Screening, as part of regular health supervision visits and surveillance, begins within the first month of life to identify postpartum depression in caregivers. Child-focused screening for MEB problems begins at 6 months of age and continues at 12-, 24-, and 36-month health supervision visits, alternating with recommended developmental and autism spectrum disorder screenings at every visit in the Bright Futures Periodicity schedule and additionally when clinically indicated. After age 3, MEB screening continues annually. This report also 1) reviews updated information on prevalence of MEB problems; 2) articulates the current state of detection of these problems in pediatric primary care; 3) addresses how to manage a positive screen; 4) describes barriers to screening, including special population needs, and potential models to address those barriers; and 5) discusses potential changes at a practice and systems level that facilitate successful MEB screening.
AD - Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.; Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at Penn, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.; Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
AN - 40850690
BT - Pediatrics
C5 - Healthcare Disparities
CP - 3
DA - Sep 1
DO - 10.1542/peds.2025-073172
DP - NLM
IS - 3
JF - Pediatrics
LA - eng
N2 - Rates of mental health, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) problems in the United States continue to rise, with current estimates of 13% to 20% of children having an MEB disorder and an additional 19% with problems causing impairment or distress that do not meet diagnostic criteria for a specific disorder. This clinical report incorporates and expands on recommendations from the 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement "Mental Health Competencies for Pediatric Practice" as well as "Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care." It addresses the rising MEB needs of youth since the previous clinical report, "Promoting Optimal Development: Screening for Behavioral and Emotional Problems," was published in 2015. This report outlines specific guidance for MEB screening, identification, and care of children in pediatric primary care. Screening, as part of regular health supervision visits and surveillance, begins within the first month of life to identify postpartum depression in caregivers. Child-focused screening for MEB problems begins at 6 months of age and continues at 12-, 24-, and 36-month health supervision visits, alternating with recommended developmental and autism spectrum disorder screenings at every visit in the Bright Futures Periodicity schedule and additionally when clinically indicated. After age 3, MEB screening continues annually. This report also 1) reviews updated information on prevalence of MEB problems; 2) articulates the current state of detection of these problems in pediatric primary care; 3) addresses how to manage a positive screen; 4) describes barriers to screening, including special population needs, and potential models to address those barriers; and 5) discusses potential changes at a practice and systems level that facilitate successful MEB screening.
PY - 2025
SN - 0031-4005
ST - Promoting Optimal Development: Screening for Mental Health, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems: Clinical Report
T1 - Promoting Optimal Development: Screening for Mental Health, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems: Clinical Report
T2 - Pediatrics
TI - Promoting Optimal Development: Screening for Mental Health, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems: Clinical Report
U1 - Healthcare Disparities
U3 - 10.1542/peds.2025-073172
VL - 156
VO - 0031-4005
Y1 - 2025
ER -