Parental Beliefs and Support for Implementation of School-Based Adolescent Depression Screening

This poster presented findings from a national survey of 1,207 U.S. parents of adolescents ages 12-18 designed to examine parental beliefs about and willingness to consent to school-based depression screening. The survey assessed parental concern about adolescent depression, perceived self-efficacy to identify symptoms and seek help, beliefs regarding the applicability and desirability of school-based screening, specific concerns about screening procedures and follow-up, and likelihood of providing active consent.

Most parents recognized the value of screening, with three-quarters or more agreeing that early detection can help prevent adult mental health problems, substance abuse, and academic decline. Two-thirds intended to consent, 20% did not, and 13% were unsure. A multinomial regression analysis revealed that parents' likelihood of not consenting rose with stronger beliefs about undesirable effects and concerns regarding screening procedures. The findings suggest that effective parent education should address existing concerns while reinforcing the benefits of screening, with targeted outreach to parents from underrepresented groups emphasizing how to act on positive results and where to access community follow-up services.