Abstracts

Rationale: Despite the high rates of psychiatric co-morbidities that have been described in children with epilepsy, routine standardized assessment of mental health symptoms is often difficult to accomplish in a clinic setting. Furthermore, studies have suggested that there is a low rate of mental health service usage within this population. The primary aim of this study was to determine the utility of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ; Goodman, 1999) in identifying previously unmet mental health needs of children and adolescents with epilepsy presenting to a multidisciplinary clinic. Methods: The SDQ was administered to parents of children and adolescents (age 5-17; mean age = 10.23, S.D = 3.78; 52% male) presenting to a multidisciplinary pediatric epilepsy clinic (n = 81 to date; however, data collection is ongoing). This screening instrument is designed to quickly assess for mental health problems and impairments in children and has been validated in several populations. Parents also completed a brief questionnaire that indicates whether their child had received any previous mental health diagnoses or treatments. Results: High rates of mental health problems were reported on the SDQ with 54% of the sample scoring above established clinical cut-offs on at least one subscale (Hyperactivity = 43% in clinical range; Conduct Problems = 25%; Emotional Symptoms = 19%). No gender differences were found on any subscales. Higher rates of hyperactivity symptoms were found in younger children (r = -.23, p = .04); no other subscales were related to age. Of those patients with at least one clinical elevation, 64% were not receiving any type of mental health treatment; only 25% were participating in mental health counseling and 27% were taking a psychotropic medication. Conclusions: The SDQ is a valuable tool that can be used in an epilepsy clinic setting to identify children who have additional mental health needs. High rates of mental health symptoms, with relatively lower service usage, further highlight the need for standardized screening and psychology services within the clinic setting.