RESEARCH
Product Development
tScreen and TweenScreen are age- and reading-level-appropriate gamified platforms that collect all of what the AAP recommends (Adverse Childhood Experiences, Positive Childhood Experiences, positive findings, anxiety, depression, ADHD, relationships, routines, functioning with school, home, and peers, family disruptions, and suicidality) from children aged 5 to 16 in approximately 10 minutes, while in their pediatrician’s office for the annual well-child visit. Backed by artificial intelligence, the screen also collects the expression of emotion, voice shifts, and sentiment, it is truly revolutionary. In a 21st Century method, these products arm doctors, parents, and communities with real-time mental health information.
Change Is Here
The CDC reports the average delay between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis is currently 11 years; for a 6-year-old with symptoms, it will likely take until age 17 to be properly treated. Children who do not receive intervention or treatment are becoming generations of adults with adverse outcomes.
In a 2023 research study, there was an 87% correlation between the futuresTHRIVE platforms with the Pediatric Symptom Checklist, underscoring the efficacy of the TweenScreen and tScreen in identifying mental health concerns.
tScreen and TweenScreen provided a wealth of additional data, including specific areas of concern and respondents’ thoughts on related questions. For example, among the participants, 62% disclosed experiencing the loss of a loved one, with individual accounts spanning from the loss of a grandparent to the passing of a pet.
Empowered to openly articulate their feelings and thoughts stemming from these experiences, allowing for a deeper exploration of emotions (i.e. sadness), over 96% of the open-ended questions were answered.
Clinically-backed Screening
Easy to Use and Trackable
Actionable Results in Minutes
HIPAA Compliant
- the recognition that adverse psychosocial experiences in childhood have lifelong adverse effects on mental and physical health and on psychosocial status
- the high prevalence of mental health disorders and substance abuse among children and adolescents: an estimated 10% to 11% of children and adolescents have both a mental health disorder and evidence of functional impairment
- the prevalence of children who do not meet DSM-IV criteria for a disorder but who have a clinically significant impairment (“problems” in DSM-PC terminology), which is estimated to be equal to twice the prevalence of children with severe emotional disorders
- the prevalence of mental health concerns in pediatric populations
- the recognition that fully half of the adults in the United States with a mental health disorder had symptoms by the age of 14 years
- the low percentage of children receiving care for their mental health or substance abuse problems (20%)
- the shortage and inaccessibility of specialty mental health services, especially for underserved children from low-income families who do not fall within the target population of public/community mental health services
- the disproportionate effects of unmet mental health needs on minority populations
The Crisis in Numbers
Highlights from the American Academy of Pediatrics: Epidemiology of Pediatric Mental Health Disorders, Problems, and Concerns.
%
of children and adolescents in the U.S. have impaired MH functioning and do not meet criteria for a disorder
%
of school-aged children with normal functioning have parents with “concerns”
%
of adults in U.S. with Mental Health disorders had symptoms by the age of 14 years
%
of children and adolescents in the U.S. meet diagnostic criteria for MH disorder with impaired functioning
The chronically under-funded public mental health (MH) system focuses on individuals with severe impairment. There is little support for prevention or services to children with emerging or mild/moderate conditions.
National Institutes of Health:
Discussion of Assessment
Highlights from this paper are listed below. Click here to view a PDF of the original paper.
This review also provides important insights about where assessment tools are most sorely needed.
Whereas instruments to measure anxiety symptoms in adults and youths were well represented, instruments to assist in diagnosis and treatment monitoring for youth with depressive symptoms were sparse. Only one instrument for disruptive behavior disorders was identified, and this instrument can be used only for screening and/or diagnosis; not treatment monitoring/evaluation, suggesting a need for instrument development and
validation. … Diagnostic tools of overall mental health were missing for youth.
Develop guidelines.
While assessment guidelines are available for some disorders, these guidelines often do not take into account the practical constraints facing clinicians working in low resource mental health settings. Guidelines are needed for general practice and for specific disorders, with consideration of the limited time and other resources available to community clinicians.
Another largely ignored issue is the need for clinician training in the use of standardized tools. Without understanding how standardized tools can be useful clinically, they become another administrative burden with little clinical payoff (Garland et al., 2003).
Take advantage of new digital technologies.
Most measures are administered using paper-and-pencil and require time to score and interpret. With current technology we are able to develop software that scores and interprets data points, reducing clinician burden and increasing standardization. As these technologies become less expensive, clinics could use tablet technology or kiosks to administer measures while clients wait for their appointments. This information then could be transmitted to the clinician in a seamless manner that greatly enhances the accessibility and uniformity of evidence-based assessment. This may require negotiation with instrument developers as the incorporation of instruments into digital data-collection systems may not be covered under usage terms.