Screening for Mental Health, Inc.
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This is a screening tool for parents and caregivers to assess their child’s emotional and behavioural wellbeing. It is designed for children aged 4-16 years and takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. The assessment is based on the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17), a validated screening instrument used by pediatricians and mental health professionals across Canada to identify potential attention, emotional, or behavioural concerns in children. Your responses are completely anonymous and confidential. Early identification of mental health and behavioural concerns helps children receive support sooner. According to research from SickKids Hospital and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), many childhood mental health issues are highly treatable, and early intervention consistently leads to better developmental outcomes and long-term wellbeing.
Please note: This is a screening tool only and does not provide a diagnosis. It is designed to identify children who may benefit from further professional evaluation. We encourage you to discuss your results with your child’s family doctor, pediatrician, or school support team. All responses are anonymous and confidential.
Mental health challenges are common during childhood and adolescence. According to CAMH, approximately 1 in 5 Canadian children and youth experience a mental health challenge. Unfortunately, many cases go undetected and untreated. Research from Canadian pediatric centres demonstrates that early intervention significantly improves outcomes across social, emotional, and academic domains. Mental health problems can substantially affect a child’s performance at school, quality of friendships and peer relationships, and family dynamics and home life.
The PSC-17 identifies three main areas of potential concern in children:
Internalizing Problems (Emotional):
Externalizing Problems (Behavioural):
Attention Problems:
This screening can help identify signs of various conditions including anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and emotional regulation difficulties.
To complete this assessment accurately, think about your child’s behaviour over the past several months, not just recent days. Consider what’s typical for your child’s usual pattern, not just one particularly difficult week. Rate how honestly and accurately how often each behaviour occurs. Being honest helps identify whether your child may need professional support. Please complete all questions for the most accurate results.
For which child? If you have multiple children, please complete a separate screening for each child individually. Different children may have different needs and challenges.
Rating scale:
Please rate how often your child experiences each of these:
Total Score: Add up all points from questions 1-17. Total possible score ranges from 0 to 34 points.
Subscale Scores (help identify specific areas of concern):
Interpretation Guidelines:
What this means: Your responses suggest your child may be experiencing emotional, behavioural, or attention difficulties that warrant professional evaluation by a healthcare provider or mental health professional.
Next steps:
What to expect:
Important to know:
High Internalizing Score (5+): Suggests emotional difficulties such as anxiety or depression may be present.
High Attention Score (5+): Suggests possible ADHD or significant attention difficulties.
High Externalizing Score (7+): Suggests behavioural difficulties or conduct concerns.
What this means: Your child’s responses don’t suggest significant mental health concerns requiring immediate professional attention at this time. However, as a parent, you should always trust your instincts and observations.
Still seek help if:
Your Child’s Family Doctor or Pediatrician:
Your family doctor or pediatrician is the first point of contact for mental health concerns. They can provide initial assessment, refer to specialist services, and in some cases prescribe medication if clinically necessary (though this is relatively rare in children and typically reserved for specific conditions like ADHD).
School:
Speak with your child’s classroom teacher, school counsellor, or special education resource teacher about your concerns. Request a psychoeducational assessment if learning is affected. Many schools offer counselling services, social-emotional learning support, educational psychology assessments, and behaviour support plans or individualized education plans (IEPs).
Child and Youth Mental Health Services:
Provincial and territorial child and youth mental health services provide specialist assessment and treatment for children and adolescents under 18. These services require referral from your family doctor or school. They provide assessment and evidence-based treatment for moderate to severe mental health issues. Wait times vary by province and urgency of need.
Talking Therapies:
Parenting Programmes:
School Support:
Medication:
Used cautiously and conservatively in children. Primarily prescribed for ADHD or severe anxiety/depression when other interventions have been insufficient. Always provided alongside therapy and psychosocial interventions. Prescribed by a pediatrician or child psychiatrist, not typically by family doctors without specialist consultation.
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (call) or text CONNECT to 686868 – Free 24/7 counselling for children and youth across Canada
Family Services Canada: Local family resource centres providing parenting support and child mental health services
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): Provincial branches offer child and family programmes
Jack.org: Youth mental health education and advocacy
Children’s Mental Health Ontario: Resources and service navigation
Emotional Support:
Listen to your child without judgement or dismissing their feelings. Validate their emotions, even when you don’t understand them fully. Create a safe, comfortable space where they feel free to talk. Spend regular quality one-on-one time together. Consistently show unconditional love and acceptance regardless of behaviour or challenges.
Routine and Structure:
Maintain consistent bedtimes and wake times, including weekends. Establish regular, predictable mealtimes as a family. Create clear, age-appropriate, and reasonable household rules. Provide a predictable daily schedule to reduce anxiety. Set healthy limits on screen time and encourage regular physical activity and outdoor play.
Positive Discipline:
Praise specific good behaviours rather than general statements. Use natural and logical consequences when appropriate. Stay calm and regulated during difficult behaviour (children co-regulate with adults). Set clear, consistent boundaries your child can understand. Follow through consistently so your child learns predictability.
Communication:
Have age-appropriate discussions about feelings and mental health. Ask open-ended questions that can’t be answered with just “yes” or “no.” Notice and comment on changes in behaviour or mood. Take your child’s concerns and worries seriously, no matter how small they seem. Involve them in finding solutions to problems when developmentally appropriate.
When to Seek Urgent Help:
Contact emergency services immediately if your child talks about self-harm, suicide, or hurting themselves; displays severe behaviour that endangers themselves or others; experiences rapid deterioration in functioning or mental state; refuses to eat or drink for extended periods; or shows signs of abuse or trauma.
Emergency Contacts:
“Is this just a phase?”
Some behaviours are part of normal development, but if they persist for months, cause significant distress to your child, or interfere substantially with daily life, school, or relationships, it’s appropriate to seek professional advice.
“Will my child be labelled?”
Getting support early helps prevent problems from worsening and becoming more entrenched. A diagnosis, if needed, opens doors to appropriate help, school accommodations, and evidence-based treatments rather than limiting your child.
“Am I a bad parent?”
Mental health issues are not caused by bad parenting. They result from complex interactions between genetics, brain development, environment, life experiences, and biological factors. Seeking help shows you’re a caring, responsible parent.
“Will medication change my child’s personality?”
When medication is clinically indicated (which is relatively rare in children), the goal is to help your child function as their authentic self without debilitating symptoms interfering with their development, relationships, and quality of life.
“What if I can’t afford private help?”
Provincial health services for children are publicly funded and free at point of service. Community agencies and non-profit organizations also offer support programmes. Don’t let financial concerns prevent seeking help for your child.
“Should I tell my child’s school?”
Yes—schools are important partners in supporting your child’s mental health. They can provide valuable accommodations, understanding, and coordinated support that helps your child succeed academically and socially.
Ages 4-7:
Emotional regulation skills are still actively developing. Children often express psychological distress through behaviour rather than words. Play therapy is often the most developmentally appropriate and effective intervention. Parent-focused strategies and coaching are crucial components of treatment.
Ages 8-12:
Peer relationships become increasingly important to self-esteem. Academic pressure and performance expectations increase. Children can meaningfully engage in talk-based therapy approaches. School-based support and teacher involvement are essential for comprehensive care.
Ages 13-16:
Adolescent brain development creates unique vulnerabilities and strengths. Identity formation becomes a central developmental task. Teens may resist or resent parent involvement in their care. They typically want increasing independence in treatment decisions. Peer influence becomes very strong. Risk-taking behaviour naturally increases during this stage.
Different developmental stages require different therapeutic approaches and parent involvement levels—discuss age-appropriate strategies with mental health professionals working with your child.
This screening tool is based on the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17), a validated brief screening instrument used internationally to identify psychosocial problems in children.
Reference: Gardner, W., Murphy, M., Childs, G., et al. (1999). The PSC-17: A brief pediatric symptom checklist with psychosocial problem subscales. A report from PROS and ASPN. Ambulatory Child Health, 5(3), 225-236.
The PSC-17 has been validated in Canadian pediatric populations and is used across Canada by family doctors, pediatricians, and child mental health professionals for screening purposes.
This online screening tool is not a diagnostic instrument and does not provide a clinical diagnosis. It provides guidance and educational information only and cannot replace professional evaluation by a qualified healthcare provider such as a pediatrician, child psychologist, or child psychiatrist. This tool helps identify children who may benefit from further comprehensive assessment. If your child is in immediate danger or experiencing severe symptoms requiring urgent intervention, contact your family doctor urgently, call 911, or go to your nearest hospital emergency department. Trust your parental instincts—you know your child best. This tool is for informational and educational purposes only. We do not collect, store, or share any personal information (compliant with Canadian privacy legislation including PIPEDA).