12.4 Maternal Peripartum Depression Predicts Child Behavioral Screening in Primary Care at 4 Years

The objective was to examine 2 generation factors associated with positive social emotional screens for preschool mental health in pediatrics. In 2022, the AAP called for universal screening for “Behavioral/Social/Emotional” concerns at every well-child visit. This recommendation follows existing recommendations to screen for maternal depression in the first 6 months of life. The recommendation is broad and refers to a range of clinical guidelines that include attention to adverse social determinants of health and screening for mental health (MH) problems. The Brief Early Childhood Screening Assessment (B-ECSA) is a validated tool to identify MH concerns for children aged 18 to 60 months in primary care and includes caregiver stress items as well as child items.