Mental Health Screening of Children

Abstract

Following a presentation by Dr. Yoshihiro Asai, “Mental Health Screening of Children in Japan”, discussion centred on questions of methodology, the instrument used, the cost funding and manpower requirement of the screening process. The screening was done by a team of psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric social workers and nurses. After the second paper, “Developmental Screening of Pre-School Children — Standardization of the Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) on Japanese Children and Its Implications for the Developmental Screening” by Dr. Reiko Ueda, questions posed were on modifications to the DDST, the variances in results, the elements of the test that were culture free and culture bound. The items modified were on language and the materials used. Also, the author commented on how climate influenced child-rearing, way of life, clothing and motor activity of the children.