Parental acceptance of school-based universal depression screening for children and adolescents in primary and secondary school in China

Abstract Introduction School-based universal depression screening (SBUDS) is an effective method for early identification of depression. As parents are the primary decision-makers for their children’s acceptance of healthcare services, this study aims to examine rural and urban parental acceptance o...

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Main Authors: Peipei Wu, Wenjuan Huang, Feng Jiao, Guoping Chen, Ying Sun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-01-01
Series:BMC Public Health
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21311-8
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author Peipei Wu
Wenjuan Huang
Feng Jiao
Guoping Chen
Ying Sun
author_facet Peipei Wu
Wenjuan Huang
Feng Jiao
Guoping Chen
Ying Sun
author_sort Peipei Wu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Introduction School-based universal depression screening (SBUDS) is an effective method for early identification of depression. As parents are the primary decision-makers for their children’s acceptance of healthcare services, this study aims to examine rural and urban parental acceptance of SBUDS. Methods The study assessed parental acceptance of SBUDS for their children and its association with self-reported parental perception of depression (i.e., parental knowledge of depression, self-efficacy to identify child depression, and depression stigma) and parental belief regarding the benefits and risks of SBUDS. The analysis included 13,480 parents with at least one child in grades 4–12 from 29 primary and secondary schools in four cities across China. Results In this large and diverse sample, 92.4% of the participants supported SBUDS for their children despite concerns about the risks of SBUDS (e.g., accuracy and privacy of screening results). Most parents supported SBUDS starting in 4th (25.5%) or 7th (24.7%) grades, though 7.6% responded no screening should be done. Regression analysis revealed that parents with a higher level of knowledge about depression (OR = 1.496, 95%CI [1.08, 2.073]; P = 0.015) had higher odds of parental acceptance of SBUDS. However, this association was not evident among rural parents stratified by urban-rural locality. Conclusions In this survey study, most Chinese parents accept SBUDS for their children despite concerns. Guidelines for maintaining adolescent confidentiality and ensuring the accuracy of results in an SBUDS will require careful consideration. Additionally, the study findings indicate that improving parental knowledge about adolescent depression is essential for promoting parental acceptance of SBUDS.
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spelling doaj-art-f5bc67de511146a1b5d5e1c71d91b8c82025-01-12T12:43:23ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-01-012511910.1186/s12889-025-21311-8Parental acceptance of school-based universal depression screening for children and adolescents in primary and secondary school in ChinaPeipei Wu0Wenjuan Huang1Feng Jiao2Guoping Chen3Ying Sun4Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Child Health and Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Kunming Medical UniversityDepartment of Food Nutrition and School Health, Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and PreventionDepartment of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical UniversityAbstract Introduction School-based universal depression screening (SBUDS) is an effective method for early identification of depression. As parents are the primary decision-makers for their children’s acceptance of healthcare services, this study aims to examine rural and urban parental acceptance of SBUDS. Methods The study assessed parental acceptance of SBUDS for their children and its association with self-reported parental perception of depression (i.e., parental knowledge of depression, self-efficacy to identify child depression, and depression stigma) and parental belief regarding the benefits and risks of SBUDS. The analysis included 13,480 parents with at least one child in grades 4–12 from 29 primary and secondary schools in four cities across China. Results In this large and diverse sample, 92.4% of the participants supported SBUDS for their children despite concerns about the risks of SBUDS (e.g., accuracy and privacy of screening results). Most parents supported SBUDS starting in 4th (25.5%) or 7th (24.7%) grades, though 7.6% responded no screening should be done. Regression analysis revealed that parents with a higher level of knowledge about depression (OR = 1.496, 95%CI [1.08, 2.073]; P = 0.015) had higher odds of parental acceptance of SBUDS. However, this association was not evident among rural parents stratified by urban-rural locality. Conclusions In this survey study, most Chinese parents accept SBUDS for their children despite concerns. Guidelines for maintaining adolescent confidentiality and ensuring the accuracy of results in an SBUDS will require careful consideration. Additionally, the study findings indicate that improving parental knowledge about adolescent depression is essential for promoting parental acceptance of SBUDS.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21311-8AdolescentsParentDepressionSchoolsScreening
spellingShingle Peipei Wu
Wenjuan Huang
Feng Jiao
Guoping Chen
Ying Sun
Parental acceptance of school-based universal depression screening for children and adolescents in primary and secondary school in China
BMC Public Health
Adolescents
Parent
Depression
Schools
Screening
title Parental acceptance of school-based universal depression screening for children and adolescents in primary and secondary school in China
title_full Parental acceptance of school-based universal depression screening for children and adolescents in primary and secondary school in China
title_fullStr Parental acceptance of school-based universal depression screening for children and adolescents in primary and secondary school in China
title_full_unstemmed Parental acceptance of school-based universal depression screening for children and adolescents in primary and secondary school in China
title_short Parental acceptance of school-based universal depression screening for children and adolescents in primary and secondary school in China
title_sort parental acceptance of school based universal depression screening for children and adolescents in primary and secondary school in china
topic Adolescents
Parent
Depression
Schools
Screening
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21311-8
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