The Relationship Between Social Risks and the Mental Health of School-Age Children in Primary Care

The study's goal was to measure the association between social risks and the mental health of school-age children in primary care. We conducted a cross-sectional study in an urban safety-net hospital-based pediatric clinic using data collected from 2 standardized screening tools administered at well-child care visits for children age 6 to 11. Psychosocial dysfunction was measured with the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (PSC-17), and 6 social risks (caregiver education, employment, child care, housing, food security, and household heat) were measured with the WE CARE screener. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to measure the association between scores while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Among N = 943 patients, cumulative social risks were significantly associated with a positive PSC-17 total score (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–1.5; P = .02), indicating psychosocial dysfunction. Children with ≥3 social risks were 2.4 times more likely to have a positive PSC-17 total score compared to children with