Accuracy of a Proactive Case Detection Tool for Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among Children and Adolescents

This study evaluates the accuracy of the Community Case Detection Tool (CCDT) in detecting children and adolescents aged 6–18 years with significant mental health care needs in a conflict-affected setting: the occupied Palestinian territory. The CCDT is developed to improve community-based detection and increase help-seeking among children and adolescents in need of mental health care. During this study, teachers and community workers were trained to use the CCDT. Children detected using the tool were invited for a structured clinical interview with a psychologist to test the accuracy of CCDT-based detection. Results show that the CCDT offers a promising low-cost solution to mitigate underdetection of mental health problems in challenging settings.