New Guidance on Mental Health Screening in Pediatric Rheumatology

Another limitation is that the screening guidance focuses on patients 12 and older, given the available literature and the characteristics of the recommended screening tests. Dr. Rubinstein adds, however, “It really is optimal to screen children of all ages for mental health concerns. There are some measures validated for younger children, and you can always ask the parent about symptoms.”

For the exact language of the guidance statements, and for further discussion of related topics, including validated mental health measures and a list of resources for addressing mental health, please see the full guidance document.

Future Directions

“I hope people read these statements and feel empowered to make some manageable changes within their practice,” says Dr. Cunningham.

Looking to the future, Dr. Rubinstein points to the emerging area in a neighboring field, psycho-gastroenterology, which studies the interaction of psychological factors, the nervous system and gastrointestinal health. She hopes to eventually see a similar field of psycho-rheumatology, where experts can leverage their psychological tools more adroitly in the setting of rheumatic disease.

CARRA has highlighted mental health in pediatric rheumatology as a research priority, and Dr. Knight hopes to see more interventional studies in this area, which are currently less well represented in the medical literature.

“I’m hoping that this inspires the adult rheumatology community to do something like this, to also think about how they’re going to address mental health in their patients,” adds Dr. Rubinstein.

Ruth Jessen Hickman, MD, a graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, is a medical and science writer in Bloomington, Ind.

References

1. Cunningham NR, Danguecan AN, Ely SL, et al. American College of Rheumatology guidance statements for addressing mental health concerns in youth with pediatric rheumatologic diseases. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2025 Aug;77(8):953–964.
2. Edison S, Trehan N, Arntsen KA, et al. A letter in support of advocating for the whole patient: Supporting new guidance on mental health in pediatric rheumatology. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2025 Aug;77(8):951–952.
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