Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

The Dispatch has an article on the front page this morning about TeenScreen, a program the Pickerington school district is using to prompt students to ''divulge anxiety, suicidal thoughts, drug use, obsession with hand-washing and more''.

This is a terrible idea.

The program is voluntary, and parents currently need to give their permission for their teen to take the test. However, the possibility exists that the permission could become passive, which means parents will need to opt-out rather than explicitly give permission.

But my objects go far beyond this. TeenScreen, in my opinion, represents an intrusion into the personal lives of teenagers that is unwarranted and belongs with the family.

The article states that the test doesn't diagnose problems but connects kids to the help they need. What's the difference?

What happens if a teen's test results show a mental problem? Does it go on her record? What if she refuses treatment? Can it be forced on her?

Here's another problem I have with it: I gather from the article treatment is either drugs or counseling. I believe children are prescribed way too many drugs for the ''problem'' of just being kids. The drugs commonly prescribed to children are quite toxic, and kids who shoot up schools (like Columbine) are usually on them. The FDA finally put a black box warning on the SSRI antidepressants noting that they can actually CAUSE suicidal thoughts and behavior.

Here's something else: counseling is almost a requirement in our society, but have any studies been done to show it is effective? Yeah, it feels good to tell someone your problems and have them agree that the people in your life are louses, but does it make anyone better? And can't you get that from a friend for free?

Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative commentator, wrote an article in 2004 about such a program titled ''No Child Left Unmedicated''. Read it and be frightened. http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/phyllisschlafly/2004/11/23/13742.html

According to Ms. Schlafly, in the Columbia University pilot program for TeenScreen, one-third tested ''positive'' for mental health problems. Is it really that many kids who have problems, or is the problem the test?

Also, according to www.teenscreentruth.com, TeenScreen has an 84% false positive rate. 84%!!!! It also states ''As far as the reliability of screening, in 2004, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) stated that they ''found no evidence that screening for suicide risk reduces suicide attempts or mortality.'' Furthermore, they found ''insufficient evidence that treatment of those at high risk reduces suicide attempts or mortality.'' ''


It's deplorable that the PLSD is hurting for money, space and has declining test scores, yet is able to find resources for this test.

This is my formal notice to the Pickerington school district that you do not have permission to test any child of mine for mental problems.

TeenScreen DPS-8 used by PLSD

Diagnostic Predictive Scales DPS-8 (Youth)
1. ?“This interview (survey) is designed to be used by qualified professional as an aid to diagnosis. It is not a substitute for a thorough clinical evaluation?”.
1. ?“Who spent the most time taking care of you in the past 3 months?:
Both parents
Mother, only
Father, only
Grandparents (s)
Sister/brother
Aunt/uncle
Foster parents
Other adult?”
2. ?“In the last three months did you have trouble seeing the chalkboard?”?
3. ?“Do you wear glasses?”?
4. ?“Have you seen an eye doctor about this?”?
5. ?“In the last three months?….did you have a toothache?”?
6. ?“Have you seen a dentist about this?”?
SECTION A
1. ?“In the last three months?….have you often felt very nervous and uncomfortable when you have been with a group of children?…say, in the lunchroom at school or at a party?”?
2. ?“Have you often felt very nervous when you had to do things in front of people?”?
SECTION B
1. ?“For this question, I want to know if you have ever had a sudden attack of feeling very afraid. In the kind of attack, I mean someone becomes very afraid even though there is nothing around them to frighten them. Sometimes they feel they can?’t breathe?…sometimes their heart beats very fast. The attacks come on very suddenly, then goes away, but they get afraid that the attacks might come back. In the last three months have you had an attack when all of a sudden you felt you were very afraid or strange?”?
2. ?“Have you had a time when you were suddenly feeling like you were suffocating or you couldn?’t breathe?”?
3. ?“Do you have asthma?”?
4. ?“The only time you felt afraid or couldn?’t breathe was when you were having an asthma attack?”?
SECTION C
5. ?“In the last three months?….Have often worried a lot before you were going to play a sport or game or some other activity Have you had a lot of headaches?”?
6. ?“In the last three months have you had other aches and pains?”?
7. ?“Are you the kind of person who is often very tense, or finds it very hard to relax?”?
SECTION D
8. ?“Some young people have times when one thought comes into the mind over and over again. When people have these thoughts they usually get upset, because the thoughts are strange. No matter how hard they try the thoughts keep on coming back.
Now I am going to ask you if you have had thoughts like these in the last three months. Have you had to count things over and over again? Or make yourself do things a certain number of times?”?
9. ?“In the last three months?…was there a time when you washed your hands or body over and over again or changed your clothes many times each day because you thought they were dirty?”?
10. ?“Have you often felt you should check on things over and over again? For example: checking that the front door is locked?…or the stove is turned off or that something else was done, though you knew it had been done?”?
11. ?“In the last three months?….have you often worried that things you touch are dirty or have germs?”?
12.?“Have you had any other thoughts that kept coming into your mind over and over again that you couldn?’t get rid of?”?
1. ?“In the last three months?…
Have you done things like counting, checking, washing, over and over again because you like to do these things?”?
2. ?“Have you done these things like counting, checking, washing, over and over again, only because you?’ve been told by someone else to make sure that you?’ve done them right?”?
3. ?“In the last three months?…
Have you wished you could stop yourself doing things like counting, checking or washing over and over again?”?
11. ?“Have you spent a lot of time each day doing things like counting, checking or washing over and over again?…say, for as long as an hour?”?

DPS-8 Part 2

SECTION E
12. ?“In the last three months?…
Has there been a time when nothing was fun for you and you just weren?’t interested in anything?”?
13. ?“Has there been a time when you had less energy than you usually do?”?
14. ?“Has there been a time when you felt you couldn?’t do anything well or that you weren?’t as good-looking or as smart as other people?”?
15. ?“In the last three months?…
Has there been a time when you thought seriously about killing yourself?”?
16. ?“Have you tried to kill yourself in the last year?”?
17. ?“Has there been a time when doing even the little things made you feel really tired?”?
18. ?“In the last three months?…
Has there been a time when you couldn?’t think as clearly or as fast as usual?”?
?“I have just asked you about the last three months. Now, I want you to think about the last year?”.
SECTION F
19. ?“The next questions are about you use of alcohol-beer, wine, wine coolers, or hard liquors like vodka, gin or whiskey. Each can or bottle of beer, glass of wine or wine cooler, shot of liquor, or mixed drink with liquor it it counts as one drink.
In the last year?…Have you had six or more drinks?”?
20. ?“Did you get in trouble with the police when you were drunk or because you had been drinking?”?
21. ?“In the last years?…
Did you get into arguments with your family or friends because of drinking?”?
22. ?“Did you miss school to go drinking or because you were hung over?”?
SECTION G
23. ?“In the last year?…
Have you used marijuana six or more times?”?
This would be a normal affirmative as it is a likely chance that many ?“normal?” adolescents today would use marijuana six times or more in a year.
24. ?“Did you miss school to use marijuana or because you were too high
on marijuana to go to school?”?
25. ?“In the last year?…
Did you get into arguments with your friends and family because you were using marijuana?”?

DPS-8 Part 3

SECTION H
26. ?“Have you used any opiates to get high. This includes things like codeine, Demerol, morphine, percodan, methadone, Darvon, opium, Delaudid, Talwin and so on?”.
?“In the last year?…
Have you used any of these to get high?”?”?
27. Have you used any kind of hallucinogen? This includes LSD or ?“acid?”, mescaline, peyote, DMT, psilocybin and so on. Have you used one of these?
28. In the last year?…
?“Have you used stimulants or amphetamines?…like speed, diet pills, Benzedrine, methamphetamine or anything like that to get high?”?
29. ?“Have you used cocaine or ?‘crack?’??”
30. ?“In the last year?…Have you used heroin?”?
31. ?“Have you used PCP or ?“Angel Dust?”?
32. ?“In the last year?…Have you used ecstasy?”?
33. ?“Have you used any inhalants?…like glue, cleaning fluid, gasoline or paint to get high?”?
34. ?“How often did your parents feel worried or concerned about the way you were feeling or acting?
a. A lot of the time
b. Some of the time
c. Hardly ever
d. Not at al?”
35. ?“Were they worried or concerned because of:
a. You were feeling anxious or worried?
b. You were feeling sad or depressed?
c. Problems with your behavior?
d. Problems with alcohol or drugs?
e. Other things you did?
36. How often did you parents get annoyed or upset with you because of the way you were feeling or acting?
a. A lot of the time
b. Some of the time
c. Hardly ever
d. Not at all
37. Were they annoyed or upset because of:
a. You were feeling anxious or worried?
b. You were feeling sad or depressed?
c. Problems with your behavior?
d. Problems with alcohol or drugs?
e. Other things you did?