Abstract
Mental health issues among adolescents are a public health matter that requires attention. In terms of prevention, it is important how professionals might effectively detect mental health problems in order to link youth to appropriate services. This study explores mental health screening at the primary care level. This qualitative, exploratory study utilizes the grounded theory and social constructivist approaches. Ten primary care workers from the Sacramento region were interviewed for this project. The researcher conducted a phenomenological content analysis using latent and manifest coding. Three themes emerged: 1) most primary care providers utilize methods of screening for mental health issues in adolescent patients; 2) most primary care providers have a mental health referral procedure at their work setting; and 3) primary care providers face barriers to the screening, referral, and treatment of mental health issues among adolescents. Implications for social work practice are discussed.