Aim To evaluate the validity of the World Health Organisation (WHO) – 5 wellbeing index as a screening tool for Psychological status in children with diabetes

Methods All children from the age of seven were provided annually WHO– 5 wellbeing psychology screening in our outpatient clinic. We studied the validity of this tool in providing information on the psychology status and picking up any patients needing psychology input.

Results A total of 51 screening episodes in 26 patients were evaluated. The age group of these patients varied from 8 years to 16.5 years. The screening score varied from 5 to 24. We noticed that none of the patients with a screening score above 20 had any psychological problems. 3 patients had a screening score of less than 10. Although all three denied any psychological problems at the time of screening, with time all three of them needed referral to Psychologist. When the score was between 12 and 16, we noticed that the parameters, feeling fresh and rested or active and vigorous to be unreliable and all the eight patients who scored low for these components subsequently scored above 20 and did not have psychological problems. 32 screening episodes from teenagers had a score of 2 or less for feeling fresh and rested. Three patients who scored 2 or less for being cheerful or life filled with things that interest me, had psychology problems and needed psychologist problems.

Conclusion WHO5 screening tool seems to be effective in screening those without psychological problems with a score above 20 and those with psychological problems when the score was below 10. When the score was between 12 and 16, feeling fresh and active were unreliable parameters and lower scoring for feeling cheerful and life filled with things interesting me, seems to be more predictive of the need for psychology help.