[1] The goal was to make researched and validated screening questionnaires available for voluntary identification of possible mental disorders and suicide risk in middle and high school students.

[10] From 2003 until 2012, the program was offered nationally[5] in schools, clinics, doctors' offices and in youth service environments such as shelters and juvenile justice settings.

[6] As of August 2011[update], more than 2,000 primary care providers, schools and community-based sites in 46 states offered adolescent mental health screening through the TeenScreen National Center.

Surgeon General David Satcher, who launched a "Call to Action" in 1999 encouraging the development and implementation of safe, effective school-based programs offering intervention, help and support to young people with mental health issues.

[6] In addition, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended in 2009 that mental health screening for teenagers be integrated into routine primary care appointments.

[14] In a later review, published in 2009, the task force found that there was evidence supporting the efficacy of screening tools in identifying teenagers at risk of suicide or mental health disorders.

[16] A subsequent study by the researchers, in 2009, found that screening appeared to increase the likelihood that adolescents would receive treatment if they were at risk for mental health disorders or suicide.

Of those students identified as at-risk, a significant majority (76.3 percent) completed at least one visit with a mental health provider within 90 days of screening.

[19] Researchers have also found evidence to support the addition of mental health screenings for adolescents while undergoing routine physical examinations.

[20] Recommendations endorsing adolescent mental health screening have been issued by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF).

[7] The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends assessment of mental health at primary care visits and suggests the use of validating screening instruments.

[21] There is opposition to mental health screening programs in general and TeenScreen in particular, from civil liberties, parental rights, and politically conservative groups.