Paediatric psychology in general hospital practice.
The concept of paediatric psychology is relatively recent, having evolved in 1967 in the USA, largely within general hospitals, where paediatricians were faced with numerous childhood problems requiring comprehensive medical/psychological treatment approaches. The rationale was that psychological services should be focused where the majority of problems first present, i.e. in a medical setting rather than a psychiatric hospital. Against this background, the prevalence of childhood psychopathology, as encountered at a Pietermaritzburg general hospital, is discussed. However, the increasing demand for psychological consultations raises the issue of management of these children at other general hospitals, since very few employ psychologists.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team; D002666:Psychology, Child / Q000193:education / Q000639:trends*; D013019:South Africa