Brief report: the relationship between chronic illness and identification and management of psychosocial problems in pediatric primary care.
OBJECTIVE
To compare identification, management, and barriers to treatment for psychosocial concerns in children with and without a chronic illness.


METHODS
Using data from the Child Behavior Study (CBS), provider rates of identification, treatment, and reports of barriers to treatment were compared in children with and without a chronic illness. Of the 21,065 children ranging in age from 4 to 15 years, 808 children were identified with a chronic illness and were matched on eight demographic variables with 763 healthy children.


RESULTS
Providers identified psychosocial concerns in significantly more children with a chronic illness (36.8%) than healthy children (20.2%). Among children with psychosocial concerns, rates of identification, treatment, and barriers to treatment did not differ across the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic illness did not present more barriers to the management of psychosocial concerns. Increased rates of identification and treatment of psychosocial concerns require attention to general barriers to treatment and screening.
Bilfield
Shana
S
Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Ohio 44242, USA. bwildman@kent.edu
Wildman
Beth G
BG
Karazsia
Bryan T
BT
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D011584:Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires