Abstract
Background and Objective. This study is a qualitative analysis examining caregivers' expectations for pediatricians with regard to behavioral health care. Methods. Fifty-five parents/caregivers of children seen in an urban primary care clinic participated in semistructured interviews. Participants were parents or guardians of children between the ages of 2 and 17 years, referred from the pediatric clinic to the mental health center. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory methods. Results. Pertinent themes were the following: expected range of care, components of an effective primary care provider (PCP) relationship, action of the PCP, and parent reaction to PCP intervention. Forty-seven percent of caregivers saw the PCP role as strictly for physical health care; 53% expected the PCP to have a role in both physical and behavioral health. Responses were overwhelmingly positive from caregivers when the PCP asked about or conducted a behavioral health intervention. Conclusion. Caregivers did not consistently expect but responded positively to PCPs engaging around behavioral health concerns.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 888-893 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Clinical pediatrics |
Volume | 54 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2015 |
Keywords
- Behavioral medicine
- Community mental health services
- Pediatrics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health