Abstract: | There is an emerging consensus among those responsible for primary health care to children that such care should not only include medical concerns but also should assist parents with common problems of development and behavior. Psychologists are increasingly included among the personnel of medical groups that provide primary care to children. A model for this relatively new type of practice is described. Such pediatric primary-care settings also offer new research opportunities for psychologists. An important public policy issue concerns how comprehensive primary health care, including psychological services, can be made accessible to all children, and how research to evaluate such services and improve their efficacy can be encouraged. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |