Measuring Disparities in the Impact of COVID-19 on Pediatric Mental Health in Primary Care Settings.

Objectives: To examine disparities in mental health diagnosis, depression screening, and depressive symptoms in pediatric primary care settings before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to evaluate the use of electronic health records to study temporal trends in pediatric mental and behavioral health (MBH).

Methods: This is an IRB-approved, retrospective study of pediatric patients (n=10,866) who visited three primary care sites at an academic medical center before (2017-2019) and during (2020-2022) the COVID-19 pandemic. We used logistic regression to compare rates of diagnoses, depression screening, and depression symptom scores among demographic groups.

Adverse childhood experiences, health behaviors, and associations with obesity among youth in the United States.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) affect almost half of youth in the U.S. and are linked to a host of deleterious medical and psychosocial outcomes.

Psychopathology and Adolescent Bariatric Surgery: A Topical Review to Support Psychologists in Assessment and Treatment Considerations.

The rising rates of severe obesity among adolescents in the United States indicate a dire need for more intensive weight management strategies. While current evidence suggests that bariatric surgery is a safe and efficacious intervention for adolescents, the linkages with psychopathology before and after surgery are not well understood. Psychologists are an integral part of the interdisciplinary surgery team and play an important role in preparing youth for bariatric surgery as well as supporting adolescents post-surgery.

Psychologists' Leadership Roles and Leadership Training Needs in Academic Health Centers.

Psychologists are increasingly called upon to become more involved in academic health centers (AHCs) as leaders across a range of leadership roles in areas such as the clinical, teaching, and research missions, and in the administration thereof. Similarly, expansion of psychologists' service in national associations, boards, and other forums is increasing. This paper attempts to delineate the nature and extent of psychologists' involvement in leadership roles and their needs for professional leadership development to assist them in securing and succeeding in these positions.

Community Healthcare and Technology to Enhance Communication in Pediatric Obesity Care.

Childhood obesity continues to be a critical healthcare issue and a paradigm of a pervasive chronic disease affecting even our youngest children. When considered within the context of the socioecological model, the factors that influence weight status, including the social determinants of health, limit the impact of multidisciplinary care that occurs solely within the medical setting. Coordinated care that incorporates communication between the healthcare and community sectors is necessary to more effectively prevent and treat obesity.

Pediatric Psychologists' Collaboration in a National Pediatric Obesity Initiative: A Case Study in Interprofessional Collaboration.

Health Care reform calls for collaborative team-based care; psychologists must therefore strengthen their competencies for work in interprofessional clinical care settings. Toward that end, a group of psychologists participated with physicians, dieticians, physical activity specialists, nurses, and others in a national interprofessional workgroup focused on pediatric obesity. The interprofessional group was designed to identify areas in need of national advocacy, key assessment and treatment concerns, and gaps in internal policies and procedures in children's hospitals.

Academic Health Center Psychology Representation to the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

This paper outlines the perspectives of the two currently appointed representatives of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) to the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The authors focus on why it is important for psychologists, especially those in academic health centers (AHCs), to be part of CFAS. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate how involvement in organizations like the AAMC helps AHC psychologists serve as ambassadors for psychology in AHCs and assists AHC psychologists in staying fluent regarding hot topics within academic medicine.

Expectations for Treatment in Pediatric Weight Management and Relationship to Attrition.

Background: Attrition in pediatric weight management negatively impacts treatment outcomes. A potentially modifiable contributor to attrition is unmet family expectations. This study aimed to evaluate the association between adolescent and parent/guardian treatment expectations and attrition.

Topical Review: Building Competency: Professional Skills for Pediatric Psychologists in Integrated Primary Care Settings.

OBJECTIVES : In the midst of large-scale changes across our nation's health care system, including the Affordable Care Act and Patient-Centered Medical Home initiatives, integrated primary care models afford important opportunities for those in the field of pediatric psychology. Despite the extensive and growing attention, this subspecialty has received in recent years, a comprehensive set of core professional competencies has not been established. METHODS : A subset of an Integrated Primary Care Special Interest Group used two well-established sets of core competencies in integrated primary care and pediatric psychology as a basis to develop a set of integrated pediatric primary care-specific behavioral anchors.

Factors Associated with Attendance after Referral to a Pediatric Weight Management Program.

Objective: To evaluate factors affecting attendance or nonattendance at an initial interprofessional pediatric weight management visit after referral. We hypothesized that increased severity of obesity, farther distance from the program, lower education level of the primary caregiver, public insurance or no insurance, and lower socioeconomic status would all decrease likelihood of attending initial visit after referral.

Study Design: We examined referral and visit data over 4 years and 5 months.

Introduction to the Special Issue: Invited Papers from the 2015 APAHC Conference.

The 7th biennial National Conference of APAHC, the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers, was held in Atlanta, Georgia, February 5-7, 2015. Speakers were invited to contribute manuscripts based on their conference presentations, and many submitted manuscripts for this special edition of the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings. Some papers will appear in the December 2015 issue of JCPMS; others will appear in the March 2016 issue.

Addressing prediabetes in childhood obesity treatment programs: support from research and current practice.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prediabetes have increased in prevalence among overweight and obese children, with significant implications for long-term health. There is little published evidence on the best approaches to care of prediabetes among overweight youth or the current practices used across pediatric weight management programs.

Methods: This article reviews the literature and summarizes current practices for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of prediabetes at childhood obesity treatment centers.

Romantic partners, friends, friends with benefits, and casual acquaintances as sexual partners.

The purpose of this study was to provide a detailed examination of sexual behavior with different types of partners. A sample of 163 young adults reported on their light nongenital, heavy nongenital, and genital sexual activity with romantic partners, friends, and casual acquaintances. They described their sexual activity with "friends with benefits," as well as with friends in general.

Adolescents' working models and styles for relationships with parents, friends, and romantic partners.

This study examined the links among adolescents' representations of their relationships with parents, friends, and romantic partners. Sixty-eight adolescents were interviewed three times to assess their working models for each of these types of relationships. Working models of friendships were related to working models of relationships with parents and romantic partners.