Parents of children with special health care needs who have better coping skills have fewer depressive symptoms.

Objectives: Describe and quantify coping skills and prevalence of depressive symptoms in parents of children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Describe the association of coping skills with parental depressive symptoms, severity of child's condition and family demographic characteristics.

Methods: A baseline questionnaire was administered to parents of CSHCN 2-11 years old.

Characteristics of publicly insured children with high dental expenses.

Background: Dental coverage is provided for all children with Medicaid in Washington State. The goal of this study was to illuminate the characteristics of a sample of Medicaid-enrolled children with high dental expenses.

Methods: Dental care utilization data for a 33-month period were obtained from Washington State's Medicaid database.

Technology-dependency among patients discharged from a children's hospital: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Advances in medical technology may be increasing the population of children who are technology-dependent (TD). We assessed the proportion of children discharged from a children's hospital who are judged to be TD, and determined the most common devices and number of prescription medications at the time of discharge.

Methods: Chart review of 100 randomly selected patients from all services discharged from a children's hospital during the year 2000.