Commentary: Goldilocks Revisited: Do We Need More Practice Competencies in Pediatric Psychology?

The publication of the Thompson et al. competencies framework for pediatric palliative care marks a third set of practice guidelines published. There is essential tension between specialist training in clinical child psychology (our "home" discipline) leading to further subspecialty training in pediatric psychology, the desired balance between the two, and impact on teaching, training, and patient care.

Pediatric Psychologists' Career Satisfaction: 2015 Society of Pediatric Psychology Workforce Survey Results.

Unlabelled: Little is known about the career satisfaction of pediatric psychologists, who specialize in psychological research, teaching, and clinical service in the context of pediatric healthcare. As part of the larger Society of Pediatric Psychology Workforce Survey and in collaboration with the American Psychological Association Center for Workforce Studies, this study aimed to: (1) describe the career domains which pediatric psychologists perceive to be important and their satisfaction in each domain, and (2) compare satisfaction of pediatric psychologists across work settings, number of positions, appointment duration, professional roles, career stage, academic rank, and gender. Responses from 336 pediatric psychologists demonstrated high career satisfaction.

Competencies and Training Guidelines for Behavioral Health Providers in Pediatric Primary Care.

This article focuses on the cross-discipline training competencies needed for preparing behavioral health providers to implement integrated primary care services. After a review of current competencies in the disciplines of child and adolescent psychiatry, psychology, and social work, cross-cutting competencies for integrated training purposes are identified. These competencies are comprehensive and broad and can be modified for use in varied settings and training programs.

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.

Recommendations for training in pediatric psychology: defining core competencies across training levels.

Objective: As a field, pediatric psychology has focused considerable efforts on the education and training of students and practitioners. Alongside a broader movement toward competency attainment in professional psychology and within the health professions, the Society of Pediatric Psychology commissioned a Task Force to establish core competencies in pediatric psychology and address the need for contemporary training recommendations. 

Methods:  The Task Force adapted the framework proposed by the Competency Benchmarks Work Group on preparing psychologists for health service practice and defined competencies applicable across training levels ranging from initial practicum training to entry into the professional workforce in pediatric psychology.

Determining readiness for predoctoral internship training: the process of developing a screening measure.

The purpose of this study was to illustrate the development of a screening measure to assess readiness for psychology internship training. The screening measure was comprised 13 items rated on a 4-point scale. Two program faculty members reviewed the application of each candidate independently.

The experience of secondary traumatic stress upon care providers working within a children's hospital.

This study examined the impact of routine occupational exposure to traumatic aspects of child illness, injury, and medical treatment upon care providers working within a children's hospital. Three hundred fourteen providers completed a demographic data sheet and four questionnaires. Results suggested overall that the level of Compassion Fatigue in this sample was similar to a trauma worker comparison group.

Are there psychosocial differences in diagnostic subgroups of children with recurrent abdominal pain?

Objectives: To examine psychosocial differences in diagnostic subgroups of children with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP).

Methods: Children meeting Apley's 1975 definition of RAP were divided according to physician ratings into three subgroups, based on the Rome II diagnostic criteria of functional gastrointestinal disorders: functional dyspepsia (n=17), irritable bowel syndrome (n=18), and functional abdominal pain (n=27). Groups were compared using measures of (a) child psychopathology, (b) parent psychopathology, and (c) child pain, somatization, and functional disability.

A randomized controlled trial of a cognitive-behavioral family intervention for pediatric recurrent abdominal pain.

Objective: To investigate whether the combination of standard medical care (SMC) and short-term cognitive-behavioral family treatment (CBT) in the treatment of recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) was more effective than SMC alone.

Methods: Children recently diagnosed with RAP via physician examination were randomized into SMC (n = 29) and SMC plus CBT (n = 40) groups. Outcome measures included multiple dimensions of child and parent reported child pain, somatization, and functional disability, and school absences and physician contacts.