Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Health Conditions

Pediatric psychology is the practice of psychology integrated within pediatric medical settings. Work in pediatric psychology settings is often consultative in nature and lends itself to brief interventions. Common settings include inpatient units, outpatient interdisciplinary subspeciality medical clinics, and integrated primary care (IPC) pediatric clinics. Additionally, outpatient treatment in pediatric psychology is typically focused on helping patients with specific behavioral and emotional targets related to medical concerns; they are brief and focused in nature. In this chapter, we provide an overview of brief models of treatment delivery in pediatric psychology, primarily the C/L model and integration of pediatric psychology into primary care. We also review emerging and existing literature on brief and intensive treatments for common presenting problems and pediatric medical conditions. Some specific interventions include, for example, use of motivational interviewing in medical settings with youth, training in pill swallowing, cognitive-behavioral treatments for chronic pain, sleep, and resilience building in youth with chronic, serious, or life-threatening illnesses (PRISM program). Pediatric psychology interventions have varying degrees of research support, some with randomized-control trial (RCT) evidence-base, some with less rigorous, open trial evidence or case-based observations, and some extrapolated as downward extensions of treatments for non-pediatric samples.