Parental expectations regarding discussions on psychosocial topics during pediatric office visits

Parents from urban (n=67) and suburban (n=76) primary care settings responded to a survey determining the extent to which 9 common psychosocial concerns have affected their children. Parents also reported their expectations of their pediatrician to discuss such topics during a health care visit. Within both settings, discipline was the most frequently experienced (41%), commonly discussed (34.3%), and frequently expected (75.4%) topic to be discussed. The frequency of discussions on psychosocial topics was less than half that of the actual reported occurrence of the psychosocial concern. When discussions on psychosocial topics did occur, however, most parents (87.3%) perceived pediatricians as helpful.