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Mothers' help-seeking for pediatric psychosocial problems
Meghan Barlow1, Beth Wildman, Terry Stancin
1Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
Clinical Pediatrics
|March 1, 2005
Summary
Mothers facing child psychosocial concerns often seek help from various sources beyond pediatricians. These alternative resources provide useful support, highlighting a gap in pediatrician identification of these issues.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare
- Child psychology
- Maternal mental health
Background:
- Pediatricians face challenges in identifying psychosocial problems in children.
- Maternal disclosure of concerns is crucial but often limited.
- Mothers may seek support from sources other than their child's pediatrician.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if mothers seek and receive help for psychosocial issues from alternative sources.
- To understand the utility of these alternative help sources for mothers.
Main Methods:
- Study involved 50 mothers with children aged 4-13 years.
- Participants attended routine health supervision visits at a low-income county hospital.
- Data collected on mothers' help-seeking behaviors and satisfaction with received support.
Main Results:
- Mothers actively utilize multiple sources for assistance with child psychosocial concerns.
- The help obtained from these diverse sources is perceived as beneficial by mothers.
- Findings suggest mothers are not solely relying on pediatricians for psychosocial support.
Conclusions:
- Mothers are resourceful in seeking and utilizing external support systems.
- Healthcare providers should recognize the importance of non-pediatrician support networks.
- Implications for improving psychosocial problem identification in pediatric care are discussed.