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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
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Unmet developmental, behavioral, and psychosocial needs in children attending pediatric outpatient clinics

Anthea Rhodes1, Emma Sciberras, Frank Oberklaid

  • 1Centre for Community Child Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia. anthea.rhodes@rch.org.au.

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|July 10, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Many children and families in pediatric clinics have unaddressed developmental, behavioral, or mental health concerns. Pediatricians often miss opportunities to discuss these issues, impacting timely intervention for child development and family well-being.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Healthcare
  • Child Development
  • Family Medicine

Background:

  • Pediatric outpatient clinics serve numerous children with potential developmental and behavioral issues.
  • Parents attending these clinics may also experience mental health challenges and lack adequate psychosocial resources.
  • Early identification and intervention are crucial for positive child development and family well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of developmental/behavioral concerns in children.
  • To assess parental mental health problems and family psychosocial resources.
  • To evaluate the extent to which pediatricians discuss these issues during consultations.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study at a pediatric outpatient clinic.
  • Involved families with children aged 4-8 years.
  • Utilized validated questionnaires (SDQ, PED-S, K6, FRS) to assess child development, parental mental health, and family resources, with post-visit parent reporting on discussion topics.

Main Results:

  • 26% of children had behavioral concerns; 24% language, 11% motor development concerns.
  • 64% of families reported inadequate psychosocial resources; only 7% discussed parental mental health.
  • Discussions on development occurred in 39% of consultations, behavior in 46%, and psychosocial resources in <10%.

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of children and families present with unaddressed concerns in pediatric outpatient settings.
  • Key issues like developmental delays, behavioral problems, parental mental health, and psychosocial needs are frequently overlooked in consultations.
  • Missed opportunities for discussion hinder timely interventions, impacting child development and overall family health outcomes.
Abstract

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