Introduction to the Special Section: Psychology in Integrated Pediatric Primary Care

Interest in providing integrated psychological and medical services in pediatric primary care is growing rapidly. Efforts to incorporate psychological services into primary care settings are leading to new models and innovative approaches to evaluation and treatment in a variety of settings. Presently, there is a need to expand the empirical base for such work and to critically evaluate what is being done. The introduction to this special section discusses some of the background for the development of integrated care, and provides some context for the articles that follow. These articles address issues related to screening in integrated pediatric primary care, the variety of services provided in the context of integrated primary care, and outline the competencies needed for providing high-quality care in such settings. Suggestions for future research directions are provided.