Child Life Specialists' Experiences Addressing Social Determinants of Health: A Web-Based Survey

We used Google Forms to survey 110 child life specialists on their experiences addressing family psychosocial issues. Most respondents were female (99%) and white (95%), with mean age 34 ± 10 years. Ninety-five percent reported addressing family psychosocial issues during the previous 3 months, including parental separation/divorce (71%), poverty/financial needs (64%), parental mental illness (59%), substance abuse at home (54%), homelessness/housing problems (54%), bullying (49%), physical neglect (46%), physical abuse (46%), unemployment (46%), emotional neglect (45%), and hunger/food insecurity (42%). Eighty-five percent of respondents reported addressing family psychosocial issues once per month or more often, with 80% providing coping strategies, 76% providing family support, 66% providing therapeutic play, and 66% providing psychological preparation. These findings indicate that child life specialists frequently address a range of family psychosocial issues. Further research is needed to clarify the role and impact of child life services on social determinants of health.