Mental, Behavioral and Development Health

ASSESSMENT

Initiatives undertaken by health-care providers in various states could serve as models for improving mental health services across the country. In Texas, for example, pediatricians, psychiatrists, and family physicians have worked in concert to expand critical mental health services for children, said Stephen Barnett, MD, clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas, who participated in a symposium Friday at the American Academy of Pediatrics national conference in Washington, D.C. The session spent an entire afternoon looking at ways to integrate mental health care into the medical home.

Parental drinking can cause a child to have problems in school, somatic complaints, or other difficulties. Pediatricians need to uncover alcohol addictions and tactfully and firmly steer parents toward appropriate help.