Psychological Needs and Services in a Pediatric Multidisciplinary Celiac Disease Clinic

This study aims to describe the psychological needs in children with celiac disease (CD) and to examine the feasibility of psychological consultation in a multidisciplinary clinic. Participants (N = 69) included children with CD and their parents who completed a pre-clinic mental health survey and a 30-min psychological consultation as part of a multidisciplinary clinic (including gastroenterology, nutrition, education, neurology, and neuropsychology). Quantitative and qualitative analys es examined psychological needs, experiences, and satisfaction. The psychologist identified clinically significant symptoms and provided referrals in 49% of children. There were no significant differences by time since CD diagnosis. During the psychology consultation, families discussed emotional ad justment, impact on life and physical well-being, and management of the gluten-free diet. Parents reported high levels of satisfaction from the clinic visit. We identified frequent psychological needs in pediatric CD. The multidisciplinary approach may be a feasible model for specialized, optimal tr eatment in this population.
Source: Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research