28.8 PEDIATRICIAN STIGMA: LIMITATIONS TOWARD MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN THE PRIMARY SETTING Article (Faculty180)

cited authors

  • Imfeld, Samantha; Darang, Dyan; McVoy, Molly; Neudecker, Mandy

description

  • Objectives Mental health disorders are widespread, affecting up to 1 in 5 children and adolescents in the United States. Although mental health disorders are highly prevalent, only marginal portions of children and adolescents receive adequate treatment and supportive mental health services. Access to specialized mental health care is unfortunately limited and, consequently, pediatricians remain the source of much of the information and care that children with mental health disorders receive. While pediatricians are continuing to treat and manage mental health, limited research suggests that pediatricians report inadequate training and experience with diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions. There is potential that this may perpetuate stigma toward this already vulnerable patient population, contributing to suboptimal treatment of mental health disorders in the pediatric setting. Public and self-stigma have been studied regarding mental health disorders in youth. However, pediatrician stigma toward mental health has not been well delineated. The purpose of this scoping review was to focus on identifying barriers to mental health, specifically related to pediatricians’ stigma. Methods Our team searched PsycINFO, PubMed/MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE, The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Embase with terms related to stigma, pediatricians, and mental health disorders. New research articles were included after review that addressed stigma in pediatricians treating youth with mental health disorders. Results Our initial search produced 457 titles. There were 23 articles selected for full-text review, of which 8 met the inclusion criteria. The total sample of primary care pediatricians was 1571. We found only a limited number of studies looking into physician-based perceptions or stigma. Conclusions While many of the studies discussed perceptions, discomfort, beliefs, and attitudes, the word “stigma” was not used in most studies. While these are all within the realm of stigma, it is essential for a physician to be able to reflect and recognize personal perceptions of the patient population under their care. With limited data on pediatrician stigma toward mental health, including diagnosis, treatment, and management, more studies are needed to further understand how this is impacting patient care. CC, OTH

publication date

  • 2020

published in

start page

  • S205

volume

  • 59