Telehealth for Pediatric Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

A retrospective chart review was completed to examine psychological treatment duration and response among pediatric patients with a disorder of gut-brain interaction including functional abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was delivered via telehealth with a licensed psychologist or supervised psychology trainee embedded in a pediatric gastroenterology clinic. Participants were 22 youth (mean age = 14.36 years) who received CBT via telehealth between February and September of 2021, after completing an initial evaluation between February and July of 2021. Patients completed reliable and valid self-report measures of functional disability and pain during treatment. A unique CBT model was employed with an initial focus on psychoeducation and function regardless of level of severity of functional impairment. Consistent with study hypotheses, nonparametric statistical analyses demonstrated statistically significant reductions in functional disability and pain following implementation of the CBT model via telehealth. Contrary to predictions, there was no relation found between severity of functional impairment and duration of treatment.

Utilization of Pediatric Psychology Services in Outpatient Pediatric Gastroenterology Within a Rural Health System.

Increased utilization of pediatric psychology services has been demonstrated following integration into urban pediatric gastroenterology clinics; however, examination within rural health systems is lacking. Utilization of pediatric psychology services was assessed through a retrospective analysis of Electronic Health Record data contrasting referrals occurring six months pre- and post-integration of pediatric psychology in an outpatient pediatric gastroenterology clinic within a rural setting. Significant increases in the number of referrals to pediatric psychology and number of billed initial visits were observed after integration, as was a significant decrease in time to be seen. Patients with public insurance were 3.1 times more likely to complete a billed initial visit compared with patients with nonpublic insurance. The current findings support the integration of pediatric psychology within rural outpatient pediatric gastroenterology clinics to increase utilization and allow more traditionally underserved families to benefit from these services.

Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale (PUTS): replication and extension of psychometric properties in youth with chronic tic disorders (CTDs).

Individuals with chronic tic disorders (CTDs) frequently describe aversive subjective sensory sensations that precede their tics. The first aim of the present study was to explore the psychometric properties of a standardized self-report measure to assess premonitory urges in CTDs, The Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale (PUTS), by replicating the analyses of Woods et al. (J Dev Behav Pediatr 26:397-403, 2005) using a sample twice the size of theirs. The second aim was to conduct an exploratory factor analysis of the PUTS. Eighty-four youth with CTDs, recruited from a pediatric OCD and tic specialty clinic, completed the PUTS while their caregivers completed The Parent Tic Questionnaire (PTQ) and a demographic measure. Consistent with (Woods et al. J Dev Behav Pediatr 26:397-403, 2005), the PUTS was found to be internally consistent (α = 0.82) and significantly correlated with overall tic severity as measured by the PTQ (r = 0.24, p < 0.05) as well as the PTQ number (r = 0.34, p < 0.01) and intensity (r = 0.24, p < 0.05) subscales. A factor-analysis of the PUTS revealed a two-factor solution with one factor capturing the quality of premonitory sensations while the other factor assessed the overall intensity of the urges. These results support the use of the PUTS in reliably measuring premonitory urges, particularly in children over the age of 10 years. Additionally, these findings highlight that urges are uniformly reported across gender and age and are more closely associated with number of tics than the frequency or intensity of tics.

Coordination of Self- and Parental-Regulation Surrounding Type I Diabetes Management in Late Adolescence.

Background: Type 1 diabetes management involves self- and social-regulation, with past research examining components through individual differences unable to capture daily processes. Purpose: Dynamical systems modeling was used to examine the coordinative structure of self- and social-regulation (operationalized as parental-regulation) related to daily diabetes management during late adolescence. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-six late adolescents with type 1 diabetes (M age = 17.77 years, SD = .39) completed a 14-day diary reporting aspects of self- (e.g., adherence behaviors, cognitive self-regulation failures, and positive and negative affect) and parental-regulation (disclosure to parents, knowledge parents have, and help parents provide). Results: Self-regulation functioned as one coordinative structure that was separate from parental-regulation, where mothers and fathers were coordinated separately from each other. Mothers' perceived helpfulness served as a driver of returning adolescents back to homeostasis. Conclusions: The results illustrate a dynamic process whereby numerous facets of self- and social-regulation are coordinated in order to return diabetes management to a stable state.

Adolescent Disclosure to Parents and Daily Management of Type 1 Diabetes.

Objective: To examine how adolescents' daily disclosure to parents about type 1 diabetes management may foster a process whereby parents gain knowledge and are viewed as helpful in ways that may aid diabetes management. Methods: A total of 236 late adolescents (M age = 17.76) completed a 14-day diary where they reported daily disclosure to, and solicitation from, their parents, how knowledgeable and helpful parents were, and their self-regulation failures and adherence; blood glucose was gathered from meters. Results: Multilevel models revealed that adolescent disclosure occurred in the context of greater parent solicitation and face-to-face contact and was positively associated with adolescents' perceptions of parental knowledge and helpfulness. Disclosure to mothers (but not to fathers) was associated with better diabetes management (fewer self-regulation failures, better adherence). Conclusions: Adolescent disclosure may be an important way that parents remain knowledgeable about diabetes management and provide assistance that serves to support diabetes management.

A systematic cognitive behavioral therapy approach for pediatric disorders of gut-brain interaction.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for youth with Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBIs) is effective; however, there are calls in the field to strengthen the evidence base and identify specific mechanisms of treatment that yield the most benefit for this patient population. A unique, systematic treatment approach of CBT with initial evidence for success for pediatric patients with DGBIs was evaluated to further demonstrate its clinical utility in this population. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 42 pediatric patients aged 11-17 years with DGBIs, who were diagnosed and referred for CBT by pediatric gastroenterology providers. Providers also completed a survey rating acceptability and effectiveness of CBT. The systematic CBT approach included 10 sessions delivered by a psychologist at an integrated Pediatric GI Clinic. RESULTS: Review of 42 pediatric charts showed significant decreases in self-reported functional disability, abdominal pain, as well as depression and anxiety symptoms pre- to post-CBT completion. A moderation effect was observed where patients reporting higher levels of depressive symptoms and primary symptom of abdominal pain reported smaller reductions in functional impairment compared to those with lower levels of depression and primary symptom of nausea or vomiting. Pediatric Gastroenterology providers were satisfied with this psychological treatment approach. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence for acceptability and effectiveness of implementation of a systematic CBT approach for pediatric DGBIs in an integrated GI clinic, as well as areas worthy of future research, including identifying the most important mechanisms of treatment and factors that influence treatment response.

Variability of Psychosocial Services Within the ImproveCareNow Learning Health System: Opportunities for Optimization.

Care for youth with pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the focus of ImproveCareNow (ICN), an international learning health system devoted to quality care and improved outcomes through collaboration, data sharing, and research. Known to be significantly disruptive to normative social development and quality of life, pediatric IBD significantly increases the risk of internalizing distress and secondary developmental sequelae. While multidisciplinary support including psychosocial care (from social workers and pediatric psychologists) is growing, this evidence-based and beneficial set of services is not universally available to youth with IBD. In a survey sent to the more than 100 established ICN centers, psychosocial providers attempted to identify the coverage and practice scope of psychosocial providers within the network. Results indicated that support varies widely by service type and availability of providers. Recommendations for further research and considerations for centers seeking to expand supports are considered.

Metabolic control and academic achievement over time among adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

The relation between metabolic control (HbA1c) and achievement (grade point average [GPA]) was examined over a period of 2.5 years (every 6 months) employing a dynamical systems approach that allowed for the examination of whether HbA1c was associated with change in subsequent GPA and vice versa. Metabolic control tends to deteriorate (i.e., with higher HbA1c reflecting poorer metabolic control) during adolescence. It was hypothesized that these higher levels of HbA1c would limit subsequent increases in GPA. The sample included 252 adolescents (Mbaseline age = 12.49 years, SD = 1.53; 53.6% female) with Type 1 diabetes. Mothers' report and school records provided information on relevant demographics and GPA; medical records provided values of HbA1c. Two simultaneous coupled change equations (i.e., examining current values in 1 variable associated with changes in the other) controlling relevant risk indicators (i.e., age, sex, disease duration, insulin delivery method, IQ) revealed higher levels of HbA1c limited increases in GPA. Higher levels of GPA, however, were not associated with change in HbA1c except for 2 instances where moderation existed by disease duration and IQ. Higher GPA was associated with slower increases in HbA1c over time for youth with shorter disease duration and lower IQ. These results affirm the importance of maintaining good metabolic control to facilitate adequate school performance across the adolescent years. Further, the results suggest that factors related to school achievement may protect adolescents who are newly diagnosed or who have low cognitive ability from subsequent deterioration in metabolic control. (PsycINFO Database Record