About this Research Topic
Globally, mental health disorders and related impairments are the largest contributors to the burden of disease in children and adolescents; with estimates of over 50% of youth meeting criteria for at least one mental health disorder during childhood. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an existing youth mental health crisis, highlighting the inadequacy of existing service systems to meet youth mental health needs, and broadened already large disparities in access to care. Although pediatric models of integrating mental health services into primary care have long been recommended to increase mental health access and clinical outcomes, they are less studied and less broadly implemented than adult models. In addition, less is known about the financing and sustainability of such models. Despite being less studied, pediatric settings are unique in their potential to build wellness using prevention and early identification/intervention approaches to care.
While models of integration originally developed for adults (e.g., collaborative care models) tend to be disorder-specific (e.g., targeting particular diagnosable conditions), youth and their families present with a wide range of needs that evolve over time and intersect with other systems (e.g., education). The goals of this Research Topic are (1) To highlight emerging models (as well as their associated implementation and/or clinical outcomes) of pediatric integrated care that can address the unique needs of youth and families; (2) To advance our understanding of the specific challenges and facilitators of developing, evaluating, implementing, and sustaining pediatric integrated care models in a range of health system contexts; (3) To describe the role of pediatric integrated care within the larger mental health and primary care service system context; (4) Define and assess the components, resources, and policies required to ensure the successful implementation and sustainment of pediatric integrated care.
Themes of submitted articles may include:
- Emerging models of pediatric integrated care, including models targeting prevention and/or inter-generational/family-based interventions
- Evidence of effectiveness of models for access to and utilization of appropriate levels of care and impact on patient outcomes
- Strategies for implementation and sustainment of integrated care, including in low-resource settings
- Scoping or systematic reviews summarizing previous research on integrated care for pediatric populations
- Adaptations to integrated care and provisions made in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Cross-sector partnerships that connect the family, medical, and other important child and family support systems.
While models of integration originally developed for adults (e.g., collaborative care models) tend to be disorder-specific (e.g., targeting particular diagnosable conditions), youth and their families present with a wide range of needs that evolve over time and intersect with other systems (e.g., education). The goals of this Research Topic are (1) To highlight emerging models (as well as their associated implementation and/or clinical outcomes) of pediatric integrated care that can address the unique needs of youth and families; (2) To advance our understanding of the specific challenges and facilitators of developing, evaluating, implementing, and sustaining pediatric integrated care models in a range of health system contexts; (3) To describe the role of pediatric integrated care within the larger mental health and primary care service system context; (4) Define and assess the components, resources, and policies required to ensure the successful implementation and sustainment of pediatric integrated care.
Themes of submitted articles may include:
- Emerging models of pediatric integrated care, including models targeting prevention and/or inter-generational/family-based interventions
- Evidence of effectiveness of models for access to and utilization of appropriate levels of care and impact on patient outcomes
- Strategies for implementation and sustainment of integrated care, including in low-resource settings
- Scoping or systematic reviews summarizing previous research on integrated care for pediatric populations
- Adaptations to integrated care and provisions made in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Cross-sector partnerships that connect the family, medical, and other important child and family support systems.
Keywords: Pediatrics, Integrated Care, Prevention, Implementation Science, mental health
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
