Psychologists and pediatricians: Opportunities for collaboration in primary care

Abstract

Despite an early interest in pediatrics among psychologists and a natural partnership between psychology and pediatrics, psychologists' impact on services for children in primary care settings could be much greater than it is. The purpose of this article is to describe the special contributions of pediatric psychologists and pediatricians in the development of comprehensive, integrated systems of health care for children; the importance of health behavior change as a preventive measure in the lives of children and adolescents; and how psychologists, through their leadership in clinical, research, and advocacy efforts, can harness the important resources of family relationships to promote the health of children.