Integrated Behavioral Health Services and Psychosocial Symptoms in Children

Are integrated pediatric behavioral health services associated with improved psychosocial symptoms in children who receive care at federally qualified health centers?This cohort study included 942 unique children aged 4 to 18 years with an identified behavioral health concern at 4 Massachusetts federally qualified health centers with integrated behavioral health care. Receipt of encounters with behavioral health clinicians and psychotropic prescriptions were associated with improved psychosocial symptoms, although there was no association of community health worker encounters with changes in symptoms.These findings suggest that integrated behavioral health treatment at federally qualified health centers may improve psychosocial symptoms among children identified with behavioral health concerns.

Corresponding Author: R. Christopher Sheldrick, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 222 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545 (radley.sheldrick@umassmed.edu).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.