Delivery of Behavioral Health Services in a Pediatric Primary Care Setting: A Case Illustration With Adolescent Depression

Abstract

Child and adolescent psychopathology remains underassessed and undertreated in the United States. Recent shifts in integrative care have resulted in an increase in treating children and adolescents in pediatric primary care settings as behavioral health services become more available in these locations. There is limited research on brief behavioral health treatment delivered in these settings; however, there is a growing literature starting to support the efficacy of such interventions. This article describes the challenges encountered in the implementation of behavioral health treatment in pediatric care setting. It also reports on the adaptation of a CBT treatment for adolescent depression in this setting, and a case illustration is presented with promising results. Potential strategies for implementing treatment for adolescents in pediatric primary care and future directions for examining the benefits of delivering behavioral health care in this setting are discussed.