RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of a screening instrument and parent handouts on pediatric residents' discussions of and interventions for children's behavioral and emotional problems. METHOD: Four pediatric residents and 52 parent-child dyads attending an ambulatory pediatric primary care clinic participated in the study. We used a multiple baseline design across residents. We assessed the effect of the interventions by measuring nine target behaviors of the pediatric residents. RESULTS: After being trained to use the screening instrument, residents increased the number and variety of questions they asked regarding behavioral and emotional issues. Residents' attempts at intervention showed small but consistent increases when handouts on behavior management procedures were made available for distribution to parents. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a screening instrument in pediatric primary care shows promise for increasing discussions between residents and parents about children's behavioral and emotional issues. Further research should examine strategies to improve pediatric residents' attempts at intervention for behavioral and emotional problems in children.
