The Collaborative Role of Psychologists in Rural Pediatric Primary Care Settings

Abstract

In this dissertation I discuss research conducted to gain a greater understanding of the unique collaborative needs and desires of medical professionals working with pediatric patients in rural communities. Specifically, I researched the following question: Do medical professionals working in rural areas desire more in-depth collaborative relationships with mental health professionals than they currently have? I acquired information on this subject by mailing surveys to primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and family practice doctors to learn more about their opinions regarding collaboration with mental health professionals. I collected data over a one-month period, resulting in 11 completed surveys being returned. After collecting data on the physicians’ needs, desires, and barriers to collaboration, I examined the descriptive statistics of the surveys. This study found that, in general, most physicians have not had enough mental health training to adequately screen clients for mental health issues or to know what services mental health professionals can provide their patients. It also indicated that there are many unique barriers that prevent physicians in rural areas from collaborating as much as they desire