Health psychology for children: A step-child/stepping stone

Abstract

This paper presents the position that health psychology for children is not given proper attention in mainstream health psychology, which is primarily adult in orientation. It is proposed that the neglect of child‐related problems in the recent Proceedings of the National Conference on Training in Health Psychology exemplifies the general orientation of mainstream health psychology, which views children's health problems primarily in terms of their effect on adult health rather than as problems that need current and immediate attention. We propose that applying a developmental perspective to the health psychology field would be one way of highlighting the fact that children's problems are unique and that children need to be viewed as something other than potential consumers of adult health psychology services or as agents for the prevention of adult health problems.

Filial Therapy with Native Americans on the Flathead Reservation

“…Thus a greater emphasis in professional training on the problems of children, on childhood disorders and early indicators of later difficulties, and especially on normal growth patterns of development was seen as a more effective deployment of the limited resources of highly trained people. As advocated by professionals for the general population, providing preventative treatment for children and their families may also be the key to impacting the growing mental health needs of the Native American (Felner & Abner, 1983;Kazdin, 1993;Maddux, Roberts, & Wright, 1986). …”