SURVEY OF PEDIATRICIANS MANAGEMENT-PRACTICES FOR RECURRENT ABDOMINAL-PAIN

Surveyed general pediatricians (N = 116) regarding six content areas: (a) diagnostic procedures utilized during the initial evaluation seque nce of a child with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP); (b) factors that i nfluence decisions to order additional evaluations; (c) management pra ctices following negative evaluation results; (d) factors influencing decisions about consultation with or referral to a mental health profe ssional; (e) attitudes about the etiology of RAP; and (f) the frequenc y in which pediatricians encountered children with RAP and referred th em to mental health services. Results of this survey are presented and discussed from a biopsychosocial perspective. Limitations of the surv ey, implications of the results for integrating mental health professi onals into the evaluation and treatment process of RAP patients, and d irections for future research are discussed.