Dm. Janicke et Jw. Finney, Children's primary health care services: A social-cognitive model of sustained high use, CL PSYCH-SC, 8(2), 2001, pp. 228-241
significant percentages of children exhibit patterns of sustained high use
of primary health care services, unfortunately, current models fail to expl
ain the processes that drive and maintain such patterns. We draw upon the p
ediatric utilization and social-cognitive literature to develop a model tha
t explains the mechanisms that ultimately drive and maintain patterns of pr
olonged high use. Specifically, wt propose that parental stress and low sel
f-efficacy for coping with various parenting and life demands interact to d
rive the utilization of pediatric services. We outlined sequelae of frequen
t physician that serve to maintain high use. This model suggests a number o
f psychological interventions that clinical health psychologists might unde
rtake to remediate inappropriate, sustained high use of children's primary
healthcare services.