Pediatric Mental Health Integration Linked to Better Perceived Care Quality

An observational survey published in Pediatrics examined access to behavioral and mental health (B/MH) professionals and its relationship to pediatricians’ perceptions of care quality and moral distress. Administered during enrollment in the 2022 American Board of Pediatrics Maintenance of Certification program, the voluntary survey included 5,321 respondents, with a 55.2% response rate. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for demographic and practice characteristics.

Overall, 68.3% of respondents (3,634) reported access to B/MH professionals in their primary clinical setting; social workers were the most commonly available professionals (53.1%; 2,825). Access varied markedly by specialty: 97.9% of critical care pediatricians reported access, compared with 55.4% of general pediatricians. Availability of a B/MH professional was associated with lower odds of perceived suboptimal care quality (odds ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66–0.93), but not significantly with moral distress in the full sample.

Higher levels of integration were likewise associated with lower odds of reporting suboptimal care. Associations with moral distress were generally absent, except in a subspecialty subsample. These findings suggest that integrated B/MH services may support clinicians’ perceptions of care quality. However, the voluntary, observational survey cannot establish causality, and perceived quality does not demonstrate improved patient outcomes. Full-text details were unavailable for this update.