What is it about?
Delayed toilet training and childhood constipation can be challenging to treat. A new treatment model combined behavioral and medical treatments with collaboration from Psychology, Gastroenterology, and Child Life. Treatment was provided in a group format of with 4-6 sets of kids and parents/caregivers meeting for "Poop School" and parent education and support, respectively. The initial evaluation of this model is very promising with high reported parent satisfaction and 83.7% of children having improved symptoms.
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Why is it important?
Childhood constipation and associated delayed toilet training is very common, with estimates that 3% of all visits to a pediatrician and 25% of visits to a pediatric gastroenterologist are for these difficulties, and can have a significant impact of the child and family's quality of life and family stress. It can also be very difficult to treat, with studies showing that approximately half of children with constipation will continue to struggle with this for years after medical intervention, highlighting the need for improved treatment options and support for these children and families.
Perspectives
The development and evaluation has been one of the highlights of my career , especially having the opportunity to work alongside a such a dedicated, creative, and fun group of psychologists/psychology trainees, gastroenterologists, and child life specialists. Sharing in the success of families is an honor and being able to share this treatment model to a wider audience through this article is truly humbling.
Katherine Lamparyk
Akron Children's Hospital
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Development and evaluation of an interdisciplinary group intervention for pediatric functional constipation., Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, April 2022, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/cpp0000435.
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