Single-session interventions (SSIs) are an innovative, scalable approach for addressing the unmet behavioral and mental health needs of pediatric patients and their families. Specifically, digital SSIs, which are self-guided and delivered online, offer a low-cost and accessible approach but are currently underutilized in pediatric psychology. This topical review aims to describe SSIs broadly and the specific need for digital SSIs, explore potential applications within pediatric psychology, outline future directions and considerations, and present two examples of community-engaged digital SSI design. SSIs evidence small to medium effects across a range of mental health concerns, including distress, anxiety, and depression, supporting their broad applicability. Incorporating community voices during the development process is essential to ensure SSIs are contextually relevant in pediatric populations. Two illustrative SSIs currently in development within pediatric psychology are described: (1) an intervention supporting adolescent siblings of children with cancer and (2) a program targeting depression in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Both examples incorporate input from key community members, underscoring the value of participatory design in enhancing intervention relevance and impact. SSIs offer a brief and scalable strategy to help address gaps in psychological care, particularly for youth and families with limited access to services. Pediatric psychologists are well positioned to develop, evaluate, and implement SSIs across diverse populations and intervention targets. Ensuring the effectiveness, equity, and sustainability of SSIs will require ongoing collaboration with community partners and integration across pediatric care settings.

To examine the social experiences of youth with Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). This systematic review synthesizes findings from 18 qualitative studies (2014-2024) based on a search from four databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO). The studies were assessed for quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Checklist (CASP, 2024). Six key themes emerged: (1) Physical Barriers to Social Interaction, (2) Lack of Understanding from Others, (3) Enacted Stigma, (4) Anticipated Stigma, (5) Internalized Stigma, and (6) Resources. The review findings support increasing public awareness, fostering peer support, enhancing self-advocacy skills, and implementing stigma-reduction strategies to better support the social functioning of youth with JIA. Future research should explore long-term effects of stigma and evaluate targeted interventions to improve social experiences and quality of life for this population.

This study investigated factors associated with socioemotional outcomes in preschool-aged siblings of children and adolescents/youth with chronic conditions and special care needs (CYSHCN) and examined whether parenting influences these outcomes. This cross-sectional study included 123 healthy preschool-aged siblings of CYSHCN receiving care in Brazil. Socioemotional outcomes were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and parenting was measured using the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC). Data analysis included bivariate tests to explore associations between predictors and socioemotional outcomes followed by structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine direct and mediated pathways via parental sense of competence. Final model demonstrated satisfactory fit (χ2/df = 2.24, CFI = 0.969, TLI = 0.950, SRMR = 0.073, RMSEA = 0.082). Half of the preschoolers scored in the "abnormal" range (according to SDQ classification) for socioemotional difficulties, with conduct problems most prevalent. Socioemotional problems were associated with greater clinical severity of the CYSHCN. The analysis using SEM showed that parental competence mediated the relationship between CYSHCN clinical severity and healthy sibling's socioemotional outcomes (indirect effect a*b = 0.075, p = .046; 21.3% mediation). This study focused on preschool-aged children, a sensitive period for socioemotional development that remains underexplored in research on siblings of CYSHCN, and demonstrated that they are at an increased risk for socioemotional difficulties, especially when the condition of the CYSHCN is more severe. Parental competence plays a mediating role and may buffer this association, highlighting the need for interventions that strengthen parenting to promote better child outcomes.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a stigmatized and impairing chronic disease frequently diagnosed during adolescence. Adolescents with IBD may benefit greatly from psychosocial support, with early literature indicating effectiveness of formal mentorship programs for mentee-related outcomes. However, limited research has examined the mentor experience within IBD populations. The present study qualitatively examined the perspectives of young adult mentors participating in a peer mentorship program for adolescents with IBD. Young adults with IBD participated as mentors in the virtual iPeer2Peer © mentorship program across three tertiary pediatric centers. Twelve mentors participated in the present study through two focus groups. Interviews were analyzed following reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes were developed: (1) program delivery, (2) perceived value of participating in the program, and (3) membership dynamics. Mentors discussed logistical aspects of program implementation, including training needs, challenges in working with adolescent mentees, and factors shaping the in-call experience. The personal value of mentoring others was underscored, including growth within mentors' own IBD journey, enhanced interpersonal qualities, and perceptions of making a difference. Finally, mentors highlighted the importance of a strong mentorship relationship and factors which supported growth over time. Present results underscore the benefit of peer mentorship in IBD, highlight the importance of incorporating lived experience in patient care, and provide important avenues for improvement of mentorship programs within the healthcare context. Further research is needed to continue to advance understanding of peer mentorship in IBD and its implementation within clinical care.

Family-based weight teasing is a common and harmful experience among adolescents. However, most research treats the family as a unitary source, with little examination of how weight stigma manifests from different family members. This study examined associations between weight teasing from 11 types of family members with adolescents' weight bias internalization (WBI), body appreciation, binge eating with loss of control (BE-LOC) and overeating, and unhealthy weight control behaviors. A national sample of 1,073 U.S. adolescents (ages 10-17) completed online questionnaires. Hierarchical linear and logistic regressions assessed the incremental predictive value of weight teasing from parents, stepparents, siblings, and extended family, controlling for sociodemographic covariates. Weight teasing from female relatives-mothers, sisters, stepmothers, aunts, and cousins-was consistently associated with negative adolescent outcomes, including elevated WBI, lower body appreciation, and increased disordered eating. Adolescents with normative body mass index (5th-84.9th percentile) reported the highest rates of family teasing. Teasing from male relatives (e.g., fathers, brothers, grandparents) showed weaker or inconsistent associations. Weight teasing from specific family members, especially female relatives, has distinct implications for adolescent health. Pediatric providers should screen youth of all body sizes and consider family-level interventions that extend beyond parents to address teasing from siblings and extended relatives.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on children's well-being. This study examines the mental and physical health of youth infected with SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to uninfected youth and infected youths' functioning across pandemic waves. Baseline parent-proxy and self-report questionnaire data from SARS-CoV-2-infected and uninfected youth were collected as part of a multisite, prospective, longitudinal observational study to evaluate clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection in youth. Measures included the Developmental Profile-4, PROMIS scales, and the CoRonavIruS health Impact Survey. Data on 684 infected and 147 uninfected youth (median age = 8.9 years) were analyzed. There was no difference between groups regarding developmental concerns. When controlling for age/gender, caregivers of infected youth reported worse youth global health, physical functioning, cognitive functioning, pain interference, fatigue, and sleep disturbance compared to caregivers of uninfected youth, ps < .05. Infected youth reported worse fatigue and sleep disturbance compared to uninfected youth, ps < .05. Anxiety, depressive symptoms, and peer relationships did not differ between groups. Infected youth categorized as "at risk" were more likely to be female, older, have a pre-existing condition, were infected during the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 wave, or were infected more than 90 days prior to baseline. Baseline data from a large cohort study indicate that the physical functioning of youth infected with SARS-CoV-2 was worse than that of uninfected youth, but mental health concerns were comparable. Data may reflect the direct impact of SARS-CoV-2 on physical health and the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all youths' mental health. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04830852.

Advancements in immunosuppression have remarkably improved short-term allograft outcomes for adolescents with chronic and end-stage kidney disease (CKD/ESKD). However, long-term outcomes remain suboptimal, with nearly 35.4% of patients losing their allograft within 10 years. Adolescents are a high-risk group for premature graft loss and increased mortality compared with other age groups, and this is hypothesized to be partially due to higher rates of treatment nonadherence and underlying psychiatric comorbidities. This scoping review provides an overview of existing interventions that were designed to improve treatment adherence among adolescent patients with CKD/ESKD. A comprehensive search of existing studies was conducted using four databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science. Data were charted using an Excel spreadsheet, and information extracted included author, year, country, study design, sample characteristics, interventions, measures, and key findings. Based on the inclusion criteria, nine studies were included in this review. Five articles focused on the pre-transplant phase, where participants either had early stages of kidney disease, were on dialysis, or were waitlisted for a transplant; and four focused on implementing interventions to improve adherence post-transplant. The findings offer valuable insights for the field, particularly the importance of implementing multicomponent interventions that target the developmental and psychological needs of adolescent patients. Critical knowledge gaps and implications for future research directions to improve adherence and long-term outcomes for this population are emphasized.

There are different profiles of modifiable psychosocial resources and risk factors among adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) that predict long-term differences in diabetes distress, diabetes management behaviors, and glycemic outcomes. Similarly, there may be distinct profiles of resources and risk factors prior to adolescence. Profiles could be used to identify which types of youth might benefit most from targeted intervention before the challenging teen years. The present study sought to identify subgroups of pre-adolescents based on empirically derived profiles of modifiable resilience-enhancing resources and risk factors. One-hundred six caregivers and 101 pre-adolescents with T1D ages 9 through 12 years participated in a one-time survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups and to assess subgroup relations with covariates and distal outcomes. Two subgroups provided the best fit to the data. Hypothesized profiles with higher versus lower levels of resilience factors were associated with diabetes outcomes in the expected directions. There were clinically and statistically significant differences between subgroups, such that the Higher Resilience Factor subgroup had lower hemoglobin A1c, engaged in more diabetes management behaviors, and experienced less diabetes distress than the Lower Resilience Factor subgroup. It is possible to identify subgroups of pre-adolescents based on profiles of modifiable individual- and family-based resources and risk factors. Indicators of collaborative caregiver involvement, diabetes-related family conflict, negative thoughts, diabetes strengths, and diabetes self-efficacy appear especially useful for identifying a more "at-risk" subgroup of pre-adolescents who may benefit most from targeted psychosocial intervention.