Summary

A child presents with weight loss, fatigue, and stomach pain. Is the diagnosis psychological, as in an eating disorder? Might it be medical, as in a GI disorder? Could it be both?

A young adolescent is assessed to have a gastrointestinal disorder. Do you take puberty into account when planning treatment?

Complex overlapping of physical and psychological symptoms is a hallmark of cases such as these - and a major factor in making diagnosis and intervention difficult.

In Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disorders:Biopsychosocial Assessment and Treatment, authors Cunningham and Banez pool their considerable expertise to give practitioners working with children a state-of-the-art, biopsychosocial grounding in this challenging area of practice:

- In-depth overview of pediatric gastrointestinal disorders, their prevalence and etiology

- Descriptions of the most common disorders (including irritable bowel syndrome, recurring abdominal pain, rumination disorder, and fecal incontinence), with their typical psychological and behavioral symptoms

- Conceptual and theoretical perspectives informing the authors' biopsychosocial approach

- Reviews of empirically-based, clinically sound assessment and treatment strategies

- Case studies applying this knowledge in real-world detail, demonstrating collaborations between clinicians, patients, and families

Its lucid presentation, level of detail, and commitment to integrative care make Assessment and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children an important resource for children's practitioners in both the medical and mental health fields. By featuring examples ranging from toddlers to teens, the authors have modeled a continuum of developmentally appropriate treatment.