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Pediatric Palliative Care

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Clinical Handbook of Psychological Consultation in Pediatric Medical Settings

Part of the book series: Issues in Clinical Child Psychology ((ICCP))

Abstract

The field of pediatric palliative care offers unique opportunities for pediatric psychologists to participate in enhancing the quality of life of children living with life-threatening conditions. As a member of a comprehensive care team, the role of a palliative care provider is broad and varied depending on the needs of the child and family, which include symptom management, assistance with medical decision-making, establishing goals of care, end-of-life planning, and bereavement follow-up. Consultation and support for staff and trainees are additional vital roles of the palliative care team. Whether serving as a formal member of the palliative care team or working in collaboration, contributions specific to the pediatric psychologist include psychological assessment, individual and/or family psychotherapy, and guidance to the family and medical team. Central to and cutting across all roles are the cultural and spiritual aspects of care, which are often intertwined with the ethical dilemmas that arise when children, families, and medical teams struggle to determine “the right thing to do” when facing the possibility of death. Multiple barriers to the provision of optimal palliative care exist across all levels of the health-care system. Among them is the still prevalent view that curative and palliative care are mutually exclusive when, in fact, concurrent care is the foremost goal.

The goal is to add life to the child’s years, not simply years to the child’s life.

(American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 2000)

Food, toys and love are what we need to live!

6-year-old child (Sourkes, 1995, p. 112)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Michelle R. Brown & Barbara Sourkes

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Michelle R. Brown

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Barbara Sourkes

Authors
  1. Michelle R. Brown
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  2. Barbara Sourkes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michelle R. Brown .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Service, Norton Children’s Hospital, Louisville, KY, USA

    Bryan D. Carter

  2. Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA

    Bryan D. Carter

  3. Department of Pediatrics, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Kristin A. Kullgren

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Brown, M.R., Sourkes, B. (2020). Pediatric Palliative Care. In: Carter, B.D., Kullgren, K.A. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Psychological Consultation in Pediatric Medical Settings. Issues in Clinical Child Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35598-2_36

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