Pediatric Psychology

Pediatric psychology is a growing focus for the lab, concerned with how chronic childhood illness affects children’s development and family life, and with the forms of support that are most useful to families. The current work is on sickle cell disease in Kenya, building on earlier research in the United States. The lab is extending this work to other conditions, including childhood cancer and children living with HIV, as well as to pediatric palliative care, which cuts across illnesses.

Current

Psychosocial Needs in Sickle Cell Disease Kenya Documents the psychosocial burden sickle cell disease places on young people and families in western Kenya, and returns those findings to three hospitals as the starting point for designing support. DIRA: Peer Navigation for Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease Kenya An eight-session psychosocial program for adolescents living with sickle cell disease, delivered one to one by trained young adults living with the same condition.

Past

Sickle Cell Disease and Cognitive Functioning United States Earlier research on how sickle cell disease affects children’s cognitive development, on physical growth as a marker of neurocognitive risk, and on early digital tools for managing pain. HIV Disclosure Readiness Zimbabwe A prospective study of how and when caregivers tell children about an HIV diagnosis, and what they understand afterward.