Ongoing Special Issues

Special Issue on Evidence-based Interventions in Pediatric Psychology

Guest Editor: Tonya Palermo, PhD

This special issue is intended to provide an update and expansion to the series on empirically supported treatments published in 1999 in Journal of Pediatric Psychology (JPP). The theme of the issue is systematic reviews and meta-analyses in pediatric psychology: cross-cutting intervention approaches. Invited systematic reviews (with or without meta-analysis) will be performed within 12 identified topic areas. A working committee (composed of Tonya Palermo, Chris Eccleston, Christine Chambers, Grayson Holmbeck, Dave Janicke and Christopher Cushing) has developed a set of author instructions and review guidelines to provide authors with guidance on the review structure, methodology and reporting so as to obtain some elements of uniformity in the presentation of reviews and to obtain the same evaluation of the strength of the body of evidence for each intervention. The first phase of work has been completed; all of the author teams have been invited and have developed review protocols describing their intended approach to the systematic review. Currently, the author teams are conducting searches and carrying out the systematic reviews.

We are partnering with Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology (CPPP) to have tandem issues on this topic. Bryan Carter, PhD, will serve as guest editor for a special issue on evidence-based interventions for CPPP.

Review Topics


Review protocols have been developed by each author team and can be accessed by contacting the authors:

  • Needle pain
    Authors: Kathryn Birnie, Lindsay Uman, Melanie Noel, Christine Chambers, Jennifer Parker, Patrick McGrath, Steve Kisely
    Working Title: Systematic review of psychological interventions for needle-related pain and distress in children and adolescents.
    Contact Information: Kathryn Birnie  or Christine Chambers
  • Injury prevention
    Authors: David Schwebel, Ben Barton
    Working Title: Behavioral interventions to improve child pedestrian safety: A Meta-Analytic Review
    Contact Information: David C. Schwebel, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Health promotion
    Authors: Christopher C. Cushing, Margaret S. Bonner, Dawn K. Wilson
    Working Title: Systematic review and meta-analysis of health promotion interventions for children and adolescents: An examination of ecology
    Contact Information: Christopher C. Cushing, PhD, Oklahoma State University, Department of Psychology, 116 North Murray, Stillwater, OK 74078 
  • Chronic pain
    Authors: Emma Fisher, Lauren Heathcote, Tonya Palermo, Amanda Williams, Jennifer Lau, Christopher Eccleston
    Working Title: Systematic review of psychological therapies for children with chronic pain
    Contact Information: Emma Fisher, Centre for Pain Research, 1 West, 3.18, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY
  • Encopresis
    Authors: Kurt A. Freeman, Andrew Riley, Danny C. Duke
    Working Title: Encopresis: A random-effects meta-analysis of behavioral treatment
    Contact Information: Kurt A. Freeman, Oregon Health & Science University
  • Neurocognitive interventions
    Authors: Keith O. Yeates, Cathy Catroppa, Celia Godfrey, Kristen Robinson
    Working Title: Systematic review and meta-analysis of neurocognitive interventions for children with central nervous system disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders.
    Contact information: Keith Yeates, Section of Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43205
  • Obesity
    Authors: David M. Janicke, Ric G. Steele, Crystal S. Lim, Lisa M. Clifford, Elizabeth M. Schneider, Sarah C. Westen, Julia K. Carmody
    Working Title: Systematic review of comprehensive Behavioral family lifestyle interventions addressing pediatric obesity
    Contact Information:  David M. Janicke, University of Florida
  • Adherence to treatment regimens
    Author: Ahna Pai
    Working Title: Psychological interventions to promote treatment adherence in children and adolescents with chronic illness
    Contact Information: Ahna Pai, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
  • Parent and family-based interventions
    Authors: Emily Law, Emma Fisher, Bonnie Essner, Jessica Fales, Chris Eccleston
    Working Title: Systematic review of parent and family-based interventions for children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions
    Contact Information: Emily Law, Seattle Children’s Hospital
  • Sleep interventions
    Authors: Lisa Meltzer, Jodi Mindell
    Working Title: Evidence-based behavioral interventions for pediatric insomnia
    Contact Information: Lisa Meltzer, National Jewish Health
  • Feeding problems
    Authors: Colleen T. Lukens, Alan Silverman
    Working Title: Systematic review of psychological interventions for pediatric feeding problems
    Contact Information: Colleen Lukens, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Grief/bereavement interventions
    Authors: Cynthia Gerhardt
    Working Title:  A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions for bereaved children
    Contact Information: Cynthia Gerhardt, Nationwide Children’s Hospital