Gastroenterology Special Interest Group

Mission and Goals

The Pediatric Gastroenterology Special Interest Group (PG-SIG) is a national organization affiliated with Division 54 (Society for Pediatric Psychology) within the American Psychological Association. The PG SIG's mission is to accomplish the following:

  • Facilitate the study and discussion of psychosocial aspects of pediatric gastroenterological conditions.
  • Develop collaborative relationships among practitioners who carry out psychological interventions with pediatric gastroenterological populations.
  • Promote a sharing of novel treatment approaches among pediatric psychologists working with pediatric gastroenterological populations.
  • Carry out high quality research into the psychosocial aspects of pediatric gastroenterological conditions.
  • Further develop empirically supported treatment protocols specific to different pediatric gastroenterological conditions.
  • Promote awareness about the significance and importance of psychosocial issues within the pediatric gastroenterology population.
  • Educate clinical professionals about the psychosocial issues which may affect the child or adolescent with a gastroenterological condition.
  • Engage in professional dialogue about the role of the pediatric psychologist in sections or departments of gastroenterology.
  • Foster cooperation and multidisciplinary collaboration among professionals working in different disciplines to improve the lives of children and adolescents with gastroenterological conditions.

The PG SIG maintains an external website (http://pgsig.weebly.com) that includes various resources, including a referral list of GI mental health providers, a list of assessment measures for GI populations, opportunities for research networking and collaboration, and a comprehensive list of internship/postdoctoral training sites that offer GI-specific rotations and/or GI experience. Some of these resources are password-protected, but individuals can obtain the password by contacting either of the SIG co-chairs.

Leadership

Jessica Buzenski, PhD, co-chair

Lauren Potthoff, PhD, co-chair

Join

SPP invites members with a shared interest to consider joining one or more Special Interest Groups (SIGs) by logging into the Member Portal and going to "Join a SIG/RIG/Affinity Group" on the dropbox.