Endocrinology (General, Diabetes and Weight Management Clinics and the Gender and Sexual Development Program)

Behavioral health in the Pediatric Endocrinology Division supports efforts to encourage healthy lifestyles and metabolic control.

Endocrine clinics at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh that provide behavioral health services include:

If a patient or family member displays behaviors or emotions that negatively affect the patient’s physical or emotional wellbeing, we will request behavioral health services.

Endocrine Clinic Behavioral Health Sessions

Behavioral health sessions provide psychological therapies that address issues contrary to best practice recommendations of the endocrine team.

Topics our behavioral health clinicians address include:

  • Diabetes-related distress
  • Emotional or stress eating
  • Disordered eating
  • Mood disturbance
  • Anxiety
  • Avoidance behaviors
  • Adjustment problems
  • Grief
  • Noncompliance with treatment
  • Lack of psychosocial support
  • Sleep hygiene
  • School avoidance
  • Teasing and bullying
  • Unhealthy lifestyle

Psychological therapy within the endocrine clinics consists mostly of:

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Mental health education
  • Family systems therapy
  • Distress tolerance
  • Mindfulness
  • Healthy habits
  • Motivational interviewing
  • Interpersonal psychotherapy

Behavioral Health Treatment Plan in the Endocrine Clinic

Behavioral health assessments and treatment plans in the endocrine clinic consists of:

  • Identification of target behavior, diagnosis, and best practice treatment to improve mood and decrease behavioral disturbance.
  • Treatment adherence skill set and distress tolerance goals to improve behavior, mood, and metabolic health.
  • Evaluations for dangerous or unsafe behavior, access to firearms, smoking in the home, and abuse history.
  • Psychopharmacology consults.

Our behavioral health experts also provide mental health education on ways to cope with and manage:

  • Anxiety and/or depression
  • Illness distress
  • School avoidance
  • Sleep problems
  • Peer related teasing and bullying
  • Unhealthy lifestyle choices

Meet Our Endocrine Clinic Behavioral Health Team

Endocrine clinic behavioral health experts have a strong commitment to:

  • Continuing medical and mental health education.
  • Evidence-based practice.
  • Training students in the behavioral health field.