Since the introduction of the youth practice nurse (POH youth) in Dutch general practice, children with psychological problems are increasingly seen by this healthcare professional. In a recently published study, our colleague Dr. Heike Gerger, together with researchers from the Department of General Medicine of the Erasmus Medical Center, investigated which problems POH’s youth mainly see and treat in the Rotterdam region, how they treat these children, how many consultations these children have with the POH’s youth and how often these children are ultimately referred to specialized mental health care. This study is based on a database of general practitioner files from practices in Rotterdam and the surrounding area. Among the 375 children studied, anxiety-related problems were, in addition to behavior-related complaints, the second most common reason for consultations among POH youth.

Evaluation of practice nurses’ management of paediatric psychosocial problems in general practice | Journal of Public Health | Oxford Academic (oup.com)

This research builds on previous research by the group into the treatment of anxiety problems in children within general practice:

Anxiety problems in children and adolescents: a population-based cohort study on incidence and management in Dutch primary care | British Journal of General Practice (bjgp.org)

GPs’ and practice nurses’ views on their management of paediatric anxiety problems: an interview study | BMC Primary Care (springer.com)