Child psychiatrists' characteristics, communication, and competence as described by pediatricians in a national survey.

A nationwide survey of pediatricians was undertaken to evaluate pediatricians' attitudes and utilization patterns regarding child psychiatrists. The response of 1,089 pediatricians (69% of those surveyed) to open-ended questions in the survey are described. A wide variety of strongly-held beliefs concerning child psychiatrists' usefulness as collaborators and consultants in training and in clinical practice are identified. The implications of these findings for both medical specialties are discussed.