Psychiatric Care for Children with Chronic Medical Illness
Dr. Annabel Kuhn is a board-certified psychiatrist who completed her residency at Harvard and her fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital. She works with children living with gastrointestinal, endocrine, rheumatologic, neurological, pain, and other chronic medical conditions.
Chronic illness can contribute to anxiety, depression, medical trauma, treatment fatigue, sleep problems, school avoidance, social isolation, and changes in identity or independence. Psychiatric symptoms may also overlap with the illness itself or arise from its treatment.
Her approach addresses the child's emotional health as part of their overall medical care, not separate from it.
Every family begins with a brief phone conversation before scheduling an evaluation.
Where Dr. Kuhn Fits In
Dr. Kuhn does
- Treat anxiety, depression, and medical trauma related to chronic illness
- Help children and families cope with uncertainty, procedures, and changes in functioning
- Address school avoidance, social isolation, and treatment fatigue
- Account for the child's diagnoses, current treatments, and potential interactions when considering medication
- Communicate with the relevant medical specialists
Dr. Kuhn does not
- Diagnose or manage the underlying medical condition
- Order or interpret medical testing
- Adjust medications prescribed by other specialists
- Provide medical monitoring, nutrition management, or pain procedures
What Families Often Notice
The psychiatric burden of chronic illness in children is frequently underestimated. Families often describe:
Dr. Kuhn's Approach
Care begins with an evaluation of at least two hours, starting with a separate 60 minute virtual appointment with parents or caregivers. For a child with a long illness history, that history is long, and it usually has never been assembled in one place by one person who had the time to look at all of it.
Dr. Kuhn then spends about 60 minutes with the child, usually with a parent present for at least part of the visit. She wants to understand the child as an individual, and she also observes how the child and parents communicate, since chronic illness reshapes family dynamics in ways that matter to treatment.
Much of the clinical work is disentanglement. Fatigue, poor sleep, low mood, and difficulty concentrating can come from the illness, from its treatment, from the psychological weight of being sick, or from a distinct psychiatric condition, and often from several at once.
When considering medication, she accounts for the child's diagnoses, current treatments, and potential interactions, and communicates with the specialists who prescribe them.
Who Dr. Kuhn Coordinates With
With medically complex children, the information needed to understand the psychiatric picture is spread across several people and settings. With your consent, Dr. Kuhn gathers it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which chronic conditions does this cover?
Psychiatric care for children with gastrointestinal, endocrine, rheumatologic, neurological, pain, and other chronic medical conditions. The specific diagnosis matters less than the situation, which is a child whose mental health needs sit alongside an ongoing medical illness. If you are unsure whether your child fits, the ten-minute call is the place to ask.
Does Dr. Kuhn treat the medical condition?
No. Dr. Kuhn is a psychiatrist. She does not diagnose or manage the underlying illness, order medical testing, or adjust medications prescribed by other specialists. She treats the child's mental health while considering the full medical picture, and coordinates with the team already involved.
My child is terrified of procedures and appointments. Is that something you treat?
Yes. Medical trauma and procedural anxiety are common in children who have spent years in medical settings, and they are treatable. This includes fear of needles, scans, and hospitalizations, as well as distress that developed after a difficult admission or a frightening event during treatment.
Can you tell whether my child's symptoms are from the illness or from depression?
Distinguishing between them is a central part of this work. Fatigue, sleep disruption, poor concentration, and low mood can arise from the illness, from its treatment, from the burden of being chronically sick, or from a separate psychiatric condition, often in combination. A thorough evaluation that includes the full medical timeline is how that gets sorted out.
How often would my child be seen?
As often as clinically needed. Many psychiatrists can only offer appointments every one to three months. Because Dr. Kuhn maintains a limited patient panel, she has availability to see children more frequently when the situation requires it.
Our Location
Brookline, MA 02446
Virtual appointments available throughout Massachusetts
Located on Beacon Street near Coolidge Corner, one mile from Boston Children's Hospital and the Longwood Medical Area.
Start With a 10-Minute Call
Before scheduling an evaluation, Dr. Kuhn speaks with a parent or caregiver by phone for about ten minutes. It is a chance to describe what your child needs, ask about her approach, and decide together whether this practice is the right fit.
Request a Call