APA Dictionary of Psychology

a framework used in pediatric health care settings for assessing distress (e.g., anxiety, depression) in families with acutely or chronically ill children and for determining the families’ need for psychosocial support. There are three levels or tiers of support included in the PPPHM, listed in increasing order of need: universal, representing families who generally are resilient and remain able to cope with their situation appropriately and to function effectively in daily life; targeted, representing families who are at increased risk of experiencing coping difficulty because of coexisting challenges (e.g., unemployment) and who thus could benefit from psychological intervention; and the clinical/treatment level, representing those families at very high risk for negative sequelae because of severe comorbidities (e.g., substance use problems) and who thus have a demonstrable need for significant psychological intervention.