Pediatric psychology is a branch of applied psychology studying the influence of disease and its treatment on the child, the child’s behaviour and maturation and family and social relations. Alongside the growth of pediatric psychology, a research data base also grew and researchers focused on research stemming from models and theories, thus providing this field with a scientific basis. This article provides an overview of the development of pediatric psychology in Croatia and the world. A special emphasis is placed on research aimed at assessing psychosocial adaptation and coping with the disease as well as assessing the efficiency of psychological interventions in medical situations. Three biopsychosocial models of adaptation to disease are also presented, chosen for their broad inclusiveness and numerous empirical evaluations: the model of risk and safety factors (Wallander and Varni, 1998), the transactional model of stress and coping (Thomson, 1985) and the biobehavioral model of family systems (Wood, 1993)

pediatric psychology, psychosocial adaptation, psychological intervention, health, chronic disease