I am passionate about helping children thrive and have the best possible quality of life despite having a chronic illness.
Shannon Brothers, PhD

About

Biography

As a pediatric psychologist, I specialize in treating children, adolescents and young adults with epilepsy and other chronic health conditions. I am passionate about helping children thrive and have the best possible quality of life despite having a chronic illness.

I take a collaborative and goal-oriented approach with families and patients to help them find their “new normal” by building adaptive strategies to cope with illness, manage challenging behaviors, modify negative thoughts to increase self-esteem and build a positive sense of self, and problem-solve barriers to epilepsy management.

I serve as a clinical psychologist for the Division of Neurology, within the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Cincinnati Children’s. I work on a multidisciplinary team of providers that includes neurologists, pharmacists, nurses, a social worker and a dietician to provide comprehensive services to our epilepsy patients.

Having a chronic illness can feel out of your control, make you feel different than others and sometimes makes certain activities harder, such as learning and managing your emotions. Furthermore, the way children and teens cope with illness-related challenges can look different at different ages. We will work together as a team to reduce chronic illness effects and enhance your child’s quality of life.

In my research, I’m interested in improving the quality of life for children and teens with epilepsy. I’m looking for ways to help them cope with their illness and alleviate behavioral health concerns, such as anxiety and depression.

PhD: University of Maine, Orono, ME, 2018.

Residency: Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 2018.

Fellowship: Michigan Medicine, Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, 2020.

Interests

Childhood anxiety and mood concerns; coping with chronic illness; epilepsy management; adherence and self-management; behavioral modification; procedural distress; cognitive-behavioral therapy; acceptance and commitment therapy; behavioral therapy

Services and Specialties

Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology

Interests

Improving quality of life; illness coping; behavioral health concerns (e.g., anxiety, depression) of patients with epilepsy

Insurance Information

Cincinnati Children's strives to accept a wide variety of health plans. Please contact your health insurance carrier to verify coverage for your specific benefit plan.

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Publications

Screening and treatment of anxiety symptoms within an interdisciplinary comprehensive epilepsy center. Clifford, LM; Flynn, EM; Brothers, SL; Guilfoyle, S; Modi, AC. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2024; 156:109828.

Key predictors of epilepsy-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in youth with epilepsy. Brothers, SL; Clifford, LM; Guilfoyle, SM; Wagner, JL; Junger, K; Huszti, H; Modi, AC. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2023; 149:109508.

Self-Disclosure Patterns Among Children and Youth with Epilepsy: Impact of Perceived-Stigma. Clifford, LM; Brothers, SL; Lang, A. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics. 2023; 14:27-43.

Behavioral health screening in pediatric epilepsy: Which measures commonly used in the United States are 'good enough'?. Wagner, JL; Brothers, SL; Guilfoyle, SM; Modi, AC; Smith, G; Clifford, LM. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2022; 134:108818.

Fight and flight: Examining putative links between social anxiety and youth aggression. Andrews, LA; Brothers, SL; Sauve, JS; Nangle, DW; Erdley, CA; Hord, MK. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2019; 48:94-103.

Patient Ratings and Comments

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4.6
Overall Patient Rating