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Practitioner Review: Assessment and Management of Somatisation in Childhood and Adolescence: A Practical Perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 1999

M. Elena Garralda
M. Elena Garralda
Affiliation:
Imperial College School of Medicine, London, U.K.
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Abstract

The assessment and treatment of somatisation in childhood require explicit recognition that many families frequently hold strong belief in the presence of physical disorders. Engaging the family, recognising and focusing on their beliefs and concerns, and paediatric/psychiatric liaison are usually required. Our knowledge on the management of children with somatisation is largely based on clinical reports but a number of open trials and methodologically increasingly stronger studies show that somatisation can respond to family treatments involving cognitive-behavioural techniques as well as to sensitive, psychologically sound advice by paediatricians. Antidepressants should be considered when there are comorbid mood disorders.

Keywords

Healthhysteriastomachachestherapy
Type
Practitioner Review
Information
The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines , Volume 40 , Issue 8 , November 1999 , pp. 1159 - 1167
Copyright
© 1999 Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry

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