title: [Conversion symptoms in childhood and adolescence].
abstract: Departing from a review of definitions of conversion phenomena and hysteria, the necessity to conceptually disentangle these two terms, particularly in childhood and adolescence, becomes evident. Divergent literature reports concerning occurrence rates, gender and age distributions, symptomatology, therapy, and long-term outcome hardly justify the notion of a conversion syndrome representing a clearly distinguishable clinical entity. Thus, it is recommended that diagnosis and treatment of conversion symptoms should not depend on restrictive theoretical considerations. In accordance with the wide range of underlying aetiological factors, the suggested strategy rather emphasizes the advantages of supplementing a basic understanding of the involved psychodynamic aspects by the application of behaviour therapy as well as family therapy techniques.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005196:Family Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007046:Hysteria / Q000175:diagnosis; D011379:Prognosis; D011599:Psychopathology; D012803:Sick Role
vernacular_title: Konversionssymptomatik im Kindes- und Jugendalter.