Physically manifested illness in children and adolescents. A biobehavioral family approach.
This article presents a family systems approach to the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with physically manifested illness. A biobehavioral continuum of psychologically and physically manifested disease is offered to replace the false dichotomy of organic versus psychological illness. The Biobehavioral Family Model, an empirically validated model of the mutual influence of family relational patterns and childhood illness, organizes the treatment approach. The Family Process Assessment Protocol provides a method of diagnosing the child's illness in the context of family relational functioning. Two cases, a child with conversion disorder and a child with asthma, illustrate this approach. Additional family systems approaches are referenced in a table with citations.
Wood
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Children's Hospital of Buffalo, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, New York, USA.
D000293:Adolescent; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D005195:Family Relations; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*