'Needs expressed' and 'offers of care': an observational study of mothers with somatisation disorder and their children.
BACKGROUND
The abnormal illness behaviours characterising somatisation disorder may be learnt responses acquired through exposure to parental illness and health anxiety in childhood. In this observational STUDY WE EXPLORE THIS HYPOTHESIS BY EXAMINING PATTERNS OF INTERACTION IN MOTHERS AND THEIR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN.


METHODS
A sample of 136 mother and child pairs in 3 groups (42 mothers with somatisation disorder, 44 organically ill mothers and 50 healthy mothers) completed a battery of self-report and interview measures. Their interaction in semi-structured play tasks and a meal was videotaped and later analysed for the presence of 'needs' and 'offers of care' by researchers who were blind to maternal group membership.


RESULTS
During play, a greater proportion of the children of somatising mothers expressed 'health and safety' needs than did children of other mothers. In contrast, during a meal, these children expressed fewer needs of all types. Children of somatising mothers were more likely than other children to ignore their mothers' offers of care. The somatising mothers expressed more health and safety needs during the meal than did other mothers and were generally less responsive to all needs expressed by their children.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that mothers with somatisation disorder and their children interact differently than other mother-child pairs. This finding supports the theory for environmental influences in the development of this disorder.
Bialas
Ivona
I
King's College London, UK.
Craig
Tom K J
TK
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014743:Videotape Recording