An investigation of health anxiety in families where children have recurrent abdominal pain.
OBJECTIVE
To explore health anxiety in children with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) using a symbolic play assessment.


METHODS
Children with RAP and two control groups (with asthma and well children) were recruited. Eighty-four families completed play and questionnaire assessments of health anxiety and psychological functioning.


RESULTS
Children with RAP demonstrated less use of psychological descriptions for feelings than control children, and were more likely to represent serious outcomes to health scenarios than well children, but not children with asthma. Mothers of children with RAP had higher levels of health anxiety, and rated their children as having more physical symptoms and anxiety.


CONCLUSIONS
The symbolic play paradigm provided discriminating insights into health anxiety in children. The findings suggest that childhood RAP may be associated with higher levels of parental health anxiety. These aspects of family functioning might usefully be explored in families where a child has RAP.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK. paul.ramchandani@psych.ox.ac.uk
Paul G
PG
Ramchandani
Lynne
L
Murray
Gabriella
G
Romano
Haido
H
Vlachos
Alan
A
Stein
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012008:Recurrence; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires