title: Physical symptoms and psychosocial correlates of somatization in pediatric primary care.
abstract: A group of children, aged 8 to 13 years, presenting to their pediatricians with multiple medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) were compared with a control group of children from the identical age range who were, according to their pediatricians, free of unexplained physical symptoms. The groups were compared on both self-reported and parented-rated scales assessing physical symptoms and psychosocial functioning. The multiple MUPS group, relative to controls, exhibited significantly higher levels of parent-reported emotional/behavioral symptoms and a trend toward higher patient-reported anxiety than controls. Parents' and child's reports of symptomatology were modestly correlated. Symptom patterns characteristic of pediatric somatization differed as a function of whether child or parent reports were analyzed. Methodological issues in research on pediatric somatization were addressed and some directions for future research emerged.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt Medical School, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Andresen
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Woolfolk
authors.forename: Lesley A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fragoso
authors.forename: Neil L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Youngerman
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Patrick-Miller
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D010372:Pediatrics; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012931:Social Environment; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*