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Practitioner Review: Assessment and Management of Somatisation in Childhood and Adolescence: A Practical Perspective
Author(s) -
Garralda M. Elena
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/1469-7610.00533
Subject(s) - perspective (graphical) , psychology , cognition , mood , clinical psychology , psychiatry , mood disorders , psychotherapist , developmental psychology , anxiety , artificial intelligence , computer science
The assessment and treatment of somatisation in childhood require explicit recognition that many families frequently hold strong belief in the presence of physical disorders. Engaging the family, recognising and focusing on their beliefs and concerns, and paediatric/psychiatric liaison are usually required. Our knowledge on the management of children with somatisation is largely based on clinical reports but a number of open trials and methodologically increasingly stronger studies show that somatisation can respond to family treatments involving cognitive‐behavioural techniques as well as to sensitive, psychologically sound advice by paediatricians. Antidepressants should be considered when there are comorbid mood disorders.