Conversion disorder in children and adolescents

Somatoform disorders: 30 years of debate about criteria!

“…Nearly 38% recovered completely within 1 month, 55% did in 6 months, and 77.5% did in 1 year. Good outcome was predicted by early diagnosis and good premorbid adjustment [37].…”

“…Regarding the long-term prognosis of a specific disorder, an interesting referral-based study was conducted in Turkey [37] in a sample of 89 children. Organic disorders were ruled out by physical and neurological examinations (EEG, video EEF, EMG, CT, and MRI) and consultations with pediatric subspecialties.…”

Clinical Profile of Somatoform Disorders in Children

“…In the present study, the prevalence was 0.52% in out-patients and 0.91% among in-patients and conversion disorder was diagnosed in 48.9% patients. In another prospective study, 52% of patients had conversion disorder, 13.3% undifferentiated somatoform disorder, 4% somatoform 'not otherwise specified', 8.6% pain disorder and the rest had other psychiatric illnesses [6]. In a study of psychiatric morbidity pattern in a child guidance clinic, the somatoform disorders comprised 15.98% of total disorders [7].…”

Fifteen-year follow-up of conversion disorder

“…Conversion disorder has a favourable outcome in children and adolescents (Pehlivanturk & Unal, 2002). Mace & Trimble (1996) reported that the prognosis for chronic symptoms remains poor, but subsequent rediagnosis of neurological disease is less frequent than commonly supposed.…”