Illness Behavior in Children of Chronic Pain Patients

Abstract

The findings of these studies suggest that children of parents with chronic pain may be at risk for illness behavior, especially when the parents exhibit emotional reactions to their pain.

Recurrent Abdominal Pain in Primary and Tertiary Care: Differences and Similarities

“…Specifically, staying out of school or other activities because of abdominal pain is not only medically unnecessary, it is most likely counter productive through decreasing distraction from the pain, increasing stress by missing school, as well as potentially rewarding the sick role and focusing on the pain. Encouraging parents to help children cope by maintaining functionality is consistent with multiple studies of coping with illness that have suggested that increasing active and/or decreasing passive approaches to pain results in less pain and disability (Geisser, Robinson, & Riley, 1999;Gil et al, 1991;Smith, Lumley, & Longo , 2002;Walker, Smith, Garber, & Claar, 2005), and, that parents are critical in prompting and supporting adaptive pain management strategies in their children (Allen & Shriver, 1998;Gil et al, 1991;Jamison & Walker, 1992;Peterson & Palermo, 2004). This approach is also consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation on the treatment of chronic abdominal pain (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2005).…”

Disclosure of Maternal HIV Status to Children: To Tell or Not To Tell … That is the Question

“…Both recent evidence with HIV-affected parents (Armistead et al, 1997;Bauman et al, 2002;Lee & Rotheram-Borus, 2002;Schrimshaw & Siegel, 2002) and research on other parental illnesses (e.g., Jamison & Walker, 1992) provide support for the view that parents inform their children about their health status when deteriorating health and/or imminent death hastens disclosure. The above consensus is not without exception, however.…”

Childhood Somatic Complaints: Relationships With Child Emotional Functioning And Parental Factors

“…With respect to the second line of research, several studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between the occurrence of parental somatic complaints (particularly maternal) and child somatic complaints [23][24]. This relationship is probably partly explained genetically, in the sense that children inherit a genetic disposition to more easily develop somatic complaints [19].…”

“…Further, somatic complaints in parents are associated with somatic complaints in children [23][24]. In addition, parents with somatic complaints also often suffer from negative affect [17].…”

“…Some researchers have focused on the positive relationship between negative affect and somatic complaints [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Other researchers have taken an interest in parental factors that could cause somatic complaints in children [19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. These two lines of research have resulted in research outcomes that are theoretically compatible.…”