Relationship Between the Decision to Take a Child to the Clinic for Abdominal Pain and Maternal Psychological Distress

Abstract

Background: Among adults with functional gastrointestinal disorders, psychological distress influences who consults a physician, but little is known about predictors of consultation when the patient is a child.

Health care utilization and psychosocial factors in pediatric noncardiac chest pain.

“…Mothers of children with NCCP who have higher depressive symptoms take their children to the doctor more often. This finding is consistent with literature on children with abdominal pain (Levy et al, 2006). Research in other pain populations suggests that these behaviors may be part of an established pattern of inappropriate medical health care seeking associated with emotional and behavioral concerns that would likely be more effectively treated with psychosocial interventions (Campo et al, 2007).…”

“…Additionally, the relationship between child depression and HCU, as well as maternal depression and HCU, were moderated by the child's sex. The significant contribution of NCCP pain severity to the variance in HCU is consistent with prior research in idiopathic pain populations (Levy, Langer, Walker, Feld, & Whitehead, 2006;Roth-Isigkeit et al, 2005). Although some literature with community samples has identified differences in overall pediatric pain severity by sex, no differences were found in our sample with NCCP.…”

Prevalence of Pediatric Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Utilizing the Rome IV Criteria

“…These associations between parent and child functional GI disorder diagnoses are likely because of a combination of both genetic and environmental factors including but not limited to parental response to GI symptoms, diet, and healthcare seeking behavior. 27 In addition, this study only examined the relationship between mother and child functional GI disorder diagnoses, but did not consider the medical history of the subjects' fathers or healthcare seeking behaviors of other caretakers. Further studies are needed to understand the overlap between GI symptoms in infants/toddlers and their parents.…”

Pediatric Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patient and Parental Characteristics Differ by Care Management Type

“…Patient symptom severity has been shown to be associated with increased healthcare utilization in pediatric functional abdominal pain patients (8, 25). Adult functional abdominal pain studies similarly associate more severe symptoms with more primary care visits and health utilization (26).…”

“…Clinical GI symptom severity appears to play a significant role in GI referral, specifically longer abdominal pain duration as assessed by the child. Patient symptom severity has been shown to be associated with increased health care use in pediatric functional abdominal pain patients (8,25). Adult functional abdominal pain studies similarly associate more severe symptoms with more primary care visits and health use (26).…”