A team from the University Hospital Fundación de Alcorcón in Madrid and the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos has published a study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology with Children and Adolescents that examines the diagnostic capability of alarm symptoms and psychosocial factors in abdominal pain.
Methodology:
- 44 patients participated (mean age = 10.8 years; SD = 3.2; age range: 5.1 to 15.9 years).
- Participants were evaluated in a pediatric gastroenterology clinic in a secondary hospital.
- Data were collected from medical history and a validated neuropsychological questionnaire (BASC-3).
Key Findings:
- Alarm symptoms showed a high diagnostic capability for organic abdominal pain.
- Psychosocial factors presented low validity and performance in diagnosing functional abdominal pain, both as reported by the patient and as measured by the BASC-3.
- The high prevalence of psychosocial factors in the pediatric population could explain their limited diagnostic utility for functional abdominal pain.
Conclusions:
Alarm symptoms are useful for diagnosing organic disorders in children with abdominal pain, while psychosocial factors, due to their high prevalence, are not significant for diagnosing functional pain. An integrated clinical approach that considers both physical and psychosocial symptoms is suggested.
The full article can be found here: https://www.revistapcna.com/sites/default/files/8_2369.pdf