Top

Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings

Published in:

01-09-2008

Variations in Psychological Profile Among Children with Recurrent Abdominal Pain

Authors: Jennifer Verrill Schurman, Caroline Elder Danda, Craig A. Friesen, Paul E. Hyman, Stephen D. Simon, Jose T. Cocjin

Published in: Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings | Issue 3/2008

Abstract

This study was designed to determine whether distinct subgroups of children with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) could be identified based on patterns of psychological functioning. Two hundred and eighty-three children (ages 8–17 years), and a primary caretaker, completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) during the initial evaluation of RAP at a pediatric gastroenterology clinic. Cluster analysis of BASC scores supported a 3-cluster solution, with fair agreement observed between parents and children on cluster assignment. Approximately half of the sample identified no significant psychological problems. A small percentage (13%) evidenced intense and broad-based psychological problems, while the remainder (35–45%) indicated relative elevations in anxiety only. Cluster membership did not vary systematically by age, gender, race, or functional gastrointestinal disorder diagnosis. Distinct psychological profiles appear to exist for children with RAP. Targeting treatments to these profiles may improve the effectiveness and efficiency with which health professionals address pediatric abdominal pain.

Apley, J., & Naish, N. (1958). Recurrent abdominal pains: A field survey of 1,000 school children. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 33, 165–170.PubMed

Bursch, B., Walco, G. A., & Zeltzer, L. K. (1998). Clinical assessment and management of chronic pain and pain-associated disability syndrome. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 19, 45–53.PubMed

Campo, J. V., Bridge, J., Ehmann, M., Altman, S., Lucas, A., Birmaher, B., et al. (2004). Recurrent abdominal pain, anxiety, and depression in primary care. Pediatrics, 113, 817–824. doi:10.1542/peds.113.4.817.PubMedCrossRef

Caplan, A., Walker, L., & Rasquin, A. (2005). Validation of the pediatric Rome II criteria for functional gastrointestinal disorders using the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 41, 305–316. doi:10.1097/01.mpg.0000172749.71726.13.PubMedCrossRef

DiLorenzo, C., Colletti, R. B., Lehmann, H. P., Boyle, J. T., Gerson, W. T., Hyams, J. S., et al. (2005). Chronic abdominal pain in children: A technical report of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 40, 249–261. doi:10.1097/01.MPG.0000154661.39488.AC.CrossRef

Dorn, J. C., Thato, S., Dahl, R. E., Lewin, D., Chandra, R., & DiLorenzo, C. (2003). Psychological comorbidity and stress reactivity in children and adolescents with recurrent abdominal pain and anxiety disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42, 66–75. doi:10.1097/00004583-200301000-00012.PubMedCrossRef

Drossman, D. A. (2006). The functional gastrointestinal disorders and the Rome III process. Gastroenterology, 130, 1377–1390. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2006.03.008.PubMedCrossRef

Effron, B. (1982). The jackknife, the bootstrap and other resampling plans. Philadelphia, PA: The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1998). Multivariate data analysis (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Hyams, J. S., Burke, G., Davis, P. M., Rzepski, B., & Andrulonis, P. A. (1996). Abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome in adolescents: A community-based study. The Journal of Pediatrics, 129, 220–226. doi:10.1016/S0022-3476(96)70246-9.PubMedCrossRef

Hyams, J. S., Davis, P., Sylvester, F. A., Zeiter, D. K., Justinich, C. J., & Lerer, T. (2000). Dyspepsia in children and adolescents: A prospective study. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 30, 413–418. doi:10.1097/00005176-200004000-00012.PubMedCrossRef

Jamison, R. N., Rudy, T. E., Penzien, D. B., & Mosley, T. H. (1994). Cognitive-behavioral classifications of chronic pain: Replication and extension of empirically derived patient profiles. Pain, 57, 277–292. doi:10.1016/0304-3959(94)90003-5.PubMedCrossRef

Mulvaney, S., Lambert, E. W., Garber, J., & Walker, L. S. (2006). Trajectories of symptoms and impairment for pediatric patients with functional abdominal pain: A 5-year longitudinal study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 45, 737–744. doi:10.1097/10.chi.0000214192.57993.06.PubMedCrossRef

Olafsdottir, E., Ellertsen, B., Berstad, A., & Fluge, G. (2001). Personality profiles and heart rate variability (vagal tone) in children with recurrent abdominal pain. Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway), 90, 632–637.CrossRef

Rasquin, A., DiLorenzo, C., Forbes, D., Guiraldes, E., Hyams, J. S., Staiano, A., et al. (2006). Childhood functional gastrointestinal disorders: Child/adolescent. Gastroenterology, 130, 1527–1537. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2005.08.063.PubMedCrossRef

Rasquin-Weber, A., Hyman, P. E., Cucchiara, S., Fleisher, D. R., Hyams, J. S., Milla, P. J., et al. (1999). Childhood functional gastrointestinal disorders. Gut, 45, ii60–ii68.PubMedCrossRef

Reynolds, C. R., & Kamphaus, R. W. (1992). Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC). American Guidance Service, Inc. (AGS): Circle Pines, MN.

Robins, P. M., Glutting, J. J., Shaffer, S., Proujansky, R., & Mehta, D. (2005). Are there psychosocial differences in diagnostic subgroups of children with recurrent abdominal pain? Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 41, 216–220. doi:10.1097/01.MPG.0000170601.88263.50.PubMedCrossRef

Saps, M., & Di Lorenzo, C. (2005). Interobserver and intraobserver reliability of the Rome II criteria in children. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 100, 2079–2082. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2005.50082.x.PubMedCrossRef

Scharff, L., Langan, N., Rotter, N., Scott-Sutherland, J., Schenck, C., Taylor, N., et al. (2005). Psychological, behavioral, and family characteristics of pediatric patients with chronic pain. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 21, 432–438. doi:10.1097/01.ajp. 0000130160.40974.f5.PubMedCrossRef

Schurman, J. V., Friesen, C. A., Danda, C. E., Andre, L., Welchert, E., Lavenbarg, T., et al. (2005). Diagnosing functional abdominal pain with the Rome II criteria: Parent, child, and clinician agreement. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 41, 291–295. doi:10.1097/01.mpg.0000178438.64675.c4.PubMedCrossRef

Turk, D. C., & Rudy, T. E. (1988). Toward an empirically derived taxonomy of chronic pain patients: Integration of psychological assessment data. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 233–238. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.56.2.233.PubMedCrossRef

Walker, L. S., Garber, J., & Greene, J. W. (1993). Psychosocial correlates of recurrent childhood pain: A comparison of pediatric patients with recurrent abdominal pain, organic illness, and psychiatric disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 248–258. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.102.2.248.PubMedCrossRef

Walker, L. S., Garber, J., Van Slyke, D. A., & Greene, J. W. (1995). Long-term health outcomes in patients with recurrent abdominal pain. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 20, 233–245. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/20.2.233.PubMedCrossRef

Walker, L. S., Lipani, T. A., Greene, J. W., Caines, K., Stutts, J., Polk, D. B., et al. (2004). Recurrent abdominal pain: Symptom subtypes based on the Rome II criteria for pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 38, 187–191. doi:10.1097/00005176-200402000-00016.PubMedCrossRef

Williams, D. A., Urban, B., Keefe, F. J., Shutty, M. S., & France, R. (1995). Cluster analyses of pain patients’ responses to the SCL-90R. Pain, 61, 81–91. doi:10.1016/0304-3959(94)00165-B.PubMedCrossRef

Youssef, N. N., Murphy, T. G., Langseder, A. L., & Rosh, J. R. (2006). Quality of life for children with functional abdominal pain: A comparison study of patients’ and parents’ perceptions. Pediatrics, 117, 54–59. doi:10.1542/peds.2005-0114.PubMedCrossRef

Title: Variations in Psychological Profile Among Children with Recurrent Abdominal Pain
Authors: Jennifer Verrill Schurman
Caroline Elder Danda
Craig A. Friesen
Paul E. Hyman
Stephen D. Simon
Jose T. Cocjin
Publication date: 01-09-2008
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings / Issue 3/2008
Print ISSN: 1068-9583
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3572
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-008-9120-0

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Variations in Psychological Profile Among Children with Recurrent Abdominal Pain

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 3/2008

Psychometric Properties and Cut-off Scores of the Beck Depression Inventory-II in Turkish Adolescents

Socioeconomic Differences in Psychosocial Factors Contributing to Coronary Heart Disease: A Review

Fear of Hypoglycemia in Parents of Young Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Perfectionism and Depression Among Low-Income Chronically Ill African American and White Adolescents and Their Maternal Parent

Childhood Healthcare Experience, Healthcare Attitudes, and Optimism as Predictors of Adolescents’ Healthcare Behavior

Catastrophizing as a Cognitive Vulnerability Factor Related to Depression in Workers’ Compensation Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain