Somatization Disorder in Relatives of Children and Adolescents with Functional Abdominal Pain

Abstract

This study assessed the relationship between abdominal pain in children and adolescents and somatization disorder, attention deficit disorder, alcoholism, conduct disorder, and antisocial personality in first- and second-degree relatives. Abdominal pain is a highly prevalent problem in childhood. Apley (1975) has estimated that about 1 child in 10 suffers episodes of such pain, and only about 8% of the cases are found to have some clear-cut organic basis. Undoubtedly some abdominal pain results from as yet unidentified organic disease, but much of it is also thought to be of psychological origin.