Morality in clinical space: treatment of youngsters with functional somatic symptoms in a Western clinical context

Laursen, Sara Seerup; Dehlholm-Lambertsen, Birgitte; Stenager, Egon; Johannessen, Helle

doi:10.1080/13648470.2017.1361651

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Similarly, another article describes the care of functional somatic symptoms in a Danish pain clinic. The aim is to shift the focus from physical pain to self-awareness and body awareness and to address dietary rules for a healthy lifestyle ( 81 ). A similar strategy was proposed for the management of a 17-year-old Indian patient with another cultural syndrome, Dhat syndrome, with the aim of shifting the focus from the symptoms to healthier lifestyle habits ( 82 ).…”

Section: Results: Descriptive Synthesis Of the Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematic review on somatization in a transcultural context among teenagers and young adults: Focus on the nosography blur

Salmon

Sibéoni²,

Harf³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychiatry

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AimsSomatic complaints are a frequent cause for consultation in primary care. In a transcultural context, somatic complaints are typically associated with psychological distress. A recent review about somatic symptom disorders in adolescence showed some nosographic heterogeneity and outlined various etiological hypotheses (traumatic, environmental, or neurologic), separate from the cross-cultural considerations. Migrants' children encounter specific problems involving cultural mixing-issues of filiation (familial transmission) and affiliation (belonging to a group). This paper aims to provide a systematic review of somatization in transcultural contexts among teenagers and young adults, aged 13 to 24, over the past decade.MethodsThis review adheres to the quality criteria set forth by the PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Two authors queried three English databases (Medline, PsycInfo, WebOfScience) about somatization in transcultural contexts (migrant or non-Western population) among teenagers (13–18), young adults (19–24), or both. The methodological process comprised articles selection, data extraction, and then the analysis of emerging themes. Setting selection criteria to limit the transcultural field was difficult.ResultsThe study analyzed 68 articles. We present a descriptive analysis of the results, centered on three main themes. First, the literature highlights a nosographic muddle reflected in the combination of anxious and depressive symptoms together with the highly variable symptomatology. Second, discrimination issues were prevalent among the migrant population. Lastly, the literature review points out possibilities for improving a care pathway and reducing the diagnostic delay induced by migrants' hesitancy about Western care and the recurrent use of inappropriate diagnostic criteria.ConclusionThis review discusses the links between the nosographic muddle described here and the diagnostic delays these patients experience and raises concerns about rigid diagnostic compartmentalization. The work of the psychiatrist Frantz Fanon is here useful to understand externalized symptoms resulting from physical and psychological confinement. Discrimination issues raise questions about the cultural counter-transference health professionals experience in dealing with young migrants. Defining healthcare professionals' representations about somatic complaints in a transcultural context might be a fruitful path to explore in future research.Protocol PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021294132. Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021294132.

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Section: Results: Descriptive Synthesis Of the Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematic review on somatization in a transcultural context among teenagers and young adults: Focus on the nosography blur

Salmon

Sibéoni²,

Harf³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Qualitative research on young people with PPS has contributed to our knowledge on how young people understand and explain PPS [ 14 – 17 ], on the consequences of having PPS in their daily lives, including disruptions in educational paths, after-school activities, and social relations [ 15 , 16 , 18 ], and on their engagement in therapeutic processes [ 14 , 19 , 20 ]. Most of the existing studies have focused on young people in hospital-based treatment, but Ostbye [ 16 ] and Kvamme [ 15 ] have studied young people’s efforts at making sense of and coping with PPS in an everyday setting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing persistent physical symptoms when being social and active is the norm: a qualitative study among young people in Denmark

Andersen,

Risør,

Frostholm

et al. 2023

BMC Public Health

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Background An increasing number of young people in Western countries report persistent physical symptoms (PPS). PPS may disturb everyday activities and they may have negative consequences for later adult mental and physical health. Still little is known about how young people handle PPS in their everyday lives. This study examines how young people with PPS attempt to manage their symptoms while staying engaged in their daily activities and what is at stake in these attempts. Methods This qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with 11 young people with PPS. Photo-elicitation was used to capture the participants’ experiences as they occurred in their everyday lives. The data material was analysed using a thematic analysis approach, as well as theory on subjectivity and social acceleration. Results The participants employed alleviating measures and tried to find patterns between their activities and the severity of their symptoms in order to adjust their activity level. Decisions not to participate in social activities were accompanied by feelings of missing out. The participants’ attempts at adjusting their activity level was challenged by norms of being social and active, and they experienced difficulty prioritizing their activities and explaining their symptoms to others. Conclusion PPS shaped the participants’ sense of how to act towards their bodies and social relationships in interaction with societal norms. The participants’ subject formation and symptom experiences should thus be seen as a biosocial process.

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“…Laurseen [35] suggests that cultural ethics has implications in the treatment of young people with functional pain.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The correlation of functional pain and psychological distress: a study in Italian school students

et al. 2019

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Background Functional Pain (not detectable organic cause) is often associated with psychological problems and, according to literature, it can lead to severe manifestations. The purpose of the study was to investigate the correlation between functional pain and psychological disagreement, in a series of school students. Methods An observational questionnaire-based study was performed. A questionnaire was given to a group of students of primary school; the following data were collected in the questionnaire: a) sex and age; b) functional pain; c) relation with relatives, teachers and schoolfellows: d) school failure. Statistical methods: P -value of concordance test and P -value of correlation have been performed with MINITAB 15.1 software. Results Eight hundred nine students, 354 females, 455 males, median age 14 years, participated to the study. Functional Pain was referred from 537/809 students (66%): 265 Females, 272 males: p = 0.155. The difference between the number of pain episodes in females vs. males was statistically significant ( p = 0,511), as pain intensity vs. the number of episodes in females ( p = 0.001). The most frequent location of pain was abdomen in females, limbs in males. Psychological disagreement was referred from 513/809 students (63%) (260 females; 253 males: p = 0,150). Psychological disagreement was reported with parents (19); siblings (22); other relatives (18); teachers: 42, schoolfellows: 366, relatives as well as school fellows: 46. The correlation between disagreement and functional pain in all the students included in the study was statistically significant ( p < 0.001). Conclusions most students reported psychological disagreement and pain. The most frequent cause of disagreement was schoolfellows’ behaviour. The study shows a student’s lack of discussing of their problems with parents, teachers, peer. According to literature, confiance would be a useful treatment for avoiding psychological disagreements and functional pain.

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Morality in clinical space: treatment of youngsters with functional somatic symptoms in a Western clinical context

Cited by 4 publications

References 26 publications

Systematic review on somatization in a transcultural context among teenagers and young adults: Focus on the nosography blur

Systematic review on somatization in a transcultural context among teenagers and young adults: Focus on the nosography blur

Managing persistent physical symptoms when being social and active is the norm: a qualitative study among young people in Denmark

The correlation of functional pain and psychological distress: a study in Italian school students

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