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Psychosomatic disorders in children: an emerging challenge to health care in Japan

Takao Takahashi1, Hisako Watanabe, Nobutake Matsuo

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan. tata@sc.itc.keio.ac.jp

Pediatrics International : Official Journal of the Japan Pediatric Society
|March 19, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric residents spend over 30% of their time on psychosomatic disorders, yet training remains insufficient. This highlights a critical need for enhanced pediatric education in managing child psychosomatic conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Child Psychology
  • Medical Education

Background:

  • Rising incidence of psychosomatic disorders in Japanese children.
  • Increasing demand for pediatricians trained in child psychosomatic care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the time spent by pediatric residents on psychosomatic disorders.
  • To evaluate the current training of pediatricians in managing these conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Questionnaire survey of first-year pediatric residents (PGY1) at Keio University Hospital.
  • Retrospective survey of experienced child healthcare doctors.
  • Survey of outpatient and psychosomatic disorder patient numbers at 27 affiliated hospitals.

Main Results:

  • PGY1 residents spend an average of 78.9 hours/week, with over 30% dedicated to psychosomatic disorder care.
  • Time allocation for psychosomatic disorders has significantly increased compared to 10 years ago.
  • Hospital size or location does not appear to influence the prevalence of psychosomatic issues.

Conclusions:

  • General pediatricians face increasing demands in managing child psychosomatic disorders.
  • There is a significant shortage of pediatricians adequately trained in child psychosomatic healthcare.
Abstract

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