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Anxiety and depression predicted by medically unexplained symptoms in Pakistani children: a case-control study

Nazish Imran1, Cornelius Ani2, Zahid Mahmood3

  • 1Child & Family Psychiatry Department, King Edward Medical University/Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.

Journal of Psychosomatic Research
|January 21, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Medically unexplained symptoms in Pakistani children are linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression. Early screening for emotional difficulties in these children is crucial for effective intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Global Mental Health

Background:

  • Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are common in pediatric populations.
  • Understanding the psychological correlates of MUS in diverse cultural contexts is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between medically unexplained symptoms and emotional difficulties in children in Pakistan.
  • To explore functional impairments in children with MUS.

Main Methods:

  • A matched three-group case-control study involving 186 children (aged 8-16) in Lahore, Pakistan.
  • Cases with MUS were compared to children with chronic medical conditions and healthy controls.
  • Validated questionnaires for somatization, anxiety, and depression, translated into Urdu, were utilized.

Main Results:

  • Children with MUS reported significantly higher levels of somatization, anxiety, and depression compared to both control groups.
  • Somatization independently predicted higher scores for anxiety and depression.
  • The findings highlight a significant association between unexplained physical symptoms and emotional distress.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first evidence of a link between medically unexplained symptoms and anxiety/depression in Pakistani children.
  • Routine screening for emotional difficulties is recommended for children presenting with unexplained somatic symptoms in this region.
Abstract

Keywords:
AnxietyChildrenDepressionFunctional disabilityPsychopathologySomatisation

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