Somatization in acute care pediatrics: Respecting the mind-body connection

Somatic symptom disorder is a complex condition linking distress in the mind to physical distress in the body. However, in addition to the disorder itself, experienced clinicians know that children and youth frequently experience somatizing symptoms. With an increasing prevalence of anxiety in the pediatric population, symptoms attributable to process of "somatizing" are common, and early identification and rapport building to address the root causes of a child's distress are critical for a good outcome. In the acute care setting, clinicians are often reluctant to make the diagnosis of somatization. Part of the challenge is encouraging clinicians to see that somatization is not a "diagnosis of exclusion." We want to encourage clinicians to routinely consider risk factors for somatization in their histories, actively discuss the mind-body connection with patients and families, and include somatization in a carefully considered differential diagnosis. The more we can break down the siloing of physical from mental health, the better we will serve our patients.