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A Systematic Review of Somatic Symptoms in Children With a Chronically Ill Family Member
Lindsey Elliott1, Kathryn A Thompson, Aaron D Fobian
1From the Department of Psychiatry (Elliott), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas; and Departments of Psychology (Elliott, Thompson) and Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology (Fobian), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Insights
Children with a chronically ill parent are more likely to experience somatization and functional somatic symptoms. Research on the impact of a chronically ill sibling on these symptoms in children is inconclusive.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Family Studies
Background:
- Functional somatic symptoms and somatization are physical symptoms not fully explained by medical conditions.
- Familial illness exposure is a potential contributing factor to these symptoms in children.
- Children with chronically ill family members may be at increased risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the existing literature on somatic symptoms in children with a chronically ill family member.
- To investigate the association between parental or sibling chronic illness and somatic symptoms in children.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review was conducted using six major databases.
- Articles published before April 5, 2018, were screened by title, abstract, and full text.
- Data extraction and review were performed by multiple authors.
Main Results:
- Seventeen studies focused on children with a chronically ill parent, with 13 finding a positive association with somatization.
- Seven studies examined children with a chronically ill sibling, yielding mixed results (4/7 found a positive association).
- Three studies included children with an unspecified ill relative.
Conclusions:
- Parental chronic illness is strongly associated with increased somatic symptoms in children.
- The relationship between sibling illness and child somatization requires further investigation.
- Future research should clarify the impact of familial chronic illness on childhood somatic symptoms.
Objective:
Somatization and functional somatic symptoms reflect conditions in which physical symptoms are not sufficiently explained by medical conditions. Literature suggests that these somatic symptoms may be related to illness exposure in the family. Children with a parent or sibling with a chronic illness may be particularly vulnerable to developing somatic symptoms. This study provides a systematic review of the literature on somatic symptoms in children with a chronically ill family member.
Methods:
A systematic review (PROSPERO registry ID: CRD42018092344) was conducted using six databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Scopus, CINAHL, and Cochrane) from articles published before April 5, 2018. All authors evaluated articles by title and abstract, and then by full-text review. Relevant data were extracted by the first author and reviewed by remaining authors.
Results:
Twenty-seven unique studies met the criteria. Seventeen examined somatic symptoms in children with a chronically ill parent, and seven evaluated somatic symptoms in children with a chronically ill sibling. Three studies examined somatic symptoms in children with an unspecified ill relative. The strongest relationship between child somatization and familial illness was found with children with a chronically ill parent (13/17 studies). Evidence for somatic symptoms in children with an ill sibling was mixed (4/7 studies found a positive association).
Conclusions:
The literature on somatic symptoms in children suggests that parental illness is related to increased somatic symptoms in children. Research examining the effects of having a sibling with an illness on somatic symptoms is mixed. Several areas of future research are outlined to further clarify the relationship between familial chronic illness and somatic symptoms.
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