Study of Determinants of Somatoform Disorders in Children

Somatoform disorders constitute a group of illnesses that present with predominant physical symptoms for which there is no demonstrable etiology, and psychological factors are implicated in initiating, exacerbating, and maintaining the disorder.

The aim of this study was to study a host of factors, namely, the I.Q. of children, scholastic performance in the last three years, the past history of medical illness, psychiatric disorders in the family, and life stress in the last year, and to compare these factors with those in matched control subjects. This study looked at the effects of somatoform disorders on children's I.Q., scholastic performance in the previous three years, a history of medical illness, psychiatric disorders in the family, and life stress in the previous year.

In this case-control study, a sample was selected from the child guidance clinic of the psychiatry outpatient department (OPD) of the University Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. The time period of study was from January 2011 to June 2012. All the patients who presented to the child guidance clinic of the psychiatry OPD with one or more somatic symptoms as among their chief complaints were screened. All subjects fulfilling the selection criteria were recruited into the study. An I.Q. test was administered to the children, and the raw score for the verbal and performance tests was calculated. Children above the age of 16 years were assessed with the Wechsler Adult Performance Intelligence Scale.

One hundred fifteen cases that fulfilled the selection criteria were studied. About 14.6% (N = 11) of the patients had a history of significant physical illness as opposed to 12.5% (N = 5) in healthy controls. The scholastic performance in the last three years of the patients group was poorer than that of the control group. The mean number of stressful life events in the patients group was 5.95±1.77 (range: 1-10), and in the control group, it was 1.25±0.43 (range: 1-3).

Compared to controls, patients had a significantly lower I.Q. and poorer scholastic performance in the last three years, a more frequent past history of medical illness, and a greater frequency of life stress in the areas of studies, health, family-related issues, and interpersonal issues.