Somatising disorder is a psychiatric disorder
in which people have many recurring physical symptoms without any
physical illness that could explain them.
New research has found that children of
mothers with a somatising disorder show more ‘health and safety’
needs than children of other mothers. This finding supports the
theory for environmental influences in the development of
somatisation.
It is known that abnormal ‘illness behaviours’
can be acquired through exposure to parental health anxiety in
childhood. In a set of related studies, the researchers examined
two hypotheses:
1. That the
children of mothers who suffer from a somatising disorder have more
contact with health services than the children of other mothers;
and
2. That the
interaction between somatising mothers and their children would
show less joint involvement than other mothers during play, but
greater responsiveness when this play involves a ‘medical’ theme or
the expression of health and safety needs.
Three groups of mothers and children aged
between four and eight years old were compared in a number of
respects, including annual number of family doctor consultations.
48 mothers were suffering from chronic somatisation; 51 mothers had
chronic physical illness; and 52 mothers were healthy.
136 of these mother-child pairs also
participated in play tasks and a meal. These were videotaped and
later analysed by the researchers for ‘joint attention’ and the
presence of ‘needs’ and ‘offers of care’. The researchers were
unaware of which group of mothers they were observing.
They found that the children of somatising
mothers had more consultations with family doctors than did
children of other mothers (average annual consultation rates:
somatisers 4.9, physical illness 3.0 and healthy 2.8).
In the play and meal tasks, somatising mothers
showed less emotion and there were lower rates of joint attention.
These mothers were, however, more responsive to their child’s bids
for attention during play with a medical theme than at other times,
and expressed more health and safety needs during the meal than
other mothers.
More of the children of somatising mothers
expressed health and safety needs than did the children of other
mothers.
The researchers conclude that somatising
mothers and their children interact in ways that reinforce illness
behaviours, supporting the environmental theory for the development
of somatisation.
For further information, please contact Liz Fox or Deborah
Hart in the Communications Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127
References:
Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Annual Meeting, Imperial College London 1 - 4 July 2008