Many children have been admitted to hospitals and treated for physical diseases when they actually suffer from mental health problems, a new study finds.
Somatic symptoms, such as abdominal pain, headaches, limb pain and tiredness, often mask underlying problems. Therefore a team of researchers decided on investigating these problems to eliminate wrongly diagnosed disease.
According to a press statement, they found that many somatic complaints were directly linked to children's upbringing and their home environments, including unstable home lives, a chaotic upbringing and parental over-protectiveness.
Many times, these conditions go unnoticed by doctors and the children are not provided with the necessary and appropriate treatment. To tackle this problem, the researchers suggested that nurses that are on duty in children wards should be vigilant in identifying somatic symptoms and provide the necessary holistic care.
Authors of the study also highlight that such nurses should be given training and practice required to quickly diagnose somatic complaints and ensure correct management from the start. Such nurses should also be in a position to assess the overall health condition of a child to provide doctors with a full picture of the child's circumstances and healthcare needs.
The authors concluded the study stating that somatic disorders can, to some extent, be predicted when nurses take into consideration issues such as poor family situations and parental influences, psychosocial stress, and poor emotional functioning.
Mental disorders are common among children in the United States, and can be particularly difficult for the children themselves and their caregivers. While mental disorders are widespread, the main burden of illness is concentrated among those suffering from a seriously debilitating mental illness. According to statistics, 20 percent (or 1 in 5) children, either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental disorder.
