RECURRENT ABDOMINAL-PAIN IN ADOLESCENTS - PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES OF ORGANIC AND NONORGANIC PAIN

Recurrent abdominal pain is associated with a host of adverse social a nd financial consequences. Theoretical models have suggested numerous psychosocial factors that may contribute to the formation and maintena nce of recurrent abdominal pain. To date, studies comparing groups wit h organically and nonorganically based pain on psychosocial variables have yielded inconsistent results. Adolescents diagnosed with organic (n = 25) and nonorganic (n = 24) abdominal pain and a control group of siblings of children with chronic constipation (n = 19) were compared on psychological, behavioral, and familial dimensions. Adolescents wi th nonorganic abdominal pain reported a significantly higher frequency of related symptoms than both comparison groups. However, groups did not significantly differ on adolescent or maternal-reported measures o f anxiety, locus of control, life events, family environment, or behav ior problems. Greater methodological rigor and selection of control gr oup participants who shared the contextual experiences of living in a family with a chronically ill child may account for these findings.