Psychological and social characteristics and precipitants of vomiting in children with cyclic vomiting syndrome

A psychological etiology or predisposition for cyclic vomiting syndrome (CV S) has long been suspected. Much of the psychiatric literature to date has blamed patients or their families for the problem or focused on psychoanaly tic interpretation to account for the syndrome. Thirty-two patients with CV S were compared with 64 age- and sex-matched controls. The patients had a h igher incidence of psychological symptoms and migraine. On the Achenbach Ch ild Behavior Checklist patients had higher internalizing, somatic complaint s, and anxiety/depression scores. CVS is a migraine variant, with attacks u sually precipitated by stress and intercurrent infections. The psychologica l characteristics of patients with CVS probably contribute to their vulnera bility.