Practitioner review: Assessment and management of somatisation in childhood and adolescence: A practical perspective

The assessment and treatment of somatisation in childhood require explicit recognition that many families frequently hold strong belief in the presenc e of physical disorders. Engaging the family, recognising and focusing on t heir beliefs and concerns, and paediatric/psychiatric liaison are usually r equired. Our knowledge on the management of children with somatisation is l argely based on clinical reports but a number of open trials and methodolog ically increasingly stronger studies show that somatisation can respond to family treatments involving cognitive-behavioural techniques as well as to sensitive, psychologically sound advice by paediatricians. Antidepressants should be considered when there are comorbid mood disorders.