Psychologically informed physiotherapy as part of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program for children and adolescents with functional neurological disorder: Physical and mental health outcomes

• Published in: Journal of paediatrics and child health 2021-01, Vol.57 (1), p.73-79
• Main Authors: Kasia, Kozlowska, Nicola, Gray, Stephen, Scher, Blanche, Savage
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Comorbidity; functional neurological disorder; Humans; Mental disorders; Mental health; Nervous System Diseases; Neurological disorders; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; paediatric rehabilitation; Pediatrics; Physical Examination; Physical therapy; Physical Therapy Modalities; physiotherapy; psychogenic; Rehabilitation; somatoform/somatic; Teenagers; Well being
• ISSN: 1034-4810; 1440-1754
• DOI: 10.1111/jpc.15122

Aim Children and adolescents with functional neurological disorder (FND) present with physical impairment and mental health comorbidities. Specialist physiotherapy programs for treating FND have been developed over the last two decades. This article reports outcome data from three cohorts of children treated with a multidisciplinary rehabilitation intervention – the Mind–Body Program – in which a psychologically informed physiotherapy intervention, known as the wellness approach to physiotherapy, was a key component. Methods For three cohorts of children (n = 57, n = 60 and n = 25, respectively) treated in the Mind–Body Program, data about functional impairment and mental health concerns were collected at presentation and at follow‐up (4 years, 12 months and 18 months, respectively). Results Outcome data show that FND symptoms resolved in 54/57 (95%), 51/60 (85%) and 22/25 (88%) of children in the three cohorts, and that 31/57 (61%), 32/60 (53%) and 13/25 (52%) of children returned to full health and to full‐time school attendance. Changes in Global Assessment of Function (GAF) were significant (t(54) = 21.60, P