Social Consequences of Children's Pain: When Do They Encourage Symptom Maintenance?

Objective: To examine the influence of social factors (e.g., attention, relief from responsibility) and children's perceived competence on pediatric symptom maintenance. Methods: Participants were 151 pediatric patients (ages 8-18) with recurrent abdominal pain. They were interviewed at a clini...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of pediatric psychology 2002-12, Vol.27 (8), p.689-698
Main Authors: Walker, Lynn S., Claar, Robyn Lewis, Garber, Judy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdominal Pain - diagnosis
Abdominal Pain - psychology
Achievement
Adolescent
Attention
Child
Cognition
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Pain Measurement
perceived competence
recurrent abdominal pain
secondary gain
Self Concept
Social Identification
social learning
Social Responsibility
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Summary:Objective: To examine the influence of social factors (e.g., attention, relief from responsibility) and children's perceived competence on pediatric symptom maintenance. Methods: Participants were 151 pediatric patients (ages 8-18) with recurrent abdominal pain. They were interviewed at a clinic visit and again 2 weeks later. The Social Consequences of Pain questionnaire assessed four types of social consequences: positive attention, negative attention, activity restriction, and privileges. Results: Two types of social consequences (positive attention and activity restriction) predicted greater symptom maintenance, but this effect was moderated by children's perceived self-worth and academic competence. To the extent that children rated their self-worth and academic competence as low, the impact of social factors on symptom maintenance was stronger. Conclusions: Children's success in their normal social roles may affect the extent to which they identify with the sick role and find it a rewarding alternative to other social roles.
ISSN:0146-8693
1465-735X
1465-735X
DOI:10.1093/jpepsy/27.8.689