Clinical Impact of Systematic Assessment and Psychoeducation in Specialized Treatment of Adolescents with Severe Functional Somatic Disorders: Results from the AHEAD Study.

ABSTRACT: Functional somatic disorders (FSD), characterized by persistent and disabling physical symptoms, are common in adolescents. Diagnostic uncertainty and insufficient illness explanations are proposed perpetuating factors that may constitute barriers for treatment engagement. This study describes the impact of manualized assessment and psychoeducation on diagnostic certainty and various clinical outcomes in adolescents with multi-system FSD. Ninety-one adolescents (15-19 years) received systematic assessment (4 h) and a subsequent psychiatric consultation (1.5 h). Clinical characteristics included self-reported physical health, symptom severity, illness perception, illness-related behavior, and psychological flexibility assessed before and approximately two months after assessment, prior to s

SUBMITTER: Kallesoe KH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10378561 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature