The Association Between Alexithymia, Interoception, and Pain in Pediatric Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Pediatric chronic pain negatively affects emotional, psychological, and social function. This may be due to differences in interoception, the ability to notice and contextualize sensations arising inside the body, and alexithymia, the inability to identify and communicate emotions, as has been shown in adults. In children with chronic pain, interoceptive impairment include difficulties perceiving, interpreting, or responding to physical symptoms such as hunger or pain. Alexithymia symptoms include limited emotional vocabulary or reliance on complaining about physical symptoms to communicate emotional distress. Both alexithymia and interoceptive impairment could contribute to the development or maintenance of chronic pain and lead to issues with pain management. However,

SUBMITTER: Bruton A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12551025 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature