Abnormal Pshych

Critical Thinking: Review of a research article


Somatic complaints and psychopathology in children and adolescents: stomach aches, musculoskeletal pains, and headaches.
Helen Link Egger; E. Jane Costello; Alaatin Erkanli; Adrian Angold
Background research
The article is focusing on the correlation between somatic complaints and the possibility of mental distress. It began by looking at the prevalence of certain complaints amongst children. They site a variety of different authors to state how often children suffer from headaches, limb pain and stomach aches. It also gives the important detail that Medical causes of stomach aches are identified in only 5% to 10% of all cases (Apley and Naish, 1958; Boyle, 1997; Stickler and Murphy, 1979).
It continues by separating each of the discomforts into the three categories and delve deeper into the implications for each. It states that children with stomach pain have a greater occu...