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Somatization, Fatigue, and Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Chronic Pain

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Abstract

Objective

We examined whether somatization of symptoms worsens the association between fatigue and quality of life in children and adolescents with chronic pain.

Methods

Fifty-three girls and 16 boys with chronic pain (Mage = 13.58, SD = 2.70) completed the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) scale to measure quality of life, the PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale, and the Children’s Somatization Inventory Revised.

Results

We found significant main effects for all types of fatigue (general, sleep/rest, and cognitive fatigue) and higher somatization, which all significantly predicted lower total quality of life. However, these results evidenced only significant interactions between cognitive fatigue and somatization on total quality of life, including physical health and school functioning. Participants with both high somatization and high cognitive fatigue reported lower total quality of life, physical health, and school functioning. On the other hand, low somatization buffered the effects of cognitive fatigue on total quality of life, physical health, and school functioning.

Conclusions

The results of our study highlight the importance of addressing and decreasing somatization in children and adolescents with chronic pain, which may decrease the likelihood of higher cognitive fatigue predicting lower quality of life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Development, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordoff St., Northridge, CA, 91330, USA

    Rika M. L. Meyer

  2. Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Katie M. Fleischman

  3. Young Neuro, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Christina M. Young

  4. Departments of Anesthesiology, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, The Saban Research Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jeffrey I. Gold

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  1. Rika M. L. Meyer
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  2. Katie M. Fleischman
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  3. Christina M. Young
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  4. Jeffrey I. Gold
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Correspondence to Rika M. L. Meyer.

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Meyer, R.M.L., Fleischman, K.M., Young, C.M. et al. Somatization, Fatigue, and Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Chronic Pain. J Child Fam Stud 29, 1293–1300 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01624-0

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