Abstract
While the distinction between conversion and psychogenic pain disorder in DSM III may be useful in adults, because of the frequent coexistence of pain with other nonpain symptoms in children, it is quite arbitrary. Psychogenic pain symptoms in children are primarily abdominal pain or headache. Several authors have noted that abdominal pain is more frequently seen in younger children and headache more frequent in older children (Oster, 1972). It appears that some children with somatization disorder progress from abdominal pain to headache as they grow older. A rather extensive literature is available on psychogenic abdominal pain in children (Apley, 1975; Christensen & Mortenson, 1975; Farrell, 1984; Stone & Barbero, 1970). There is also substantial literature on headache. Because headache is a frequent symptom in somatization disorders, occurs as a conversion symptom, is the most common somatoform symptom across all age groups, and the differential diagnosis includes other psychologically important diagnosis such as migraine, tension headache, and depression, we will address it more fully here.
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Shapiro, E.G., Rosenfeld, A.A. (1987). Headache in Children: Diagnosis and Treatment. In: The Somatizing Child. Contributions to Psychology and Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8677-3_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8677-3_8
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