Table 1.
Parental Chronic Illness and Somatic Symptoms
| Source | Study Design | Sample Country and N | Age Range/Mean (SD) | Parental Disease | Somatic Symptom Measurement | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asanbe (2016) | Cross-Sectional | South Africa 119 | 6–10 | HIV/AIDS | CBCL | Orphans of parents who died of AIDS at higher risk for somatic symptoms |
| Berntsson (2000) | Cross-Sectional | Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden 803 | 7–12 | Somatic complaints and chronic illness | Frequency and severity of psychosomatic complaints (stomachache, headache, sleeplessness, dizziness, backache, loss of appetite) | Mother’s health status predicts somatic complaints |
| Berntsson (2001) | Cross-Sectional | Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden 3,760 | 7–12 | Somatic complaints and long-term illness/disability | Frequency and severity of psychosomatic complaints (stomachache, headache, sleeplessness, dizziness, backache, loss of appetite) | Mother’s health status best predictor of somatic complaints; this relationship was highest in Norway |
| Bursch (2008) | Longitudinal | United States 409 | 15.25 (2.05) | HIV/AIDS | Brief Symptom Inventory | At baseline, somatic symptoms lower than standardization sample Adolescent predictors of somatic symptoms: younger and female; Latino; increased hospitalizations, stressful life events, less parental care, parent-youth conflict, no experience of parental death |
| Cluver (2006) | Cross-Sectional | South Africa 60 | 6–19 Orphans: 11 Non-orphans: 12 | AIDS | Somatic item from the Emotional Scale of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire | Orphans more likely to report recurrent stomachaches, headaches or sickness |
| Hotopf (1998) | Longitudinal | United Kingdom 3,637 | 7, 11, 15 and 36 | Asthma, cough, rheumatism, anemia, heart trouble, kidney trouble or other health complaints | Persistent abdominal pain reported at 3 time points (ages 7, 11, and 15) | Strong association between abdominal pain and parental health complaints and parental ratings of health |
| Jeppesen (2013) | Cross-sectional | Norway 143- study 439-control | 13–19 | Cancer | Young-HUNT questionnaire somatic stress symptoms | No difference in somatic symptoms between cases and controls |
| Kohler (2017) | Cross-sectional | Sweden 6,528 | 8 months and 4 years | Parental rating of general health (very good to very poor) | Recurrent abdominal pain (parental report) | Recurrent abdominal pain associated with poorer self-reported parental health |
| Levy (2000) | Cross-sectional | United States 631- study 646-control | 3–14 | IBS | Ambulatory visits for GI symptoms | Children of parents with IBS were more likely to make ambulatory visits for GI symptoms |
| Levy (2004) | Cross-sectional | United States 296- study 335-control | 11.9-study 11.8-control | IBS | Child Symptoms Checklist | Children of parents with IBS more likely to report bothersome GI symptoms |
| Morgan (1992) | Cross-sectional | Canada Ill parent- 50 Controls- 54 | 13–19 | Self-reported parental illness for greater than 6 months | Survey Diagnostic Instrument | Children of ill parent report more somatization than controls |
| Pakenham (2013) | Cross-sectional | Australia MS- 126 Control- 126 | 14.04 | Multiple sclerosis | Brief Symptom Inventory | Significantly more somatization in 8–12 year olds with parents with MS than controls |
| Petanidou (2014) | Cross-sectional | Greece 1,041 | 12–18 | Self-report of general health | Health Behavior in School-aged Children Symptom Checklist | Parental physical health not significantly associated with somatic symptoms |
| Ramos (1998) | Cross-sectional | United States 50 | 4–18 | AIDS | BASC | No significant difference between those affected and unaffected by AIDS on somatization |
| Stein (1994) | Cross-sectional | United States 145 | 4.6 | Physical symptomology and subjective health problems | CBCL | Both maternal physical symptomology and subjective health problems significantly predicted psychosomatic complaints in children |
| Van Tilburg (2015) | Cross-sectional | United States 296-study 240-control | 8–15 | IBS | Child Symptom Checklist | Children of parents with IBS reported more non-GI and GI symptoms |
| Walker (1993) | Cross-sectional | United States 249 | 6–18 | Abdominal disorders or serious health problem | Recurrent Abdominal Pain | Children with RAP had significantly more relatives with abdominal disorders and significantly more relatives in the home with serious health problems |