Globus hystericus is the sensation of a foreign body lodged somewhere in the throat where none is actually found to exist. Although there is some disagreement, medical specialists generally contend that the condition is triggered by a highly emotional experience. Despite the absence of a physical growth to account for the sensation, the condition…

Comments on psychosomatic family concept. Reviews decline of psychosomatic models of illness that assume that arousal is the only or primary means by which psychosocial factors influence illness. Focuses on brittle diabetes, noting the potential for family theorists to develop more adequate models of poor self-care and medical crises as…

The latest research work showed a clear increase in stress consequences for younger children related to experience, behaviour and health (among other things, fear to fail and psychosomatic disorders). In contrast, only a few stress-handling programmes are available specifically for children; a large part covers stress-handling training courses…

The case of a nine-year-old boy suffering from psycosomatic migraine headaches is discussed. The main article presents the case study and discusses the family systems approach which was successfully used in therapy. The following discussion deals with the psychosomatic personality. (HMV)

Enumerates characteristics of children exhibiting the behavioral deviancies in question, and makes suggestions for theory and clinical application. This report is based on a paper read before the Southern Psychiatric Association, Atlanta, Georgia, October 7, 1968. (MH)

Three studies examined 4- to- 7-year-olds' reasoning about consequences of physiological responses with origins in the mind. Results revealed that adults believed only psychological treatments are effective cures for psychogenic reactions. Young children reported that only physical treatments are effective cures for psychogenic reactions,…

Although hypochondriasis is associated with the costly use of unnecessary medical resources, this mental health problem remains largely neglected. A lack of clear conceptual models and valid measures has impeded accurate assessment and hindered progress. The Multidimensional Inventory of Hypochondriacal Traits (MIHT) addresses these deficiencies…

Objectives: To describe the incidence and clinical features of children presenting to Australian child health specialists with conversion disorder. Method: Active, national surveillance of conversion disorder in children younger than 16 years of age during 2002 and 2003. Results: A total of 194 children were reported on. The average age was 11.8…

The present study investigated the role of neuroticism and perceived school-related stress in somatic symptoms among a sample of 327 (167 females and 160 males) students in two Norwegian junior high schools. The results suggest that the role of neuroticism on somatic symptoms may be overestimated, and that the role of stress may be underestimated…

Relating disorders to Piaget's and Freud's developmental stages, it is proposed that, in the somatopsychic group, resomatization is associated with primitive modes of thinking and feeling; while in the psychosomatic group, resomatization is connected with an operational type of cognition and emotion. A case history is used as illustration.…

A special unit for children failing to attend school addressed the needs of students with school phobia, psychosomatic symptoms, fantasies, difficulties with parents, problems with clothes and behavior, poor self-image, and gaps in knowledge. The program aimed for reintegration into ordinary schools. (CL)

Prevalence of minor somatic complaints for learning-disabled children (N=30) was compared to that of two control groups: normal (N=559) and educable mentally retarded children (N=69). LD Ss demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of complaints, but the extent of resulting absenteeism was less than that of nonhandicapped children. (Author/CL)

A combination of training in deep muscle relaxation, instruction in phonation in controlled vowel contexts, and gradual reintroduction of a normal voice quality restored normal voice quality after five sessions to a 40-year-old female with hoarseness of sudden onset and of suspected psychogenic origin. (Author/KW)

Older people (N=132) reported details of their day-to-day mental and physical health symptoms. Pain of various types, fatigue/weakness, mental health symptoms, and worries, bothered the largest percentages of people. Different symptoms had differing effects in curtailing activities and disturbing sleep. Results underline the interrelationships…