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Clinical Impact of Systematic Assessment and Psychoeducation in Specialized Treatment of Adolescents with Severe Functional Somatic Disorders: Results from the AHEAD Study
Kallesøe, K.H.; Wellnitz, K.B.; Ørnbøl, E.; Rask, C.U. Clinical Impact of Systematic Assessment and Psychoeducation in Specialized Treatment of Adolescents with Severe Functional Somatic Disorders: Results from the AHEAD Study. Children2023, 10, 1101.
Kallesøe, K.H.; Wellnitz, K.B.; Ørnbøl, E.; Rask, C.U. Clinical Impact of Systematic Assessment and Psychoeducation in Specialized Treatment of Adolescents with Severe Functional Somatic Disorders: Results from the AHEAD Study. Children 2023, 10, 1101.
Kallesøe, K.H.; Wellnitz, K.B.; Ørnbøl, E.; Rask, C.U. Clinical Impact of Systematic Assessment and Psychoeducation in Specialized Treatment of Adolescents with Severe Functional Somatic Disorders: Results from the AHEAD Study. Children2023, 10, 1101.
Kallesøe, K.H.; Wellnitz, K.B.; Ørnbøl, E.; Rask, C.U. Clinical Impact of Systematic Assessment and Psychoeducation in Specialized Treatment of Adolescents with Severe Functional Somatic Disorders: Results from the AHEAD Study. Children 2023, 10, 1101.
Abstract
Functional somatic disorders (FSD) characterized by persistent and disabling physical symptoms are common in adolescents. Diagnostic uncertainty and insufficient illness explanations are proposed perpetuating factors that may constitute barriers for treatment engagement. This study evaluates the impact of manualized assessment and psychoeducation on diagnostic certainty and various clinical outcomes in adolescents with multi-system FSD. Ninety-one adolescents (15-19 years) included in a randomized trial testing group-based therapy (AHEAD) received systematic assessment (4 hrs.) and a subsequent psychiatric consultation (1.5 hrs.). Clinical outcomes included self-reported physical health, symptom severity, illness perception, illness related behavior, and psychological flexibility assessed before and approximately two months after assessment, prior to specialized treatment. Data were analyzed using t-tests. Immediately following assessment 71 (80.7%) adolescents out of 88 reported a higher diagnostic certainty and 74 (84.1%) reported that attending assessment gave them positive expectations for future treatment. A clinically relevant improvement of physical health was not observed at two months but considerable reductions were seen on symptom severity, illness worry, negative illness perceptions, limiting illness behavior and psychological inflexibility. The results underpin the importance of systematic assessment and psychoeducation which may be effective in their own right in specialized treatment of adolescents with severe FSD.
Medicine and Pharmacology, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
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