[Clinic of somatoform disorders in abused adolescents]

Child abuse represents a contributing factor to develop various psychopathological disorders, such as somatoform disorders.

Objectives: Improving the detection of child abuse, based on the analysis of somatoform disorders and the comparison between non-abused and abused patients, in a population of hospitalized teens in a general pediatric ward.

Methods: A retrospective study at the University Hospital of Nantes, involving every adolescents from 11 to 16 y.o. hospitalized in pediatric ward and cured by the child psychiatrist medical team, whatever the reason, over the year 2012 (n=231).

Results: Thirty-three percent of hospitalized adolescents had history of abuse. Physical abuses were dominant (54% vs. 24% sexual vs. 22% psychological). Our study highlight a statistically significant difference on the frequency of somatoform disorders between abused adolescents and not abused witness population (70% vs. 40%; P=0.0001). Gastrointestinal complaints (25% vs. 14.2%; P=0.0434) and musculoskeletal pains (13.2% vs. 4.5%; P=0.0291) appeared more significantly in abused adolescents population rather than non-abused adolescents. Somatoform disorders were not related to the frequency or type of abuse, except for gastrointestinal complaints, being more frequent in patients who were psychologically abused (51.7% vs. 26.7% sexual vs. 11.8% physical; P=0.005).

Conclusion: Somatoform disorders are an interesting way to spot adolescents suffering from abuse, justifying a systematic investigation for child abuse. It remains, however, a warning not directing to any specific type of abuse.