When feelings hurt: Learning how to talk with families about the role of emotions in physical symptoms

Katelynn E Boerner; Amrit K Dhariwal; Andrea Chapman; Tim F Oberlander

doi:10.1093/pch/pxac052

When feelings hurt: Learning how to talk with families about the role of emotions in physical symptoms

Paediatr Child Health. 2022 Jul 5;28(1):3-7. doi: 10.1093/pch/pxac052. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Authors

Katelynn E Boerner¹, Amrit K Dhariwal², Andrea Chapman², Tim F Oberlander^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
² Department of Psychiatry, BC Children's Hospital and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
³ School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Abstract

Emotions are at the core of all human experiences, but talking about emotions is challenging, particularly in the context of medical encounters focused on somatic symptoms. Transparent, normalizing, and validating communication about the mind-body connection opens the door for respectful, open dialogue between the family and members of the care team, acknowledging the lived experience that is brought to the table in understanding the problem and co-creating a solution.

Keywords: Emotions; Family; Psychosomatic medicine.