Psychopathological Correlates and Psychosocial Functioning in Children and Adolescents with Syncope: A Systematic Review

Objective: Syncope is defined as a spontaneous and transient loss of consciousness and postural tone due to brief and reversible cerebral hypoperfusion. This review aimed to summarize the research findings regarding the psychological correlates associated with pediatric syncope. Moreover, the study aimed to deepen the understanding of the relationship between psychological disorders and the onset of syncopal episodes in childhood, focusing on clinical features and different clinical classifications.

Method: A systematic review was carried out from inception to January 2023, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, using the CINAHL Plus, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, MEDLINE, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection databases. The study search and selection were based on the Population Intervention Comparison Outcome Study Design (PICOS) strategy and the Quality Assessment was carried out using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) scales. A combination of keywords related to a) syncope; b) psycho*; and c) child* (Subjects) was used. Studies concerning epilepsy-related syncope were excluded.

Results: Overall, 912 records were identified. After excluding non-English, non-original, and duplicate studies, 579 records were selected for the title screening, 88 for the abstract screening, 37 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and a total of 14 were included. The Risk of Bias in the included studies was assessed and 78,6% of the studies satisfied robustness quality criteria. The findings highlighted that children and adolescents with syncope showed a higher rate of psychopathology as compared to the healthy and clinical controls. Furthermore, patients reported social withdrawal and poor quality of life.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that there is a robust relationship between psychopathology and syncope. Children and adolescents with syncope frequently report clinical symptoms related to emotional, relational, and psychosomatic dysregulation. Psychological assessment should be routinely included in the integrated care to identify potential targets for treatment and improve early differential diagnosis.