Stress-related abdominal pain in children | Abdominal pain due to stress

Stress-related abdominal pain in children

Stress and anxiety in children can lead to a variety of sometimes very unspecific symptoms (stress symptoms), so that it is often not immediately apparent that these may be caused by psychological stress. A study by the World Health Organization (WHO), for example, found that approximately one in five schoolchildren in Germany suffers from psychosomatic complaints. Depending on age, these include sleeping disorders, loss of appetite, diarrhoea and, particularly frequently, stomach aches.

The causes can be fear of classmates, fear of failure at school and in general, as well as fear of separation. If a child suffers from abdominal pain for which there is no explanation, it is important to keep the possibility of stress-related physical complaints in mind. The abdominal pain can be a great burden for both the child and the parents.

Treatment of children’s pain should be both symptomatic and causative. In case of doubt or helplessness, parents should not be afraid to seek medical or psychological help. If the abdominal pain persists despite various measures taken by the parents, direct therapeutic help for the child may also be useful.