Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Handbook of Clinical Behavioral Pediatrics pp 291–309Cite as

Recurrent Abdominal Pain in Children

Assessment and Treatment

  • Chapter

Part of the book series: Applied Clinical Psychology ((NSSB))

Abstract

Apley (1975) defined recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) as pain that is (1) paroxysmal (i.e., unpredictable, unexpected, and self-limited) in nature, (2) frequent in occurrence (i.e., more than three episodes) over an extended period of time (i.e., more than 3 months), and (3) severe enough to interfere with social and academic functioning. RAP can therefore be classified as chronic intermittent pain. Children typically describe it in vague terms, indicating that “it hurts” or “feels funny” in the periumbilical or mid-epigastric region. Stone and Barbero (1970) noted that recurrent abdominal pain is variable in duration and intensity across patients. Usually the pain lasts for less than an hour, but it may persist throughout the day; it rarely awakens the patients at night. Typically, children with RAP are physically well between pain episodes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Apley, J. (1975). The child with abdominal pains. London: Blackwell Scientific Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Apley, J., Sc Hale, B. (1973). Children with recurrent abdominal pain: How do they grow up? British Medical Journal, 3, 7–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Apley, J., Sc Naish, N. (1958). Recurrent abdominal pains: A field survey of 1000 school children. Archives of Diseases in Childhood, 33, 165–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barr, R. (1983). Recurrent abdominal pain. In M. D. Levine, W. B. Carey, A. C. Crocker, & R. T. Gross (Eds.), Developmental-behavioral pediatrics(pp. 521–528 ). Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barr, R. G., Sc Feuerstein, M. (1983). Recurrent abdominal pain syndrome: How appropriate are our basic clinical assumptions? In P. J. McGrath & P. Firestone (Eds.), Pediatric and adolescent behavioral medicine: Issues in treatment (pp. 13–27). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beales, J. G. (1982). The assessment and management of pain in children. In P. Karoly, J. J. Steffen

    Google Scholar 

  • Sc D. J. O’Grady (Eds.), Child health psychology (pp. 154–179). New York: Pergamon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T. (1982). Depression: Causes and treatment. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berger, H. G., Honig, P. J., & Liebman, R. (1977). Recurrent abdominal pain: Gaining control of the symptom. American Journal of Diseases in Childhood, 131, 1340–1344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christensen, M. F., Sc Mortensen, O. (1975). Long-term prognosis in children with recurrent abdominal pain. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 50, 110–114.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Craig, K. D. (1980). Social modeling influences on pain. In R. A. Sternbach (Ed.), The psychology of pain (pp. 73–107 ). New York: Raven Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dash, J. (1980). Hypnosis for symptom amelioration. In J. Kellerman (Ed.), Psychological aspects of childhood cancer (pp. 215–230 ). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feuerstein, M., Barr, R. G., Francoeur, T. E., Houle, M., & Rafman, S. (1982). Potential bio-behavioral mechanisms of recurrent abdominal pain in children. Pain, 13, 287–298.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gaylord, N., Sc Carson, S. (1983). Assessing recurrent abdominal pain. Nurse Practitioner, 8, 19–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, K., Kline, J. J., Barbero, G., Sc Flanery, R. (1984). Life events occurring in families of children with recurrent abdominal pain. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 28, 185–187.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, M. C., & Zimin, R. (1978). Children with psychogenic abdominal pain and their families: Management during hospitalization. Clinical Pediatrics, 17, 569–573.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huskisson, E. C. (1983). Visual analogue scales. In R. Melzack (Ed.), Pain measurement and assessment (pp. 33–37 ). New York: Raven Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jay, S. M., Ozolin, M., Elliott, C. H., Sc Caldwell, S. (1983). Assessment of children’s distress during painful medical procedures. Health Psychology, 2, 133–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, E. R., Kellerman, J., Sc Siegal, S. E. (1980). Behavioral distress in children with cancer undergoing medical procedures: Developmental considerations. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48, 356–365.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kovacs, M. (1981). Rating scales to assess depression in school aged children. Acta Paedopsychiatricia, 46, 305–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lavigne, J. V., Schulein, M. J., & Hahn, Y. S. (1986). Psychological aspects of painful medical conditions in children. II. Personality factors, family characteristics, and treatment. Pain, 27, 147–169.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lebenthal, E., Rossi, T. M., Nord, K. S., & Branski, D. (1981). Recurrent abdominal pain and lactose absorption in children. Pediatrics, 67, 828–832.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lewinsohn, P. M. (1974). A behavioral approach to depression. In R. J. Friedman and M. M. Katz (Eds.), The psychology of depression: Contemporary theory and research. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liebman, R., Honig, P., Sc Berger, H. (1976). An integrated treatment program for psychogenic pain. Family Process, 15, 397–405.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liebman, W. M. (1978). Recurrent abdominal pain in children: A retrospective survey of 119 patients. Clinical Pediatrics, 17, 149–153.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MacKeith, R., & O’Neill, D. (1951). Recurrent abdominal pain in children. Lancet, 2, 278–282.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Melzack, R. (1975). The McGill Pain Questionnaire: Major properties and scoring methods. Pain, 1, 277–299.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, A. J., & Kratochwill, R. T. (1979). Reduction of frequent stomach complaints by time out. Behavior Therapy, 10, 211–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minuchin, S., Baker, L., Rosman, B. C., Liebman, R., Milman, L., & Todd, T. C. (1975). A concep-tual model of psychosomatic illness in children. Archives of General Psychiatry, 32, 1031–1038.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moos, R. H., & Moos, B. S. (1981). Family Environment Scale: Manual. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olness, K. (1981). Imagery (self-hypnosis) as adjunct therapy in childhood cancer: Clinical experi-ence with 25 patients. American Journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 3, 313–321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oster, J. (1972). Recurrent abdominal pain, headache, and limb pains in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 50, 429–436.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parcel, G. S., Nader, P. R., & Meyer, M. P. (1977). Adolescent health concerns, problems, and patterns of utilization in a triethnic urban population. Pediatrics, 60, 157–164.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pringle, M. L. K., Butler, N. R., & Davie, R. (1966). 11,000 seven year olds. London: Longman Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, C. R., Sc Richmond, B. O. (1978). What I think and feel: A revised measure of children’s manifest anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 6, 271–280.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ross, D. M., Sc Ross, S. A. (1984). The importance of type of question, psychological climate and subject set in interviewing children about pain. Pain, 19, 71–79.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sank, L. I., & Biglan, A. (1974). Operant treatment of a case of recurrent abdominal pain in a 10year-old boy. Behavior Therapy, 5, 677–681.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, P. J., Ansell, B. M., & Huskisson, E. C. (1977). Measurement of pain in juvenile chronic arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 36, 186–187.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stickler, G. B., Sc Murphy, D. B. (1979). Recurrent abdominal pain. American Journal of Diseases in Children, 133, 486–489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone, R. T., Sc Barbero, G. T. (1970). Recurrent abdominal pain in childhood. Pediatrics, 45, 732–738.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wasserman, T. H. (1978). The elimination of complaints of stomach cramps in a 12-year-old child by covert positive reinforcement. Behavior Therapy, 1, 13–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, M. (1979). Structural and strategic approaches to psychosomatic families. Family Processes, 18, 303–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pain Treatment Center, Departments of Psychiatry and Anesthesiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, 14642, USA

    Michael Feuerstein & Patricia L. Dobkin

Authors
  1. Michael Feuerstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Patricia L. Dobkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA

    Alan M. Gross

  2. University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA

    Ronald S. Drabman

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1990 Plenum Press, New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Feuerstein, M., Dobkin, P.L. (1990). Recurrent Abdominal Pain in Children. In: Gross, A.M., Drabman, R.S. (eds) Handbook of Clinical Behavioral Pediatrics. Applied Clinical Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0505-7_18

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0505-7_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7840-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0505-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation