Paeds Vivas · mental-behavioural-and-psychosomatic
Somatic symptom and related disorders — branching viva
Branching viva on the DSM-5 principle that symptoms need not be medically unexplained, validation, single red-flag screen, the symptom-amplification reframe, a function-first interdisciplinary plan, school reintegration, conversion disorder, and a safeguarding challenge.
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Target exams
RACP General PaediatricsRACP DCEMRCPCH ClinicalRCPSC Pediatrics
Prompt
You are the general paediatric registrar in outpatient clinic. The examiner will move from a first presentation of persistent somatic symptoms, to the DSM-5 principle, to the symptom-amplification reframe, to an interdisciplinary plan, to a school-absence disclosure, and finally to a fabricated/induced-illness safeguarding challenge.
Stem
The examiner will test whether you can run a validating, function-first somatic-symptom pathway under pressure — refusing both over-investigation and dismissal — and pivot correctly when a safeguarding concern appears. [1] [2]
References7ShowHide
- [1]Garralda ME Practitioner review: Assessment and management of somatisation in childhood and adolescence: a practical perspective. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 1999.PMID 10604395
- [2]Garralda ME Unexplained physical complaints. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 2010.PMID 20478496
- [3]Kozlowska K; English M; Savage B Connecting body and mind: the first interview with somatising patients and their families. Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 2013.PMID 22969165
- [4]Claar RL; Walker LS Functional assessment of pediatric pain patients: psychometric properties of the functional disability inventory. Pain, 2006.PMID 16480823
- [5]Puri PR; Dimsdale JE Health care utilization and poor reassurance: potential predictors of somatoform disorders. Psychiatric clinics of North America, 2011.PMID 21889677
- [6]Ibeziako P; Choi C; Randall E; Bujoreanu S Bullying Victimization in Medically Hospitalized Patients With Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders: Prevalence and Associated Factors. Hospital pediatrics, 2016.PMID 27073256
- [7]Pehlivantürk B; Unal F Conversion disorder in children and adolescents: a 4-year follow-up study. Journal of psychosomatic research, 2002.PMID 11943237