Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC)
Somatization is common among children and adolescents. A consecutive series of 112 children and adolescents who fulfilled the ICD-I0 clinical diagnostic criteria for somatoform disorders attended at a psychiatric consultation center were included in this study to delineate the pattern of presenting features and to find out associated abnormal psychosocial situations and disabilities. Out of 112 cases 52 were boys, 60 girls, of them 59 were children and 53 adolescents. Polysymptomatic presentation was commoner (92%) than monosymptomatic presentation (8%). Pain was the most prevalent symptom. Children showed significantly higher rates of abdominal complaints and adolescents showed higher rates of headaches. All cases reported an average of 14.21 somatic symptoms.