Journal
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENCE
Volume 45, Issue -, Pages 317-326Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.10.003
Keywords
Medically unexplained symptoms; Adolescents; Parents; Qualitative research
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Funding
- Academic Society of the Canton de Vaud (Societe Academique Vaudoise)
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Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are common among adolescents and an important cause of clinical visits. This study sought to understand the experiences with, and perceptions of, the healthcare of adolescents who have MUS and their parents. Using a qualitative approach, six focus groups and two individual interviews were conducted with a total of ten adolescents and sixteen parents. The participants were recruited in a university hospital in Switzerland. A thematic analysis was conducted in accordance with the Grounded Theory. Six main themes emerged: needing a label for the symptoms, seeking an etiology to explain the symptoms, negotiating the medical system, medication and treatments, interactions with doctors, and the inclusion of parents during consultations. Transcending these themes, however, was the need for good communication between the adolescents, their parents and the clinicians. When explaining the symptoms, clinicians should make sure to discuss the results, investigations and lack of organic origin. (C) 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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