Kids’ Belly Pain Linked to Mental Health Risk

Children who have long-lasting stomach pain may have a higher risk of anxiety or depression as adults, a new study finds. The study included 332 school-age children. All had been having belly pain that lasted at least 3 months and had no clear medical cause. Doctors call this functional abdominal pain. They were compared with 147 children who did not have long-lasting belly pain. By the time they were young adults, 51% of the children with belly pain and 20% of the other group had developed an anxiety disorder at some point. About 40% developed depression, compared with 16% of the other group. These conditions occurred even though many no longer had stomach pain. Doctors say it’s important for children with this type of pain to keep up their regular activities as much as possible. Avoiding them can increase anxiety and make the pain worse.

Content restricted. Requires subscription

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *