The Role of Maternal and Child Health Beliefs in Children's Somatic Symptoms and General Practitioner Attendance

Clinical psychology

Knott, Fiona J

University:University of Glasgow

关键词: Clinical psychology;   

Others  :  http://theses.gla.ac.uk/75474/1/13832054.pdf

来源: University of Glasgow

【 摘 要 】

This paper proposes a multifactorial model for the origin of somatic symptoms in children, their cognitive appraisal and the subsequent processes involved in the decision whether or not to consult a medical practitioner. The model suggests that symptoms arise for a numvber of reasons which include illness, child factors such as psychiatric disorder and family factors such as dysfunctional family systems and modelling. Following onset, the symptom is cognitively appraised by both the child and mother, a process which is influenced by health beliefs and involves an assessment of the personal risk and saliency of the symptom. Finally, a decision is made over the action to be taken. A number of factors are important here, including health beliefs, sociodemograhic variables such as social support and psychological factors such as neuroticism.