Outcome of Conversion Symptoms in Children.

Abstract

The study evaluated the short-term outcome of children diagnosed with conversion disorder and compared their pre- and post-intervention psychological functioning. Fifty children consecutively diagnosed with conversion disorder over a period of one year were recruited from the pediatrics department of a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India. The adverse life events were assessed by the Life Events Scale for Indian Children, emotional and behavioral difficulties by the Childhood Psychopathology Measurement Schedule (CPMS), and adjustment by the Pre-Adolescent Adjustment Scale (PAAS). Majority of the children improved at follow up at 3 mo after initiation of treatment. In addition, total scores on the CPMS significantly declined (t = 5.12, P= 0.0001) and self-reported adjustment improved on the PAAS (t = 5.81, P = 0.0001) as compared to functioning before the initiation of therapy. Timely recognition and multi-disciplinary management can lead to successful outcome and improved functioning in most children diagnosed with conversion disorder.