CONVERSION DISORDER;

PSYCHO-SOCIAL STRESSORS AND LIFE EVENTS IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Objective: Frequency of the psychosocial stressors and stressful life events in
children presenting with conversion disorder. Study design: A descriptive study. Place &
duration of study: The study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural
Sciences, Bahawal Victoria Hospital & Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur from
January, 2010 to October, 2010. Subjects & methods: The sample consisted of 100 in-patients
(62 Female, 38 Male) with Conversion Disorder. They were interviewed and results were analysed
from the entries in a Performa. The Presumptive Stressful life Events Scale (PSLES) was
administered by an open ended interview to elicit major life events in the past 10 months.
Results: Stressors were clearly identified in 100 patients. In all patients, we found more than one
stressor. Among patients, there were (29%) Educational and study stressors, (20%) Parent’s
death / Separation, (20%) Sexual Abuse, (14%) Sibling Rivalry, (13%) Pampered / Demanding
Child, (10%) Attention Seeking, (8%) Peer Group Problems, (8%) Improper Parenting, (8%)
Learned behaviour, (7%) Emotional Involvement Issues, (5%) Habit of stealing and (4%) Adopted
Child. Conclusions: We concluded that stressors and life events were present in all conversion
disorder’s patients and these stressful life events are important causal factors for Conversion
Disorder. Severe and sudden emotional stress serves to precipitate conversion reaction in
predisposed children. The symptom serves to solve the conflict and the gain obtained served to
perpetuate the illness.