Emotional and Behavioural Problems in Children With Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

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Hauptverfasser: Sebastian Weber, Anna Geser, Eva Unternaehrer, Margarete Bolten, Corinne Légeret
Format: Artículo Open Access
Veröffentlicht: Wiley 2026
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author Sebastian Weber
Anna Geser
Eva Unternaehrer
Margarete Bolten
Corinne Légeret
author_facet Sebastian Weber
Anna Geser
Eva Unternaehrer
Margarete Bolten
Corinne Légeret
Sebastian Weber
Anna Geser
Eva Unternaehrer
Margarete Bolten
Corinne Légeret
collection Wiley Open Access
contents Emotional and Behavioural Problems in Children With Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Sebastian Weber Anna Geser Eva Unternaehrer Margarete Bolten Corinne Légeret Acta Paediatrica ABSTRACT Aim Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common in childhood, but psychological correlates remain poorly understood. We compared emotional and behavioural functioning in children with FGIDs with somatic and healthy controls. Methods Parents of children aged 2–12 years were recruited at the University Children's Hospital Basel (February 2024–February 2025). Children meeting Rome IV criteria formed the Functional Group ; those with somatic gastrointestinal diseases and healthy peers served as Somatic and Healthy Controls . Parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ‐4). Group differences were tested using non‐parametric models and adjusted negative binomial regression. Results Data from 218 children were analysed ( Functional n  = 66, Somatic n  = 62, Healthy n  = 90). SDQ total difficulties were markedly higher in FGIDs than in both control groups ( p  < 0.001). Differences were most pronounced for emotional and hyperactivity problems. Using age‐adjusted SDQ total difficulties cut‐offs, elevated scores occurred in 45.5% of children with FGIDs, compared with 8.1% in somatic and 10.0% in healthy peers. Parental psychological distress and separation predicted higher difficulties. Conclusion Emotional and behavioural difficulties in FGIDs exceed those observed in somatic gastrointestinal diseases, indicating a particularly high psychosocial burden. These findings highlight the relevance of psychological aspects within integrated paediatric gastroenterology care. 10.1111/apa.70521 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
doi_str_mv 10.1111/apa.70521
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spellingShingle Emotional and Behavioural Problems in Children With Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
Sebastian Weber
Anna Geser
Eva Unternaehrer
Margarete Bolten
Corinne Légeret
Acta Paediatrica
Emotional and Behavioural Problems in Children With Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Sebastian Weber Anna Geser Eva Unternaehrer Margarete Bolten Corinne Légeret Acta Paediatrica ABSTRACT Aim Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common in childhood, but psychological correlates remain poorly understood. We compared emotional and behavioural functioning in children with FGIDs with somatic and healthy controls. Methods Parents of children aged 2–12 years were recruited at the University Children's Hospital Basel (February 2024–February 2025). Children meeting Rome IV criteria formed the Functional Group ; those with somatic gastrointestinal diseases and healthy peers served as Somatic and Healthy Controls . Parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ‐4). Group differences were tested using non‐parametric models and adjusted negative binomial regression. Results Data from 218 children were analysed ( Functional n  = 66, Somatic n  = 62, Healthy n  = 90). SDQ total difficulties were markedly higher in FGIDs than in both control groups ( p  < 0.001). Differences were most pronounced for emotional and hyperactivity problems. Using age‐adjusted SDQ total difficulties cut‐offs, elevated scores occurred in 45.5% of children with FGIDs, compared with 8.1% in somatic and 10.0% in healthy peers. Parental psychological distress and separation predicted higher difficulties. Conclusion Emotional and behavioural difficulties in FGIDs exceed those observed in somatic gastrointestinal diseases, indicating a particularly high psychosocial burden. These findings highlight the relevance of psychological aspects within integrated paediatric gastroenterology care. 10.1111/apa.70521 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Emotional and Behavioural Problems in Children With Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
topic Acta Paediatrica
url https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apa.70521