STOMACHACHES AND DEPRESSION

About one in four children frequently complains about stomachaches. Now, a new study suggests that they are more likely to be anxious and depressed as adults—even if their stomach problems go away. Vanderbilt University researchers followed more than 300 children who suffered from chronic stomachaches and 150 who didn’t for about nine years, until they became young adults. (click below to read more)
They found that half of the children who’d had stomachaches had an anxiety disorder as adults, compared with 20 percent of those who didn’t have abdominal issues. About 40 percent of kids with stomachaches had depression as adults, compared with 16 percent of those who didn’t have stomachaches. Researchers say it’s unclear whether the stomachaches cause anxiety, or vice versa. “We saw that once the abdominal pain went away, they still had clinically significant anxiety,” study author Lynn Walker tells LiveScience.com. It’s possible, she says, that children with frequent abdominal pain might miss out on a lot of school and social activities, causing isolation and stress. Walker says the findings suggest that children with mysterious stomachaches should see both a medical and a mental health professional: “We need to address the pain and anxiety together.”