Bodily expression of psychological distress in adolescents: a qualitative study

INTRODUCTION: The bodily expression of psychological disorders is one of the leading motives for consultations in adolescent medicine. The diagnostic entity corresponding to DSM-5 "Somatic symptom and related disorders" is sparsely used in the English-language literature, especially for adolescents. Qualitative studies on this topic mostly concern the experiences of healthcare professionals. This study seeks to explore the experience of adolescents expressing psychological distress through their body. METHODS: This exploratory research took place in a Paris hospital department of adolescent medicine. Our sampling method was purposive. For inclusion, patients had to be aged 11–24 years, with a "somatic symptom disorder" meeting the DSM-5 criteria. Semi-directive interviews were proposed with visual narration inspired by photoelicitation. Thematic analysis allowed us to explore the data with an inductive approach. RESULTS: Thirty adolescents were interviewed; they were 14–22 years old and mostly had somatic symptom or functional neurological disorders. Three principal themes emerged from our analysis of the interview contents: the personal, including bodily, experience of the disorder, the experience of relationships, and the question of what is visible through the body. CONCLUSION: This research allowed us to discuss the reversal of generations, the function of the DSM-5 diagnosis, illuminated by sociology, and finally, cultural pathways. It shows the importance of recognizing the reality of the adolescents' bodily feelings, reassuring them by ruling out serious causes, and supporting their search for meaning. It is important to think about a specific framework of family therapy that can make effective use of this experience of the reversal of generations. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13034-022-00476-9.