Recurrent abdominal pain and childhood depression: clinical observations of 23 children and their families.

Children with recurrent abdominal pain without demonstrable organic etiology are studied with their mothers during pediatric hospitalization. Major childhood depressive illness is found which is not masked by the somatic complaint. The mother-child relationship is shown to reflect mutual themes of depression and loss within families where experience with illness and death contributes to a hypochondriacal response to psychic pain.