Maternal Health Matters: Exploring the Links Between Parental Health and Illness Factors and Adolescent Functional Somatic Symptoms 2026 Burke et al

Andy

Andy

Senior Member (Voting rights)
Author list: Sarah M. Burke, PhD, Elske Hogendoorn, MSc, Arnout C. Smit, PhD, Judith G.M. Rosmalen, PhD

Abstract​

Objective​

Functional somatic symptoms, which are physical symptoms that cannot be fully explained by any underlying medical condition, run in families. Besides genetic predispositions, parental model behaviors may contribute to the intergenerational transmission of proneness to somatic symptoms. However, studies examining the long-term influences of parental health and illness factors on somatic symptoms in offspring are scarce.

Method​

Using data from the Lifelines Cohort Study, cross-sectional associations were investigated between parental somatic symptoms, (chronic) medical conditions, health care utilization, medication use, and health literacy—assessed through a questionnaire and professional involvement in health care—and somatic symptoms reported by their adolescent offspring (13-17 years old) using the Somatic Complaints subscale of the Youth Self-Report. Long-term associations were then examined with the same predictors and symptom reports at follow-up in early adulthood. The study included 3,735 mother–adolescent dyads and a subsample of 2,668 mother–father–adolescent triads containing maternal and paternal information. Negative binomial regression analysis was used to examine associations between parental health factors and offspring symptoms.

Results​

Maternal (chronic) medical conditions and pain medication use were significantly associated with symptom reports of adolescents, particularly girls, in both mother–father–adolescent triads and mother–adolescent dyads. Additionally, in the dyads, mothers’ somatic symptoms predicted somatic symptoms in adolescents, especially daughters. Only maternal somatic symptom reports were significantly associated with somatic symptoms of young adult daughters 3 to 4 years later. No significant associations were found for parental health care utilization, health literacy, or fathers’ health and illness factors after multiple comparison correction.

Conclusion​

This study examined various parental somatic health indicators, emphasizing the significant role of maternal health in somatic symptom burden of adolescent children. This influence diminishes as adolescents transition into adulthood. These findings highlight the importance of prioritizing maternal health in clinical interventions to reduce somatic symptoms in adolescents. By focusing on early identification and empowering mothers with health education, health care providers can promote healthier behaviors and potentially reduce the intergenerational transmission of somatic symptom tendencies.

Plain language summary​

This study explored how parents’ health, including somatic or physical symptoms, medical conditions, and healthcare utilization, as well as healthcare literacy relate to physical symptoms in their teenagers. Researchers analyzed the Lifelines Cohort Study of Dutch families, which includes 3,735 mother-adolescent pairs, of which 2,688 also have paternal information. Maternal medical conditions and pain medication use were associated with their daughter’s somatic symptoms during adolescence and early adulthood. However, paternal health and healthcare utilization showed no clear associations.

Open access
 
Heh, I think my mental health as a mother would be much improved if my health literacy was lower. Then maybe I wouldn't repeatedly experience the many mistaken facts I get told more or less every time my child has had a health check-up. Of course my child's health could easily have been worse if I had followed some of the advice I've been given, but in this model that would be my fault regardless so...
 
By focusing on early identification and empowering mothers with health education, health care providers can promote healthier behaviors and potentially reduce the intergenerational transmission of somatic symptom tendencies.
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They have no evidence that the 'intergenerational transmission of somatic symptom tendencies' results from mothers' unhealthy 'behaviours' (rather than, perhaps, a genetic vulnerability to pain that more commonly affects people with two XX chromosomes and has been noticed to have a peak of onset in adolescence) but they'll blame mothers anyway, because hey, why not, that's always worked well in the past.

Rather like how 'refrigerator mothers' were blamed for children's autism, before we started to understand how much of autism is genetic.
 
Association is not causation and there are other possible explanations. For example, mitochondria are maternally inherited which would be consistent with children having a risk of having similar unexplained health problems as mothers. Mitochondrial problems are also difficult to diagnose and our knowledge is still quite limited. That could lead to a situation similar to what is described.
 
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The psychobehavioural school has always been deeply misogynist, all the way back to Freud and William James and the Victorians.

It's a dark wonder that you get people like Suzanne O'Sullivan and Trudy Chalder who are so happy to perpetuate the harm it does to women everywhere.
 
The head of medical research in the Netherlands is pushing Freudian "women be hysterical" nonsense, all of which is very popular within the profession and has a long tradition dating back to before electrification. The nominee for US Surgeon-General is an anti-vaxxer wellness influencer, while the heads of many US health federal agencies are wealthy reactionary meatheads pushing for beef tallow injections (presumably) and other nonsense, little of which is popular in the medical profession.

Two sides of the same coin. I find the first one far more disturbing. They are both ultimately consequences of the power and influence of big money interests, but only one of those is popular within the profession itself. I'll take the enemies at the gate every single time over Wormtongue wielding real power at the heart of government.
 
V.R.T. said:
The psychobehavioural school has always been deeply misogynist, all the way back to Freud and William James and the Victorians.

It's a dark wonder that you get people like Suzanne O'Sullivan and Trudy Chalder who are so happy to perpetuate the harm it does to women everywhere.
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I've mentioned it on here before, but during my clinical education we had a (female) professor give a lecture about how mothers exagerate their kids' symptoms and to take mothers' accounts with a grain of salt. As someone who has been harmed by this logic since no one listened to my mother, and I know others who have experienced the same, I could see through it but I fear for students without patient/carer experience being taught these things.
 
What a mess that abstract is. The authors can't seem to decide if they are talking about physical symptoms or psychogenic symptoms; somatic symptoms or functional somatic symptoms.

Whatever the problem actually is, of course it's the mothers that are to blame.
 
Midnattsol said:
I've mentioned it on here before, but during my clinical education we had a (female) professor give a lecture about how mothers exagerate their kids' symptoms and to take mothers' accounts with a grain of salt. As someone who has been harmed by this logic since no one listened to my mother, and I know others who have experienced the same, I could see through it but I fear for students without patient/carer experience being taught these things.
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I got a lecture about how children with ME with overprotective mothers come in with crutches and wheelchairs from the doctor who diagnosed me with 'CFS.'

The implication was 'you don't want to be like that' which is a powerful tool of manipulation to a 30 year old man.
 
V.R.T. said:
I got a lecture about how children with ME with overprotective mothers come in with crutches and wheelchairs from the doctor who diagnosed me with 'CFS.'

The implication was 'you don't want to be like that' which is a powerful tool of manipulation to a 30 year old man.
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Definitely this
At our second paediatric appointment we used a wheelchair which was noted in the written report to GP.
We explained at the appointment that after the first visit my daughter had tachycardia when getting back to car ( we had little knowledge of PEM then) - this was probably put down to " anxiety"
 
When doctors see ME/CFS or a patient with ME/CFS they seem to forget all of their previous medical training. Including just good manners.
Maybe it would have been better if Prof. Rosmalen would have been doing biomedical research on ME/CFS. The rubbish that is now put into papers and students is awful.
 
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