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. 2025 Nov 12:200:112448.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2025.112448. Online ahead of print.

Empowering adolescents and young adults with somatoform disorders: A longitudinal pilot randomized controlled trial of a parent-focused mindfulness-based training versus support groups

Alexander Lassner  1 , Rosemarie Ahnert  2 , Jenny Dahringer  3 , Irina Papazova  4 , Michael Frühwald  5 , Alkomiet Hasan  6 , Sophie-Kathrin Greiner  7
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Free article

Empowering adolescents and young adults with somatoform disorders: A longitudinal pilot randomized controlled trial of a parent-focused mindfulness-based training versus support groups

Alexander Lassner et al. J Psychosom Res. .
Free article

Abstract

Background: In childhood somatoform disorders develop and persist through bio-psycho-social processes including family variables, substantially impacting the development of children, their school attendance, and well-being. Although intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT) has demonstrated effectiveness, maintaining long-term outcomes remains challenging, particularly given children's increased risk of developing affective disorders. Since family dynamics influence disorder development and persistence, this study aimed to investigate the potential added value of addressing parents within the therapeutic process.

Method: This monocentric longitudinal pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) (N = 31) investigated adjunct parent-focused interventions (mindfulness vs. support group) for families of children with somatoform disorders enrolled in IIPT. We assessed children's empowerment, pain related disability, affective pain perception, pain characteristics and parental catastrophizing at admission, discharge, and six-month follow-up. Regression models and repeated-measures ANOVAs evaluated intervention effects.

Results: Multiple regression analysis identified older age as predictor of empowerment at baseline (β = 0.63, p < .01). IIPT plus parental intervention showed lasting treatment effects. Group allocation had no effect on empowerment, pain disability, affective pain perception, or parental catastrophizing, but allocation to the support group (B = -2.49, p = .009) and male sex (B = -2.29, p = .008) predicted greater reduction in average pain intensity.

Conclusions: This pilot RCT showed no superiority of the parent-focused mindfulness group over the support group when combined with IIPT. Yet, both interventions may enhance treatment efficacy, with some evidence suggesting additional benefits of the support group intervention in reducing average pain intensity. Further research is needed to examine underlying mechanisms and establish optimal parent intervention approaches in paediatric pain treatment.

Keywords: Adolescent; Empowerment; Intervention for parents; Mindfulness; Somatoform disorder; Support group.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest SKG is an advisor of the GOLDKIND Foundation. AH was a member of the advisory boards of AbbVie, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Lundbeck, Janssen, Otsuka, Rovi, and Recordati and received paid speakership by these companies as well as by Advanz. AH is the editor of the German schizophrenia guideline. During the preparation of this work the author(s) used ChatGPT-4o in order to improve academic language. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.

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