Abstract:

Changes in life events and family functioning of the patients who had a conversion disorder in childhood were aimed to investigate. 25 male and 96 female patients with 121conversion were selected as the study group, while19 men, 31 women 50 patients with depression were selected as the control group. A short questionnaire including physical and sexual abuse, scale for the assessment of childhood and family life events was applied to all patients. In childhood life events, emotional abuse (p< 0.01), physical abuse (p< 0.01), sexual abuse (p=0.05) and total scores (p<0.01) difference were statistically higher in conversion disorder than control group. In terms of familial functions, results of problem-solving in conversion disorder (p = 0.00), communication (p = 0.00), emotional reaction (p = 0.01) and overall functioning (p =0.02) were greater than the control group. Emotional, physical and sexual abuse history in childhood was available in significant proportion of conversion disorder. This is a source of conflict in the conversion of consciousness of patients; the changes in the scale of the family assessment and treatment of disease, familial dynamics approach to the formation of the importance of family dynamics may be suggestive.

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