Shaping care for children, young people, and their families across campus

Synopsis

It is common for young people to present with physical symptoms that cannot be adequately explained by an “organic medical” illness. In the past, there have been inconsistencies in terminology and treatment approaches for these presentations, partly because of the stigma that suggests they are less “real” than an identified organic medical illness.

This Grand Round provides a practical framework to help staff manage and care for medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in children and young people. It also introduces a suite of new resources developed by the Campus Mental Health Strategy, including an eLearn module, family-facing guide, and more.

Speakers

Dr Andrew Court is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist working at The Royal Children’s Hospital. He initially trained as a paediatrician and has a particular interest in the mind-body connection. He brings over 40 years of clinical expertise in MUS and led the development of the new suite of resources.

Dr Alexandra Cussen is an Adolescent Medicine paediatrician at The Royal Children’s Hospital, working clinically with young people who experience eating disorders and MUS. Alex holds a master’s degree in public health and is undertaking a PhD. She’s worked in medical writing, policy, guidance and health curriculum development, and has produced consumer-facing health resources with the World Health Organization, the Royal Australian College of Physicians, and the RCH.