Understanding parents' experiences of disease course and influencing factors: a 3-year follow-up qualitative study among parents of children with functional abdominal pain.

Nine of the children had recovered from their abdominal pain. During the pain period, the parents reported frustration with not having a diagnosis nor a specific treatment for their child's abdominal pain. The siblings in some families received less attention and were afraid that something serious might happen to their sister or brother. The parents wished that their child's school cared more about the child when they had weeks of absence. All parents maintained that their child's pain was physical, although they thought that psychological aspects might have influenced the symptoms. The parents stated that they, as well as their children, needed guidance from professionals to understand the complex pain situation.