# A qualitative study on parents’ illness perceptions and psychosomatic experiences of adolescent patients with emotional disorders caused by school bullying

## TL;DR

This study explores how parents of teenagers with emotional disorders from school bullying understand the condition and experience psychological and physical effects.

## Contribution

The study provides new qualitative insights into parents' perceptions and psychosomatic experiences related to their children's bullying-induced emotional disorders.

## Key findings

- Parents often lack understanding of emotional disorders caused by school bullying.
- Parents experience significant negative psychological and physical symptoms.
- Parents desire support to restore their social functioning and quality of life.

## Abstract

To gain an in-depth understanding of the cognition and psychosomatic experiences of parents whose adolescent children have developed emotional disorders due to school bullying.

This qualitative study employed purposive sampling to select 14 parents of adolescent patients with emotional disorders caused by school bullying, who were treated at Huai’an Mental Health Center from August 2023 to October 2024. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the interview data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step analysis method.

Four themes were extracted regarding parents’ cognition and psychosomatic experiences: insufficient understanding of the disease, various negative psychological experiences, decline in social functioning and quality of life, and a strong desire for support and help from all sectors of society.

Parents generally lack knowledge about emotional disorders resulting from school bullying and have cognitive misunderstandings. They experience severe negative psychosomatic symptoms. Medical staff should pay close attention to parents’ cognitive status and their adverse psychosomatic experiences, helping them restore good social functioning and quality of life. Establishing a comprehensive management and support system for adolescent patients with emotional disorders caused by school bullying can promote early recovery from psychological distress, restore mental peace, and facilitate a full return to their roles.