The Claim
In children and adolescents with functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome, open-label placebo is not associated with increased anxiety or other adverse effects and is well tolerated.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
In children and adolescents with functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome, open-label placebo does not increase anxiety or other adverse effects and is well tolerated.
See the scientific wording
In children and adolescents with functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome, open-label placebo is not associated with increased anxiety or other adverse effects, and is well tolerated, suggesting it may be a safe therapeutic option for this population.
When children are told they are taking a harmless pill that can help their stomach pain, their brain interprets this as a signal that the body is being cared for. This lowers the activity in brain areas that amplify pain and stress, which reduces how much pain they feel. At the same time, the body does not trigger stress hormones or anxiety responses because the message is not threatening.
What the research says
1 studyKids with stomach pain were given a sugar water pill and told it was a placebo — and they didn’t feel worse, get more anxious, or have side effects. They even felt a little better and used fewer pain pills, so it seems safe to try.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.