Functional neurological disorder: exploration into diagnosis, beliefs and experiences

Background: Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a condition characterised byneurological symptoms without the congruent pathology. It is a more prevalent diagnosis to
fall under medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). The label itself can be experienced as stigmatising, which in turn can impact patient’s engagement with services, treatments, and
prognosis. Illness beliefs play an important role in how people relate to their diagnosis andhow they manage. This has been explored in MUS, but less so in FND. This review aimed tosummarise the research into illness beliefs in FND. Method: A systematic literature searchwas conducted, and 14 studies were selected that contained a quantitative measure of illness beliefs. These studies were assessed using quality appraisal tools and summarised usingnarrative synthesis. Results: Themes that emerged from the data included the efficacy ofinterventions on changing illness beliefs in this group, differences in illness beliefs betweenFND patients and the general population, differences between FND and organic neurologicalconditions, and differences depending on the nature of FND symptoms. Discussion:Differences were observed in patients with FND and this may relate to the diagnosis itselfand the associated stigma. Interventions with a psychoeducation component may be able totarget illness beliefs and in turn improve prognosis.