Habitual somatic discomfort in a representative sample of adolescents

The study is concerned with relations between habitual somatic discomfort, assessed by means of a questionnaire, and indicators of psychosocial adjustment, in a representative sample of 15-16 yr-old Finnish girls (N = 179) and boys (N = 205). Symptom prevalence was associated with anxiety, negative relations with parents, modest plans for education, fear of the future, loneliness, smoking, and drinking. These associations were significant for the boys but not for the girls. High symptom scores also tended to be associated with difficult peer relations (fighting, being target of peers' verbal aggression), and with the use of aggressive and the lack of constructive coping strategies in conflict situations. Boys who often felt lonely and girls who had been involved in physical fights with peers had consistently high scores. Different symptom patterns and sex differences are discussed.