Do somatic complaints mask negative affect in youth?

The developmental transition between adolescence and early adulthood represents a high-risk period for the onset of somatization. Although research has lagged clinical work in this area, it has long been believed that, for somatizing youth, physical complaints are best conceptualized as a defense against negative affect. Recent adult-oriented research, however, suggests that somatic complaints may be better conceptualized on a continuum, with physical complaints covarying with overt psychological symptomatology. To explore these hypotheses systematically, the authors studied the relationship between multiple dimensions of psychological distress and somatic complaints in undergraduate students. Higher levels of physical symptom reporting were associated with complaints of more overt psychological distress, a finding that was consistent with a continuum perspective. The implications of these results for understanding somatization in college student populations and for university-based healthcare are discussed.