[Pseudo-correlation between neurotic somatic diseases and social class]

The hypothesis that neurotic bodily complaints are dependent on social class, sex, and age, was tested using a representative sample of size N=1549. It is shown that bodily complaints are dependent on age and sex, but independent of social class. Correlations of -.41 between age and education and of -.22 between education and sex were obtained, suggesting that the correlation found in earlier investigations between social class and neurotic bodily complaints were in fact due to the common dependence on sex. It is shown, however, that psychosomatic conceptions of bodily complaints are dependent on social class. People from higher social classes interpret their complaints significantly more frequently as being due to psychological factors. The consequences for the doctor-patient-relationship, which may be drawn from these results, are discussed.