Do We Think Ourselves Sick? Psychological Processes and Health Behaviors Associated with Adolescents’ Somatic Complaints
Author(s): Sigurlina Davidsdottir
Abstract: The effects of psychological variables as measured by health hardiness, life orientation, perceived stress, Type A behavior, anxiety, and attributional style were contrasted with lifestyle as measured by alcoholism, smoking, exercise for their association with somatic complaints. The sample consisted of 105 psychology undergraduate students in a midwestern university. Psychological processes were better predictors of somatic complaints than lifestyle. A statistically significant association was found between somatic complaints and the following psychological processes: pessimism, Type A, perceived stress, anxiety, and global explanatory style for bad events. Health control and health challenge were negatively correlated with somatic complaints. Psychological variables explained 40% of the variance in somatic complaints, but lifestyle variables had little association with such complaints.
Keywords: Somatic complaints; Perceived stress; Type A behavior pattern; Anxiety; Attributional style; Health hardiness; Lifestyle factors
Article: e22002
Download Full Article: Click here