Continuity of functional‐somatic symptoms from late childhood to young adulthood in a community sample
Abstract
Background: The goal of this study was to assess the course of functional‐somatic symptoms from late childhood to young adulthood and the associations of these symptoms with young adult psychopathology. Methods: Data were collected in a large community sample at three different points in time (1994, 1997, and 2001). Functional‐somatic symptoms were represented by nine self‐reported items of the Youth Self Report (YSR) or the Young Adult Self Report (YASR). Only definite expressions of these symptoms were counted. Results: Definite functional‐somatic symptoms across time ranged between 1.0 and 2.6% for dizziness, 3.0 and 6.7% for overtiredness, 1.0 and 2.9% for aches and pains, 5.6 and 8.3% for headaches, 1.2 and 1.9% for nausea, 2.5 and 3.0% for stomach‐ache, and .2 and .8% for vomiting. In general, symptoms were more common in females at various times. In high‐scoring subjects there was a significantly higher chance of functional‐somatic symptoms persisting across time. Conclusions: Functional‐somatic symptoms in childhood and adolescents can be easily identified in the community. In high‐scoring subjects they tend to persist from childhood to adulthood.
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FSS symptoms frequently sustain into adulthood, carrying a significant risk of long-term impairment, reduced probability of obtaining higher education and high use of health care costs.
“Frequently, symptoms sustain into adulthood, carrying a significant risk of long-term impairment, reduced probability of obtaining a higher education and a high use of health care costs [9–13].”
From Feasibility of group-based acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescents (AHEAD) with multiple functional somatic syndromes: A pilot study (2020) · cites this paper as [11]
A substantial proportion of adolescents with FSS show continuity of functional symptoms into adulthood.
“A substantial proportion show continuity of functional symptoms into adulthood9–11”
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Steinhausen, H., & Winkler Metzke, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Venue
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2007-05
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 508-513
- ISSN
- 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7610
- OpenAlex
- W2094166596
- Cited by
- 60
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 2.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- edoc (University of Basel) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- functional somatic symptoms, symptom persistence, childhood to young adulthood, psychopathology, dizziness, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, sex differences, community sample, Youth Self-Report
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Mental Disorders, Child, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Residence Characteristics, Somatoform Disorders, Switzerland, Odds Ratio
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