Perceptions of parents' health status and relationship to somatic preoccupation.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to examine the potential relationship of family factors to somatic preoccupation.


METHODS
A total of 116 internal medicine patients completed research booklets exploring perceptions of parents' health, childhood trauma, borderline personality symptomatology [Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R)], and somatic preoccupation (Bradford Somatic Inventory).


RESULTS
Simple correlations revealed that most of the relationships between somatic preoccupation and remaining study variables were statistically significant (e.g., poor parental health status correlated to somatic preoccupation). Using path analysis, poor perception of mother's health demonstrated an indirect effect on somatic preoccupation via borderline personality symptomatology, whereas, poor perception of father's health demonstrated an indirect effect on somatic preoccupation via childhood trauma. Neither parents' health status demonstrated direct effects on somatic preoccupation.


CONCLUSIONS
There appear to be parent gender differences in the mediation of the relationship between poor parental health status and somatic preoccupation in the offspring. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Sansone
R A
RA
Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA.
Wiederman
M W
MW
Sansone
L A
LA
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D012737:Sex Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires