Continuity of functional-somatic symptoms from late childhood to young adulthood in a community sample.
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.
Steinhausen
Hans-Christoph
HC
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Switzerland. steinh@kjpd.unizh.ch
Winkler Metzke
Christa
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology