Do parents reinforce somatic complaints in their children?
OBJECTIVE
To examine the influence of parental solicitousness on self-reported somatic complaints in school-age children.


METHODS
Participants were 564 children (mean age 10 years) and their parents. Children completed self-report measures of somatic complaints, parental solicitousness, depressiveness, fear, and sense of coherence. Somatic complaints were assessed again 6 months later. Parents also completed a questionnaire about solicitousness.


RESULTS
Parental solicitousness as reported by children or parents was unrelated to the frequency of self-reported somatic complaints. Symptoms of depression, fear, and lower sense of coherence were associated with more somatic complaints, but did not interact with parental solicitousness.


CONCLUSIONS
Parental solicitousness seems unrelated to more frequent somatic complaints in schoolchildren.
Jellesma
Francine C
FC
Leiden University-Institute for Psychological Research, Developmental Psychology, Leiden. FJellesma@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Rieffe
Carolien
C
Terwogt
Mark Meerum
MM
Westenberg
P Michiel
PM
D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*