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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Learning to have psychosomatic complaints: conditioning of respiratory behavior and somatic complaints in psychosomatic patients.

OBJECTIVE: Assuming a subjective similarity between the experience of a hyperventilation episode and inhaling CO2-enriched air, we tested whether a respiratory challenge in association with a particular stimulus could result in altered respiratory behavior and associated somatic complaints upon presenting the stimulus only. METHOD: Psychosomatic patients (N = 28) reporting hyperventilation complaints participated in a differential conditioning paradigm using odors with a positive or negative valence as conditioned stimuli (CS+ or CS-) and 7.4% CO2-enriched air as the unconditioned stimulus (US). Three CS+ and three CS-acquisition trials were run. During the test phase, two CS(+)- and two CS(-)-only trials were run, followed by two new test odors (with a positive or negative valence). Respiratory frequency, tidal volume, end-tidal fractional concentration of CO2, and heart rate were measured throughout the experiment. Somatic complaints were registered after each trial. RESULTS: We observed a) increased respiratory frequency and an elevated level of somatic complaints upon presenting the CS+ only; b) a selective association effect: conditioning was only apparent with the negatively valenced CS+ odor; (c) no generalization of respiratory responses and complaints to the new odors; (d) no conditioning effect on dummy complaints that are usually not reported when inhaling CO2; (e) in exploratory comparisons with normal subjects, stronger conditioning effects on typical hyperventilation complaints in patients, and, in female subjects, on respiratory frequency. CONCLUSION: Respiratory responses and psychosomatic complaints can be elicited by conditioned stimuli in a highly specific way. The findings are relevant for disorders in which respiratory abnormalities and/or psychosomatic complaints may play a role and for multiple chemical sensitivity.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Psychosomatic complaints and utilisation of psychosomatic consultation services in gynecology and obstetrics].

The aim of this study was to identify symptoms of depression, anxiety and somatization disorder in gynecological and obstetrical inpatients by screening questionnaires and to compare this findings with utilisation of a psychosomatic consultation service. 517 patients were screened with HADS (anxiety and depression) and GBB-24 (somatic complaints). 28.7% had pathological and, in addition, 19.8% borderline scores in at least one scale. More than 40% had pathological or borderline scores even in a 4-week follow-up and emphasised that they would have preferred having psychosomatic support in hospital. In only 2.9% psychosomatic consultation service was requested. Physicians in the gynecology department rated anxiety depression and the patients' acceptance of psychological factors of their illness significantly lower than the patients themselves. Our results demonstrate that anxiety and depression in gynecological and obstetric patients are not only a momentary phenomenon. Physicians underestimate the need of psychosomatic consultation.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Living conditions and psychosomatic complaints in Swedish schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: The proportion of Swedish schoolchildren that reports psychosomatic complaints has increased during recent decades, parallel to major structural changes in Swedish society. AIM: To investigate the association of psychosomatic complaints in relation to household socio-economic conditions. METHODS: Cross-sectional study based on data from child supplements linked to nationally representative household surveys in Sweden during 2000-2003, covering a sample of 5390 children aged 10-18 y. Symptom variables were based on child interviews, while data from parental interviews were used to create socio-economic variables. RESULTS: Girls more often reported headache and recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) than boys, and these differences became more pronounced with age. Economic stress in the household was associated with headache (OR 1.21, p<0.05), RAP (OR 1.46, p<0.001) as well as difficulties falling asleep (OR 1.35, p<0.01), while there were no consistent associations between symptoms and social class or unemployed parents. Children in single-parent families consistently reported somewhat more symptoms than children in two-parent families (OR 1.26 for at least two of the three symptoms, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Economic stress, but not social class, was a significant but moderate risk factor for all three psychosomatic symptoms. It is possible that a growing proportion of families in economic stress has contributed to the parallel increase in reported psychosomatic complaints among Swedish schoolchildren. Further studies are needed to clarify the relation between lack of money, relational strain/support and psychosomatic complaints.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Research on psychosomatic complaints by senior high school students in Tokyo and their related factors.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationships between psychosomatic complaints of senior high school students in Tokyo and the cognition they receive from their fathers, mothers, friends, teachers, and schoolwork and between their complaints and lifestyle habits. The subjects were 168 first-grade students (58 males and 110 females) at a Tokyo Metropolitan senior high school. In June 1996, a collective survey was carried out, using questionnaires. Moreover, I conducted a longitudinal study to investigate the variation of their complaints over the 3 years at the school. The females had more psychosomatic complaints than the males. There was the relationship between their psychosomatic complaints and the cognition they receive from their fathers, mothers and teachers, the relationship between their psychosomatic complaints and their schoolwork, the relationship between their psychosomatic complaints and their ingestion conditions at meals, or sleeping hours. As for the their complaints, they had more complaints at admission than at the completion of their first grade and at graduation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Development of a psychosomatic complaints scale for adolescents.

There have been only a few questionnaires that can be used to comprehend the psychosomatic complaints of adolescents. Therefore, the objective of the present investigation was to develop a scale for high school students in order to comprehend psychosomatic complaints deriving from psychologic problems. The collection of scale items was performed referring to the health actual situation survey carried out on Japanese school children in the past, and 30 items with a high incidence of psychosomatic complaints were selected out of them and were set as scale items. A survey to assess reliability and validity of the 30 items of the psychosomatic complaint scale was then conducted on the subjects of 759 high school students in total over 3 years. At assessment of validity of the scale, one-factor structure was confirmed by factor analysis and both the eigenvalue and factor loading were found to be at acceptable levels. Further, at assessment of the reliability of the scale, both Cronbach's alpha coefficient indicating internal consistency and the correlation coefficient indicating reproducibility were found to be high. It was concluded that the psychosomatic complaint scale developed in the present investigation was excellent in validity and reliability and was highly practical, having a reduced number of items.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Behavioral treatment of psychosomatic complaints of mentally retarded adults.

Three mildly mentally retarded adults were treated for psychosomatic complaints using a multiple-baseline format across types of behavior and therapists. Also, social appropriate behavior incompatible with the target behavior was assessed. Subjects were matched on age, sex, and intellectual level with persons not considered to have this problem in order to establish the clinical significance in frequency of psychosomatic complaints. Additionally, baseline, treatment, and follow-up sessions were rated on the frequency of psychosomatic complaints by 10 adults from the community. Stomachache, headache, and multiple physical complaints were treated with a combination of token reinforcement, performance feedback, instructions, and modeling. Frequencies of the target behavior were decreased to near zero and maintained at that level during follow-up, and subjects were rated in the normal range of performance on both social validation criteria. Also, subjects' performance on adaptive behavior incompatible with psychosomatic complaints was improved.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[The assessment of the general functional status and of the psychosomatic complaints of workers at hydroelectric power plants].

Evaluation of the general functional status and psychosomatic complaints of 61 workers from the hydroelectric power stations is made. The following methods are used: 1. Assessment of the general functional state, by means of computer analysis of the cardiac variability, analysing the changes in the values of the following indices: average value of the cardiac intervals (X), their standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), amplitude of the mode (AMO), index of stress (IS), index of the vegetative balance (IVB), homeostatic index (HI). The last 3 indices serve for determination of the complex evaluation of chronic fatigue and work adaptation (ChFWA). 2. Evaluation of the psychosomatic complaints, by the use of a questionnaire for the subjective psychosomatic complaints. 3. Studying the systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The average values received in workers from HPS were compared with the average values of the population of the country and with the average values of a similar working activity of a group of operators from the thermal power station HPS. In conclusion it could be noted that concerning ChFWA the received values in workers from HPS are not more unfavourable generalized values from that measured in workers, occupied with similar type of work in other industrial branches of the country. However, they are with more unfavourable data in comparison with the workers from HPS. The subjective evaluation of the operators concerning their psychic and body health status is moderately worse, both in comparison with the values of the index for the country, and in comparison with those of the operators from HPS.

Bulgaria↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fluspirilene (Imap) in the treatment of psychosomatic complaints in hypochondriacal patients.

Patients with psychosomatic complaints of a hypochondriacal nature were treated with a weekly IM dose of 1.2-1.5 mg fluspirilene (0.6-0.75 ml IMAP) for a period of 10 weeks. According to the physicians' ratings, good results were obtained in 58%, moderate ones in 28%. In the patients' ratings, this corresponded to 60 and 26% respectively. Acceptability of the treatment was assessed as good by 88% of the physicians and 90% of the patients. Only two side effects were reported by three patients alike (dry mouth and sweating). The other side-effects were rarer in occurrence and half of them were transient.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Psychosomatic complaints in schoolchildren: a Nordic comparison.

AIMS: This study investigates the association between psychosomatic complaints (PSC) and background factors from children in the five Nordic countries, their families, and their social context in a model using proximal (child), intermediate (family), and distal (society) levels. Similarities and differences between the countries were compared. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to the parents of a representative sample of 3,760 Nordic children aged seven to 12 years. The relationship between PSC and background factors was analysed using structural equation modelling. RESULTS: Headaches and stomach complaints were most common. The prevalence was higher in girls than in boys. A LISREL analysis showed that determinants of PSC varied little between countries. The most important factors associated with PSC were the mother's health and well-being, the child's mental stability and social competence, and the family's socioeconomic status. Families with low education, blue-collar work, low income, and unemployed fathers were found to be most vulnerable. High risk factors could be influenced by other intervening protective factors. The greatest country differences were found on the distal level, where macroeconomic, legislative, and social factors dominated. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of PSC was quite similar between the Nordic countries, although there were some small differences. The results also confirm that the determinants of PSC are multidimensional. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the complex reality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Determinants of psychosomatic complaints in Swedish schoolchildren aged seven to twelve years.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate determinants of psychosomatic complaints (PSC) in children. The model assumes that variables are working on three levels: the proximal level (the child), the intermediate level (the family), and the distal level (the society). METHODS: Data were obtained from a large cross-sectional survey on children's health and well-being in the Nordic countries. A questionnaire was sent to the parents of a representative sample of 1,163 Swedish children aged seven to 12 years. The analysis included a multivariate analysis using the LISREL program. RESULTS: The best predictors of PSC were the mother's health, the child's mental stability, contacts with peers, and long-term illness/disability. There were many other important relationships, which act via factors, such as school satisfaction, social competence, activities, the parents' sense of coherence, and family economy. CONCLUSION: PSC in children should be seen in the context of all three levels.

Child↗
PubMed2001

Long-term illness and psychosomatic complaints in children aged 2-17 years in the five Nordic countries. Comparison between 1984 and 1996.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate changes in psychosomatic complaints (PSC) and long-term illness (LTI) and the association between parents' socioeconomic conditions and children's complaints in the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden). METHODS: The cross-sectional study covered a representative sample of children, aged 2-17 years in each country, altogether 10,219 in 1984 and 10,317 in 1996. The data were collected by mailed questionnaires. The relationship between LTI, PSC and parents' education, income, satisfaction with economy and family situation was analysed using descriptive statistics and logistics regression. RESULTS: LTI and PSC in children have increased in all age groups between 1984 and 1996. The prevalence of LTI was higher among boys than girls, whereas the prevalence of PSC was higher among girls. In both years, the prevalence was higher in low-income, low-educated, one-parent families. The general tendency is the same in all countries, although there are some minor differences. The differences in 1984 remained unchanged in 1996 except for LTI that increased in low-educated families for Nordic children as a whole. CONCLUSION: Socially and economically vulnerable families seem to run the greatest risk of having children with LTI and PSC, although the data do not permit a strict causal relationship to be drawn. Also, families with high formal education, solid economy and general satisfaction with their situation seem to be able to offer their children sheltered and stimulating conditions for growth and development, even in times of economic recession.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

An approach to psychiatric referrals in pediatric patients. Psychosomatic complaints.

Psychiatric referral is an important aspect of clinical pediatric practice. This paper discusses referral to a family-oriented psychiatrist of difficult families with children who have an acute or chronic psychosomatic complaint. It is the responsibility of primary care physicians to develop facility in making psychiatric referrals. In this way the physician will be equipped to deal effectively with cases requiring attention beyond his time and expertise, as well as cases that he will manage alone. The paper considers five decision-points relevant for pediatricians making effective referrals of children with somatic complaints. (1) The pediatrician decides whether to conduct the evaluation on an outpatient or inpatient basis. In either case the work-up should be completed rapidly. A diagnostic hospitalization, whereby the parents agree to accept the results of a clearly defined evaluation as definitive, may be used with inpatient evaluations. The proposal of such a diagnostic hospitalization is considered. (2) After the medical evaluation is completed, the pediatrician decides whether to manage the case alone or to make a psychiatric referral. (3) A family conference can be used to initiate pediatric management or to make a psychiatric referral. A joint meeting, with both pediatrician and psychiatrist present, may be a crucial part of the management of difficult psychosomatic cases. The four stages of a typical joint meeting are described. (4) The utility of giving indirect rather than direct explanations of the meaning of a somatic symptom is described. By scapegoating the symptom rather than either the child or the parents, indirect explanations are often less threatening and more acceptable to the family. (5) Similarly, psychiatric involvement is often best proposed by recommending evaluation rather than treatment, since evaluation is less binding and takes into account the natural reluctance of many families to see the psychiatrist. After the referral has been made, ongoing contact between psychiatrist and pediatrician is important.

Child↗
PubMed2000

Impact of ethnicity, violence and acculturation on displaced migrants: psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints among refugees in Sweden.

This study uses data collected in 1996 by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. By means of interviews with 1980 foreign-born immigrants, an attempt was made to determine the impact of a) migration status (country of birth/ethnicity), b) exposure to violence, c) Antonovsky's sense of coherence, d) acculturation status (knowledge of Swedish), e) sense of control over one's life, f) economic difficulties, and g) education, both on psychological distress (using General Health Questionnaire 12) and psychosomatic complaints (daytime fatigue, sleeping difficulties, and headache/migraine). Iranians and Chileans (age-adjusted) were at great risk for psychological distress as compared with Poles, whereas Turks and Kurds exhibited no such risk. When the independent factors were included in the model, the migration status effect decreased to insignificance (with the exception of Iranian men). A low sense of coherence, poor acculturation (men only), poor sense of control, and economic difficulties were strongly associated with the outcomes, generally accounting for a convincing link between migration status and psychological distress. Furthermore, a low sense of coherence, poor acculturation (men only), poor sense of control, and economic difficulties in exile seemed to be stronger risk factors for psychological distress in this group than exposure to violence before migration.

Acculturation↗
PubMed2004

Differential economic stability and psychosocial stress at work: associations with psychosomatic complaints and absenteeism.

Stressful working conditions are well known to have a negative impact on the worker's health. We investigated this association in a Belgian study with a psychosocial health perspective, including individual work characteristics as well as firms' features. These data come from the first measure of the Somstress study. This is a 4 year project, initiated in 1999 and conducted in four different firms. The objective of this article is to investigate the relationships between stress, working conditions and absenteeism, self-reported health and psychosomatic complaints. Firms were selected according to their degree of structural environment and job stability. Among the four work sites, one can be considered as stable, one unstable and the remaining ones in an in-between situation. Stress is generally measured according to one of the following models: the job demands control model (Karasek) and the effort-reward imbalance model (Siegrist). We used here both models, along with the social support at work (Karasek) and overcommitment (Siegrist). Sex, age and education are important health determinants. After adjustment for those three variables and additionally for the work instability, it appeared that poor health outcomes (measured by the self-rated health, depression (SCL-90), anxiety (SCL-90), somatisation (SCL-90), chronic fatigue (Vercoulen) and reported absenteeism) are mainly associated with a low control, low social support at work, high overcommitment and high level of imbalance. Inversely, job demands do not make any significant contribution in the logistic regression models for the above-mentioned health outcomes.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed2004

Bullying behavior and associations with psychosomatic complaints and depression in victims.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between bullying behavior and a wide variety of psychosomatic health complaints and depression. Study design In a cross-sectional study, 2766 elementary school children age 9 to 12 years filled out a questionnaire on bullying behavior and health complaints. Three groups-bullied children, active bullies, and children who both bully and are bullied-were compared with the group of children not involved in bullying behavior. Subsequently, risks for psychosomatic symptoms and depression were calculated by means of odds ratios. RESULTS: Bully victims had significantly higher chances for depression and psychosomatic symptoms compared with children not involved in bullying behavior. Odds ratios were as follows: headache, 3.0; sleeping problems, 2.4; abdominal pain, 3.2; bed-wetting, 2.9; feeling tired, 3.4; and depression, 7.7. Children who actively bullied did not have a higher chance for most of the investigated health symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Being bullied is strongly associated with a wide range of psychosomatic symptoms and depression. These associations are similar to the complaints known to be associated with child abuse. Therefore, when such health complaints are presented, pediatricians and other health care workers should also be aware of the possibility that a child is being bullied to take preventive measures.

Aggression↗