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Are adolescents with high self-esteem protected from psychosomatic symptomatology?

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Abstract

This study investigated the role of self-esteem, social (need to belong, loneliness, competitiveness, and shyness), and health (smoking, drinking) behaviors in Hungarian adolescents’ psychosomatic symptoms. Our sample of 490 students (ages 14–19 years) from Debrecen (Hungary) completed the questionnaires. Besides descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression analyses were applied to test interrelationships. Frequency analysis revealed that fatigue was the most commonly experienced psychosomatic symptom in this sample, followed by sleeping problems and (lower) back pain. Girls reported experiencing more symptoms. Multiple regression analyses suggested that (1) need to belong, shyness, and competitiveness may serve as social behavioral risk factors for adolescents’ psychosomatic symptomatology, whereas (2) self-esteem may play a protective role. The role of social and health behaviors was modified when analyzed by gender: the psychosomatic index score was positively related to smoking and shyness among girls, and need to belong among boys. Self-esteem provided protection for both sexes.

Conclusion: We conclude that problems with social relationships (namely, unmet need to belong, competitiveness, and shyness) may lead to psychosomatic health complaints, whereas self-esteem may serve as a protection. Findings suggest that social skills training and strengthening self-esteem should be an important part of children’s health promotion programs in schools to improve their psychosomatic health and well-being.

What is known:

• Despite being free of serious physical illness, many adolescents often report subjective health complaints, such as psychosomatic symptoms

• As children in this life stage develop independence and autonomy, new types of social relationships, and identity, their social needs and skills also change

What is new:

• Need to belong, shyness, and competitiveness may serve as social behavioral risk factors for adolescents’ psychosomatic symptomatology, whereas self-esteem may play a protective role

• The role of social and health behaviors may vary by gender

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Abbreviations

M:

Mean

MS:

Microsoft

N :

Number

PSC:

The Psychosomatic Symptom Checklist

RCBS:

Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale

SD:

Standard deviation

SE:

Standard error

SPSS for MS:

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

UCLA:

University of California, Los Angeles

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Authors’ contributions

BFP analyzed data and wrote the paper, and contributed to conception of design. SV developed conception of design and supervised data collection, and involved in interpretation of data. DM helped with analysis and interpretation of data, and revised draft critically for important intellectual content. All authors critically read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Szeged, Szentharomsag str. 5, 6722, Szeged, Hungary

    Bettina F. Piko

  2. Semmelweis University, Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

    Szabolcs Varga

  3. School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, 3217, Australia

    David Mellor

Authors
  1. Bettina F. Piko
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  2. Szabolcs Varga
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  3. David Mellor
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bettina F. Piko.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Research involving human participants and/or animals

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Communicated by Jaan Toelen

Revisions received: 3 February 2016; 8 February 2016

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Piko, B.F., Varga, S. & Mellor, D. Are adolescents with high self-esteem protected from psychosomatic symptomatology?. Eur J Pediatr 175, 785–792 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-016-2709-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-016-2709-7

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