Somatic complaints in childhood: How they are related to children's emotional and social functioning

Jellesma, F.C. (2008)

Doctoral Thesis

This thesis deals with emotional and social influences on childhood somatic complaints. Strong support is provided for the idea that negative affect contributes to the development of somatic complaints in childhood. In addition, the studies described give information about the type and levels of negative affect associated with somatic complaints in childhood. When appraisal is characterized by the experience of little control over negative situations and emotions, this is likely to directly cause more feelings of negative affect and also to contribute to a more negative processing of emotions: children who feel little control evidently use more maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. This negative emotional processing further contributes to negative affect and subsequent somatic complaints. These relationships between negative affect and somatic complaints are even present at subclinical levels of emotional problems. With regard to social problems, it is found that they have an effect on somatic complaints that is fully mediated by aspects of children’s emotional functioning: self-perceived social problems indicate lower feelings of control and more maladaptive emotion regulation.

• Anxiety
• Children
• Control
• Coping
• Emotions
• Internalizing
• Negative affect
• Pain
• Social
• Somatic complaints

• All authors: Jellesma, F.C.
• Supervisor: Westenberg, P.M.
• Co-supervisor: Rieffe, C.; Meerum, Terwogt, M.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University
• Date: 2008-10-21
• Court: LEI Universiteit Leiden