Original scientific paper

Psychosomatic Disorders in Secondary School Students in Osijek

Oliver Koić
Pavo Filaković
Veljko Đorđević
Elvira Koić
Ivan Požgain
Davor Laufer

Abstract

Psychosomatic disorders occur quite commonly in adolescence. The aim of the study was to define the prevalence of psychosomatic disorders in the population of secondary school students in Osijek, and to compare the groups of students with psychosomatic disorders and psychosomatic reactions with the group of healthy students according to their socioeconomic, family, relational and hereditary contextual factors. A total of 508 secondary school students from Osijek (170 male and 338 female) aged 15-19 years were included in the study. Study subjects were divided into three groups: (a) healthy students (n=272; 53.54%); (b) students with psychosomatic reactions (n=190; 37.40%); and (c) students with psychosomatic disorders (n=46; 9.06%). Accordingly, 37.40% and 9.06% of student sample suffered from psychosomatic reactions and psychosomatic disorders, respectively. The most common psychosomatic reactions were allergies (22.04%), dysmenorrhea (21.01%) and acne (16.00%). The most common psychosomatic disorders were asthma (4.33%) and hypertension (1.96%). Psychosomatic reactions occurred more often in female than in male students. The number of divorced parents was significantly higher in the group of students with psychosomatic disorders (52.20%) as compared with the group of healthy students (15.10%). The rate of psychosomatic disorders was significantly lower among parents of healthy students (28.70%) as compared with parents of students with psychosomatic reactions (47.90%) and those with psychosomatic disorders (67.40%). Study results pointed to a conclusion that hereditary factors (predisposition) and factors representing the source of intense fear in childhood and adolescence (e.g., parents. divorce) played a significant role in the onset of psychosomatic disorders.

Keywords

Psychophysiologic disorders - diagnosis; Psychophysiologic disorders - epidemiology; Incidence; Adolescence

Hrčak ID:

14524

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/14524

Publication date:

1.9.2004.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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