The Role of Temperament and Anxiety on Somatization in Young Adults

Date

2009-07-25T20:29:20Z

Authors

Gupta, Deepti

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Abstract

The current study examined the role of temperament and anxiety on somatizing behavior in young adults (N=230). Participants completed a series of self-report measures assessing levels of behavioral inhibition, social anxiety, thought suppression, as well as a multidimensional somatization symptom profile. Gender and ethnicity were also noted as they may act to moderate the temperament-anxiety-somatization link. Analyses were carried out using a linear regression model. Results found that temperamental characteristics like neuroticism, social avoidance, and thought distortion together constituted a single factor – socio-affective vigilance. Regression analysis showed that socio-affective vigilance and low threshold were significant positive predictors of somatic behavior and anxiety in young adults. Data analysis showed that in the present sample, this relation held only for Caucasians. No ethnic differences were found on anxiety scores. While women reported significantly more somatic complaints, gender did not moderate the relation between socio-affective vigilance, low threshold, and somatization.

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Keywords

Temperament, Somatization, Anxiety, Young adults, Adolescence

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