Modern Health Worries, Somatosensory Amplification and Subjective Symptoms: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Modern health worries (MHWs; i.e., concerns about possibly harmful features of modern life) have been associated with somatic symptoms and somatosensory amplification in previous cross-sectional studies. Causal relationship among these variables is yet to be discovered. The study investigates the temporal association among subjective symptoms, somatosensory amplification (SSA), and modern health worries (MHWs). Baseline and follow-up questionnaires (somatic symptoms--PHQ-15, somatosensory amplification scale--SSAS, modern health worries scale--MHW, PANAS negative affect scale-NA) were completed by 366 undergraduate students in a 2-month longitudinal study. MHWs were predicted by baseline MHWs (β = 0.721, p < 0.001) and by somatic symptoms (β = 0.084, p < 0.05). Somatic symptoms were predicted by baseline symptoms (β = 0.610, p < 0.001), NA (β = 0.104, p < 0.05), and SSAS scores (β = 0.089, p < 0.05). The only predictor of SSA was baseline SSAS score (β = 0.628, p < 0.001). Based on the results, a linear model (proneness to somatosensory amplification leads to subjective symptoms which lead to MHWs) was proposed, where MHWs serve as explanations of physical symptoms or as possible environmental threats to avoid.